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READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

Item EXAFR174. Buy these 5 items as a set for $92 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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Africa, A Biography of the Continent

Africa, A Biography of the Continent

by John Reader

  • HISTORY
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 816 PAGES

With the ease of a practiced journalist, Reader weaves a masterful and lively tale of the continent, from ancient cultures to modern times. Both authoritative and informal, this is a splendid introduction to all of Africa. (AFR49, $18.95)

Conversations With Myself

Conversations With Myself

by Nelson Mandela | Barack Obama

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 454 PAGES

Mandela draws on letters, notebooks, taped interviews and an unfinished sequel to Long Walk to Freedom for this new account of a remarkable life. (SAF313, $18.00)

Madagascar Wildlife: A Visitors Guide

Madagascar Wildlife: A Visitors Guide

by Hilary Bradt | Nick Garbutt | Derek Schuurman

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 176 PAGES

This handy guide describes and illustrates in color photographs 250 species of Malagasy animals, not just the lemurs, fossas and other endemic mammals but also birds, reptiles and invertebrates. With chapters on habitats, ecology and conservation. Third edition. (MAD07, $25.99)

Africa Map

Africa Map

by Collins Maps

  • 2008
  • MAP

This folded, full-color map shows the continent and surrounding islands, including the Arabian Peninsula, on a single sheet at 1:10,000.000. (AFR19, $16.95)

Big Five of Africa

Big Five of Africa

by Gerald Hinde

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 143 PAGES

Hinde's stunning photographs celebrate Africa's lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos and buffalo. (AFR241, $20.00)

 

Lonely Planet Africa


by Hugh Finlay

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 1184 PAGES

The only guidebook to cover the whole of Africas 49 countries, this latest edition includes more than 200 up-to-date maps. Specialized chapters, written by experts, cover development in Africa, safaris and wildlife, music, and more. (AFR127, $36.99)

Explorers of the Nile

Explorers of the Nile


by Tim Jeal

  • HISTORY
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 592 PAGES

The biographer of Stanley and Livingstone, Tim Jeal widens his scope in this spirited new history of the great 19th-century quest for the origins of the Nile, covering the many expeditions and complex rivalries of Burton and Speke, Livingstone and Stanley and other Victorian adventurers with panache. (AFR287, $32.50)

Luxor Illustrated, With Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Nile

Luxor Illustrated, With Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Nile


by Michael Haag

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 96 PAGES

The ideal companion to a Nile cruise, Michael Haag introduces all the famous monuments and temples of the Upper Egypt from Luxor, Karnak, Valley of the Kings and the tomb of Tutankhamun to the marvels of Aswan and Abu Simbel in full color. (EGY277, $22.95)

The Fate of Africa

The Fate of Africa


by Martin Meredith

  • HISTORY
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 792 PAGES

Ambitious in scope, immensely readable -- and as big as a doorstop -- Martin Meredith's blockbuster country-by-country overview of the tumult in Africa since independence is now revised and updated to reflect recent events. (AFR154, $21.99)

The Scramble for Africa

The Scramble for Africa


by Thomas Pakenham

  • HISTORY
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 738 PAGES

Absorbing and meticulously researched, this in-depth history of the Victorian land grab in Africa includes excellent portraits of the egomaniacal personalities who overran the continent. (AFR26, $23.99)

Tomorrow is Another Country, The Inside Story of South Africa's Road to Change

Tomorrow is Another Country, The Inside Story of South Africa's Road to Change


by Allister Sparks

  • HISTORY
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 254 PAGES

Sparks explores the extraordinary developments that led to multiracial democracy in South Africa, an essential key to understanding South Africa today, (SAF31, $25.00)

African Textiles

African Textiles


by John Gillow

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

Region by region, John Gillow's absorbing, superbly illustrated and colorful survey covers the traditional, handcrafted and indigenous textiles of the whole continent. Gillow also authored the marvelous Traditional Indonesian Textiles (INS22) and Indian Textiles (IDA543). (AFR137, $44.95)

The Complete Valley of the Kings

The Complete Valley of the Kings


by Nicholas Reeves | Richard Wilkinson

  • ARCHAEOLOGY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

A thorough and intriguing look at the burial place of the New Kingdom pharaohs, this book brings together the art, architecture and history of the valley; contains profiles of archaeologists, diagrams and detailed site descriptions. (EGY14, $26.95)

