Africa  •  Michael Lewis  •  John Reader CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2001 •  HARD COVER  • 320 PAGES An informative survey of the geography, culture and wildlife of Africa featuring 175 color photographs and accompanying text by John Reader (Africa: A Biography of the Continent). Organized geographically, it's the companion volume to an eight-hour television series by PBS and National Geographic. (AFR111, $50.00)
African Art, An Introduction  •  Frank Willett ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2002 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES A concise, well illustrated overview of the art and culture of Africa, portraying the range of spectacular art produced throughout the ages. (AFR18, $18.95)
African Wildlife  •  Raymond Leung  •  James Kavanaugh FIELD GUIDE •  1999 •  PLASTIC CARD A laminated foldout guide illustrating almost 150 species of African animals. This pocket guide is designed for quick reference in the field. (AFR109, $5.95)
Backcountry Pilot, Flying Adventures with Ike Russell  •  Thomas Bowen ANTHOLOGY •  2002 •  HARD COVER  • 206 PAGES An anthology of anecdotes from the air, recounting dangerous flights and unbelievable adventures with Ike Russell, a bush pilot legendary among research scientists of the 60s and 70s. A fearless chauffeur, Ike would fly scientists to inaccessible corners of the globe (mostly in the desert regions of Mexico, but also East Africa, Madagascar and Tierra del Fuego), often under extreme circumstances. Among the writers featured are Bernard Fontana, Richard Felger and Paul S. Martin. (DES07, $29.95)
Bradt Guide Mauritius, Rodriques & Reunion  •  Royston Ellis  •  Derek Schuurman GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES A comprehensive guide to Mauritius and the Mascarenes for the independent traveler with excellent suggestions for where to go and what to do. Half the book is devoted to Mauritius itself. (MTS01, $22.95)
Coral Reef Animals of the Indo-Pacific  •  Terence M. Gosliner FIELD GUIDE •  1996 •  PAPER  • 314 PAGES A comprehensive handbook to 1,000 marine invertebrates by a leading expert from the California Academy of Sciences. It features excellent color photographs and good information on distribution, ecology and natural history of corals, sponges and other invertebrates of the coral reef. (DIV19, $45.00)
Desertion  •  Abdulrazak Gurnah LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 272 PAGES Set in Zanzibar, this novel of a troubled love affair spans sixty years and paints a vivid portrait of turn-of-the-century colonial Africa. The time-skipping tale is opens in 1899, following the fate of a British adventurer lost in the East African desert. Rescued by a Muslim shopkeeper, he begins a love affair with the man's sister, Rehana. Skipping to the 1950s, the story follows the lives of two brother: a Zanzibari in England Rashid, and Amin, who is having an affair with Rehana's granddaughter. (EAF138, $13.95)
A Fish Caught in Time, The Search for the Coelacanth  •  Samantha Weinberg SCIENCE •  2000 •  PAPER  • 220 PAGES Somebody ought to make a movie out of the discovery of the coelacanth. It's an improbable tale, rich in incident, personality and politics. Weinberg traces the history of the lobe-finned fish from its original description by Louis Agassiz in the 1830s to the recent surprise discovery of a population of old four legs in Indonesia. The discovery of the five-foot fish, long thought extinct, off the South African coast in 1938 electrified the scientific community -- and spurred many efforts to bring one back alive. Most of the subsequent specimens have been found off the Comoro Islands in the Mozambique Channel. Take this book along if you are heading to the Comoros, or just have an interest in well told tale of evolutionary history. Keith Stewart Thomson provides more detail on the evolutionary significance of the coelacanth in his classic "Living Fossil: The Story of the Coelacanth" (BST09). (BST53, $13.95)
Fishwatcher's Field Guide Indian Ocean  •  Idaz Greenberg FIELD GUIDE •  PLASTIC CARD This double-sided plastic card shows 70 of the most commonly encountered reef fish of the Indian Ocean in full-color illustrations, convenient for the boat or beach. It's even got a hole punched in it to hang around your neck while snorkeling. (FG17, $7.50)
The Future of the Past  •  Alexander Stille HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 339 PAGES A survey of conservation, preservation and threats to cultures and monuments around the world. The author is a frequent contributor to the New Yorker (where you may have read portions of this book). In these interconnected essays, Stille argues that the rapid rate of change and explosion in information makes it increasingly difficult to understand -- and protect -- our cultural legacy. Organized geographically, he enlivens the discussion with anecdotes and travels to places as distant (and disparate) as Sicily, China, Egypt, India, Madagascar, Somalia, Washington and Rome. A journalist by training and temperament, Stilles lets the people he meets around the world speak for themselves on the implications of their work. Each place and researcher gets its own chapter. Stimulating. (CON23, $16.00)