Dark Star Safari

Dark Star Safari


by Paul Theroux

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 472 PAGES

Setting the tone for his odyssey from Cairo to the Cape, Theroux writes in the opening: "All news out of Africa is bad. It made me want to go there, though not for the horror, the hot spots, the massacre-and-earthquake stories you read in the newspaper; I wanted the pleasure of being in Africa again...I aimed to reinsert myself in the bundu, as we used to call the bush, and to wander the antique hinterland." (AFR131, $15.95)

Down the Nile, Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff

Down the Nile, Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff


by Rosemary Mahoney

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 273 PAGES

Mahoney weaves the tale of her quest to row the Nile with deft portraits of the people she meets in this marvelously engaging chronicle. (EGY207, $14.99)

Green Hills of Africa

Green Hills of Africa


by Ernest Hemingway

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1935
  • PAPER
  • 295 PAGES

Hemingway paints the true story of his ramblings on safari in this classic, exquisitely written tale of hunting around Lake Manyara, which includes some of the best writing on the land itself and original pencil drawings. (EAF25, $16.00)

Long Walk to Freedom

Long Walk to Freedom


by Nelson Mandela

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 640 PAGES

An unpretentious tale of an extraordinary life, Mandela's autobiography is essential reading for an understanding of South Africa. His grace and his love for his country shine throughout. (SAF15, $17.99)

My Traitor's Heart

My Traitor's Heart


by Rian Malan

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 425 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

The Afrikaner and journalist recounts his return to his homeland just before the collapse of Apartheid. Malan grapples with the black and white heart of South Africa, drawing on the 300-year history of his family in Africa, legends of the Zulu nation and some brutally honest reporting. (SAF19, $15.00)

The Old Way, A Story of the First People

The Old Way, A Story of the First People


by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 384 PAGES

Marshall (Harmless People) returns after 50 years to southwest Africa and the land of her youth in this beautifully observed reprise of her classic account of the Bushmen of the Kalahari. (SAF183, $16.00)

Twenty Chickens for a Saddle

Twenty Chickens for a Saddle


by Robyn Scott

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 464 PAGES

Haphazardly schooled by her free-spirited mother and left to roam the bush, Scott writes with warmth and candor of her unconventional upbringing in Botswana, including her Grandpa Ivor (personal pilot to the first president of Botswana), physician father's work, unfortunate pets, siblings and adventures. (SAF203, $15.00)

Whatever You Do, Don't Run

Whatever You Do, Don't Run


by Peter Allison

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 246 PAGES

Allison spins captivating tales of wildlife, camps and the life of a Safari guide into a hilarious, slyly informative introduction to Botswana. (BOT29, $16.95)

Cry, The Beloved Country

Cry, The Beloved Country


by Alan Paton

  • LITERATURE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 317 PAGES

The deeply moving story of Reverend Kumalo's quest for justice. First published in 1948, it is a striking, poetic tribute to the power of the individual and a trenchant indictment of Apartheid. (SAF30, $15.00)

The Burning Shore

The Burning Shore


by Wilbur Smith

  • LITERATURE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 632 PAGES

An epic tale of romance, survival and daring set in Southwestern Africa (aka Namibia) by the master of South African pulp fiction. (NMB12, $8.99)

Africa, The Serengeti

Africa, The Serengeti


by George Casey

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1994
  • DVD

James Earl Jones narrates this dazzling 40-minute IMAX documentary of the migration of wildebeest in the Serengeti and Masai Mara. (EAF120, $19.99)

African Safari, Into the Great Game Reserves

African Safari, Into the Great Game Reserves


by Peter and Beverly Pickford

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 300 PAGES

With a traveler's notebook, essays and color photographs of Africa, its people, landscapes and wildlife, this dazzling photographic journey captures the adventure of Safari. (AFR260, $49.95)

Classic Africa

Classic Africa


by Michael Poliza

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2010
  • HARD COVER
  • 320 PAGES

Printed and beautifully bound in Italy, Michael Poliza's exquisite new book showcases the wildlife of Africa -- each elephant, zebra, lion or rhino photographed alone or in a group against the African plains. The photographs, taken over a decade, have been rendered in rich sepia, not only recalling safaris of yore but also adding to their distinctive beauty. With full-age photos printed on uncoated, heavy eight vellum, bound in textured suede-like cloth. (AFR279, $125.00)

Eye of the Leopard

Eye of the Leopard


by Beverly Joubert | Dereck Joubert

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2009
  • HARD COVER
  • 208 PAGES

The National Geographic photographers Dereck and Beverly Joubert document the life of a young leopard, born at Mombo Camp in Botswana's Moremi Reserve, in dazzling color and evocative black-and-white. (AFR256, $75.00)

Eyes Over Africa

Eyes Over Africa


by Michael Poliza

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 408 PAGES

Poliza takes to the air in this second book, superbly illustrated the beauty and diversity of Africa in stunning low aerial photographs. (AFR205, $125.00)