The Ghost with Trembling Wings  •  Scott Weidensaul NATURAL HISTORY •  2003 •  PAPER  • 352 PAGES The search for lost species, not a quixotic as it seems, absorbs Scott Weidensaul (Living on the Wind) in this unexpected series of encounters on the trail of beasts as varied as the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, coelacanth, Cone-billed Tanager and the Loch Ness monster. Weidensaul presents his triumphs and diappointments with wit and considerable insight into evolution and ecology. (CON24, $16.00)
The Girl Who Married a Lion and Other Tales from Africa  •  Alexander McCall Smith LITERATURE •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 192 PAGES McCall Smith brings together a collection of often hilarious, often bizarre folktales which he heard as a child growing up in Zimbabwe. In addition to the tales from his previous collection, Children of Wax, the best-selling author includes seven new tales from Botswana. In an interesting twist on a writer's creation, the title character of the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency provides an introduction. (AFR141, $22.00)
A Hundred Horizons, The Indian Ocean in the Age of Global Empire  •  Sugata Bose HISTORY •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 264 PAGES In this sophisticated and scholarly history, Bose examines the commerce between cultures fringing the Indian Ocean. He argues that the body of water served to unite these disparate peoples, even in the face of European imperialism. (IDA305, $27.95)
Last Chance to See  •  Douglas Adams  •  Mark Carwardine NATURAL HISTORY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 222 PAGES A whirlwind visit to remote habitats around the world by two wonderfully entertaining traveling companions. Sponsored by BBC radio, Douglas Adams and Mark Cowardine traveled to Zaire, New Zealand, China, Mauritius and other far-flung places in search of endangered animals. Often hilarious, this book is also a portrait of threatened animals. This is such a wonderfully entertaining and informed book, we can forgive its focus on charismatic species. Adams is the author of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." Cawardine, a biologist, has been a staff zoologist for World Wildlife Fund. (CON04, $14.95)
Living Fossil, The Story of the Coelacanth  •  Keith Stewart Thomson NATURAL HISTORY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES Thomson relates the remarkable discovery of the long-thought-extinct fossil fish in the deep waters of the Mozambique channel and Comoros Islands. It's a great story and engaging account of the biology and conservation of a living fossil. (BST09, $9.95)
Lonely Planet Madagascar & Comoros  •  Lonely Planet Publications GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER In the Lonely Planet hallmark style, this practical guide to Madagascar features a good overview of culture, history and nature, maps and much nuts-and-bolts information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. With a section of color photos. (MAD02, $26.99)
Madagascar Map  •  Cartographia MAP A folded, full-color traveler's map at a scale of 1:2,000,000 with an index on the reverse. (MAD30, $12.00)
Malagasy Dictionary and Phrasebook  •  Janie Rasoloson LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2001 •  PAPER  • 170 PAGES A handy pocket guide to the Malagasy language with a traveler's phrasebook and mini-dictionary. (MAD43, $11.95)
Maldives Map  •  Borch Maps MAP A double-sided, laminated map covering the whole island chain at a scale of 1:800,000. It includes an inset map of Male and some travel information. (AFR56, $9.95)
Marine Invertebrates Indian Ocean and the Central Pacific  •  Idaz Greenberg FIELD GUIDE •  PLASTIC CARD This double-sided plastic card shows 50 of the most commonly encountered marine invertebrates of the Indian Ocean in full-color illustrations, convenient for the boat or beach. It's even got a hole punched in it to hang around your neck while snorkeling. (DIV15, $7.50)
Mauritius and Reunion Map  •  Hildebrand MAP (AFR40, $12.95)
Maverick in Madagascar  •  Mark Eveleigh TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 232 PAGES An exuberant, testosterone-driven account of travels from northwestern Madagascar to the southern tip of the 1,000-mile long island in search of the semi-mythical original inhabitants of the island (who he calls a race of white pygmies), heavy on hyperbole and adventure. Eveleigh, a professional adventurer, has written a previous account of his travels in central Borneo. (MAD28, $12.99)
Objects as Envoys: Cloth, Imagery and Diplomacy in Madagascar  •  Christine Mullen Kreamer  •  Sarah Fee CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  2002 •  PAPER A fascinating, scholarly exhibition catalog. While focusing on textiles, their diversity and cultural signnficance, this book is also an insightful history of the Malagasy people and Malagasy-American ties. The accompanying essays, edited by two curators at the Smithosnian Institution, consider cloth production, how textiles have played a role in international diplomacy, and how Madagascar and its people have been viewed in Europe and the United States. (MAD32, $35.00)
Over the Lip of the World, Among the Storytellers of Madagascar  •  Earl B. McElfresh BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2001 •  PAPER  • 250 PAGES An appreciative, impressionistic collection of Malagasy myths, stories and poetry, as related by University of Washington poet Colleen McEloy who traveled to Madagascar on a Fulbright. (MAD26, $17.95)
The Peopling of Africa, A Geographic Interpretation  •  James L. Newman CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1997 •  PAPER  • 252 PAGES An anthropological study of Africa, which considers, among other factors, genetics, religion, language and technology. With 50 maps. (AFR140, $23.00)
Rough Guides Ethical Travel 25 Ultimate Experiences  •  Rough Guides GUIDEBOOK •  2007 •  PAPER  • 80 PAGES Subtitled Make the Most of Your Time on Earth, these colorful pocket guides, 25 in all, published in celebration of the 25th anniversary of Rough Guides, celebrate remarkable, not-to-be-missed things to do and places to go, certain to inspire. With an appendix including, for example, excellent reading and some practicalities, these teasers might just help you choose the next trip. As a celebration of Rough Guides, their scope and personality, they can't be beat. (WLD109, $5.99)
The Safari Companion, A Guide to Watching African Mammals  •  Richard Estes FIELD GUIDE •  1999 •  PAPER  • 459 PAGES An invaluable encyclopedic guide to Africa's mammals by a noted scientist. Estes describes 100 large African mammals: their diet, habitats and behavior. Written with the typical safari-goer in mind, and including black-and-white drawings. (AFR06, $30.00)
The Snorkeller's Guide to the Coral Reef, From the Red Sea to the Pacific Ocean  •  Paddy Ryan  •  Peter Atkinson NATURAL HISTORY •  1994 •  PAPER  • 184 PAGES An illustrated overview of coral reefs, coral reef fishes, invertebrates and plants of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, this compact book is an excellent resource for anyone thinking of exploring the underwater world. Beginners will appreciate the chapters on learning to snorkel, reef etiquette, photography hints and first aid. With 200 color photographs. (DIV18, $19.95)
Spectrum Guide to Maldives  •  Interlink Books GUIDEBOOK •  1999 •  PAPER  • 319 PAGES Comprehensive, beautifully illustrated and well written, this guide, produced in Nairobi, is an excellent overview of the history, nature and attractions of the Maldives. It features great maps and a good overview of marine life, culture, history and economics. (AFR55, $22.95)
The Tree Where Man Was Born  •  Peter Matthiessen TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1972 •  PAPER  • 430 PAGES A vivid portrait of East Africa, enthralling in its masterful detail on nature and daily life. Matthiessen ranges from prehistory to modern East Africa, circa 1961, deftly combining the finest of nature writing and sensitive commentary on social and political history. In this far-ranging book, we travel with him to Maasailand, Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, the Kenyan Highlands and out into the bush to witness the animals. It's an enduring classic, fully as interesting today as when it was first published by the "New Yorker" in 1972. (EAF27, $17.00)
The Unquiet Grave  •  Cyril Connolly LITERATURE •  1981 •  PAPER  • 142 PAGES The wonderfully digressive collection of essays, epigrams and reflections by the British critic, writer and founder of Horizon, originally published in the magazine in 1944. As it turns out Connolly, who traveled in Africa, was devoted to lemurs. Among the many pleasures of this very quotable farrargo is The Graves of Lemurs, his euolgy for beloved pet ring-tails. With thanks to Penelope Bodry-Sanders (and the Lemur Conservation Foundation), who brought the book to our attention. It's a wise and witty gem. (GEN260, $13.95)
The World of the Swahili  •  John Middleton CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1994 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES A scholarly ethnography of the people of the coast by a leading Africanist at Yale. It is an excellent overview of the culture. (AFR17, $28.00)