Gorillas, Natural History & Conservation

Gorillas, Natural History & Conservation


by Kelly Stewart

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 72 PAGES

An illustrated overview of the natural history and ecology of the gorilla. (CAF35, $17.95)

Mountain Gorilla

Mountain Gorilla


by Adrian Warren

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2004
  • DVD

This remarkable documentary, filmed in the Parc des Volcans in Rwanda and originally produced for IMAX, follows a day in the life of a group of mountain gorillas. 39 minutes. (EAF142, $14.98)

Serengeti, The Eternal Beginning

Serengeti, The Eternal Beginning


by Boyd Norton

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2011
  • HARD COVER
  • 288 PAGES

Featuring 250 exquisite color photographs alongside Norton's firsthand accounts of travels in Serengeti National Park, Kenya's Masai Mara, and Ngorongoro over a decades-long career. (EAF378, $35.00)

Skeleton Coast

Skeleton Coast


by Amy Schoeman

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2012
  • HARD COVER
  • 208 PAGES
  • COMING IN APRIL

This revised edition of Shoenman's classic, first published in 1971, shows the magnificent landscapes, wildlife and nature of the Namib desert, Skeleton Coast and Northwest Namibia in 160 color essays and accompanying essays on geology, climate, nature and history. (NMB08, $54.00)

The Year of the Gorilla

The Year of the Gorilla


by George Schaller

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 290 PAGES

Schaller's vivid tale of adventures among the gorillas of the Virunga volcanoes of Zaire, Rwanda and Uganda -- a wonderful account of field work under difficult and sometimes dangerous circumstances by one of the great wildlife biologists. (UGD03, $25.00)

Wild at Heart

Wild at Heart


by Peter Godwin | Chris Johns

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2007
  • HARD COVER
  • 176 PAGES

This lush collection of full-color photographs tackles conservation, development and tradition in Southern Africa. It's a well-illustrated portrait of the region by National Geographic photographer Chris Johns and veteran journalist Peter Godwin. (SAF130, $65.00)

African Wildlife

African Wildlife


by James Kavanaugh

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1999
  • PLASTIC CARD

Slip this laminated foldout guide in your pocket for quick reference in the field. (AFR109, $5.95)

Birds of Africa South of the Sahara

Birds of Africa South of the Sahara


by Ian Sinclair | Peter Ryan

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 760 PAGES

This compact field guide, the first to describe and illustrate all of the birds of sub-Saharan Africa, features 359 color plates and 2,100 range maps. Especially useful for those southern African countries without their own field guides. (SAF143, $49.50)

Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals

Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals


by Jonathan Kingdon

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2004
  • PAPER
  • 272 PAGES

An artist and biologist, Kingdon provides both delightful full-color illustrations and informative text. (EAF128, $24.95)

National Audubon Society Field Guide to African Wildlife

National Audubon Society Field Guide to African Wildlife


by Peter Alden

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 988 PAGES

This comprehensive photo guide covers 850 birds, mammals and reptiles of Africa. With range maps and a good country-by-country overview of habitats and parks. (AFR25, $24.95)

Newman's Birds of Southern Africa

Newman's Birds of Southern Africa


by Kenneth Newman

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 538 PAGES

This commemorative tenth edition celebrates the contribution of the late author, Kenneth Newman, fully revised and updated by his daughter, Vanessa Newman, to reflect the latest research, taxonomy and common names. (SAF29, $26.00)

The Safari Companion

The Safari Companion


by Richard Estes

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 459 PAGES
  • BEST SELLER

An invaluable encyclopedic guide to Africa's mammals by a noted scientist. Written with the typical safari-goer in mind, this perennial bestseller includes black-and-white drawings, an overview of each group and in-depth information. (AFR06, $30.00)

The Wildlife of Southern Africa, A Field Guide to the Animals and Plants of the Region

The Wildlife of Southern Africa, A Field Guide to the Animals and Plants of the Region


by Vincent Carruthers | Kenneth Newman

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES
  • BEST SELLER

With 1,200 color illustrations by a range of experts, this compact field guide includes all the birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, fish and plants that a traveler is likely to encounter in Southern Africa. (SAF59, $29.95)

Wildlife of East Africa

Wildlife of East Africa


by Martin B. Withers | David Hosking

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES
  • BEST SELLER

This take-along guide to 475 common species of birds, mammals, reptiles, insects, trees and flowers of East Africa features full-color photographs with detailed descriptions on facing pages. (EAF108, $19.95)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.