Africa  •  Phyllis Martin  •  Patrick O'Meara CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1995 •  PAPER  • 400 PAGES African history and prehistory, popular culture, art and economics with dozens of maps, photographs and drawings. We especially liked the chapter on the contemporary map of Africa. It's all here. Pick and choose those areas that interest you. It's the most popular introductory text for undergraduate African studies courses in North America -- refreshingly free of cant and completely revised in 1995 to reflect changes in African politics. (AFR07, $20.95)
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)
Africa's Vanishing Wildlife  •  Chris Stuart NATURAL HISTORY •  1996 •  HARD COVER  • 208 PAGES Profiling wildlife found all over the continent, this sixth book by the prolific husband-and-wife team features outstanding color photography, great maps and a well considered analysis of prospects for the future of individual species. (AFR43, $45.00)
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 Nights  •  Kuki Gallman BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2000 •  PAPER  • 326 PAGES In this sequel to I Dreamed of Africa Gallman writes of life on her ranch in Kenya, the people, wildlife and challenges. (EAF121, $14.00)
African Obsession, The Life and Legacy of Carl Akeley  •  Penelope Bodry-Sanders BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1998 •  PAPER  • 300 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE An insightful biography of Carl Akeley, the biologist and conservationist at the American Museum of Natural History responsible for the Hall of African Mammals. Written with great verve and authority, this book is now available in a revised paperback edition. It follows Akeley on his expeditions throughout East and Central Africa, capturing his fascination with turn-of-the-century Africa. (AFR52, $14.95)
African Predators  •  M.G.L. Mills  •  Gus Mills  •  Martin Harvey NATURAL HISTORY •  2001 •  HARD COVER  • 160 PAGES A natural history of the giant cats and other predators of Africa, covering evolution, behavior and conservation, and complemented by full-color photographs. (AFR114, $39.95)
African Silences  •  Peter Matthiessen TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1992 •  PAPER  • 225 PAGES In this narrative of Equatorial Africa, Matthiessen recounts several trips to The Gambia, Senegal, Zaire and the Congo Basin in search of rhinos, elephants and other endangered wildlife. (WAF36, $13.00)
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)
The Big Cats and Their Fossil Relatives, An Illustrated Guide to Their Evolution and Natural History  •  Alan Turner  •  Mauricio Anton NATURAL HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 256 PAGES A thoroughly researched and accessible guide to modern felines and their prehistoric ancestors. From the sabertooth tiger to the average house cat, this far-reaching natural history finds links between present-day species and fossil evidence to form an account of the anatomy, behavior and evolution of cats. Includes almost 200 amazingly detailed drawings. (BST50, $26.95)
Bill Bryson's African Diary  •  Bill Bryson BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2002 •  HARD COVER  • 49 PAGES It's slight but with all the profits going to CARE International (who sponsored Bryson's visit), this 50-page essay on Kenya has its heart in the right place. It's a diary of Bryon's week-long junket at the invitation of the poverty-fighting organization. (AFR128, $12.00)
Birds of Eastern Africa, Princeton Illustrated Checklists  •  Ber Van Perlo FIELD GUIDE •  2009 •  PAPER  • 302 PAGES • COMING IN APRIL This handy guide illustrates and briefly describes most East African birds, including those of Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia, and Yemen's Socotra Island. It's a remarkably small book, featuring 96 color plates, 1,487 species -- and essential information for quick reference in the field. Best for someone already familiar with birds of the region, illustrations are small and information about each species condensed to a few words. (EAF40, $29.95)
The Black Man's Burden, Africa and the Curse of the Nation-State  •  Basil Davidson HISTORY •  1993 •  PAPER  • 355 PAGES An evocative work by one of Africa's foremost historians. Davidson compares the optimism of Africans when they finally emerged from foreign rule in the 1950s with today's continuing state of crisis, which he blames, in part, on the colonial legacy. (AFR92, $15.00)
The Books of Secrets  •  M.G. Vassanjii LITERATURE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 337 PAGES Intrigue, history and politics along East Africa's Swahili Coast. The many machinations of this prize-winning novel revolve around the discovery of a 1913 diary of a British colonial administrator in Dar es Salaam. It evokes the history and atmosphere of the coast, where black, white, Indian and Arab are long intertwined. (EAF65, $15.00)
Bradt Guide Sudan  •  Paul Clammer GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES A practical guide in the popular Bradt series, noted for publishing travel guides to remote and little-visited destinations. (AFR152, $21.95)
Bradt Guide Sudan  •  Paul Clammer GUIDEBOOK •  2005 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES A practical guide in the popular Bradt series, noted for publishing travel guides to remote and little-visited destinations. (AFR152, $21.95)
Bradt Guide Tanzania  •  Philip Briggs GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 646 PAGES A comprehensive guide to Tanzania, its history, wildlife and major attractions in the series of Africa guides by Philip Briggs for Bradt. Geared for the independent traveler, it also includes maps, town plans and lots of practical travel information. It covers not just the popular safari destinations in the north but also Gombe Stream, Mahale Mountains and Selous Game Reserve. (EAF39, $25.95)
Bradt Guide Zanzibar  •  David Else  •  Sarah Chanter GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 342 PAGES A personal, detailed guide to Zanzibar, its history, culture, attractions and natural history. With color photographs, maps and excellent travel information. (EAF33, $21.95)
Cats of Africa  •  Anthony Hall-Martin FIELD GUIDE •  1998 •  HARD COVER  • 152 PAGES A species-by-species guide to Africa's wild cats, gorgeously illustrated by Paul Bosman. With range maps, conservation status and descriptions. (BST24, $49.95)
Cultural Atlas of Africa  •  Jocelyn Murray CULTURAL PORTRAIT •  1998 •  HARD COVER  • 240 PAGES This book is a handsomely illustrated atlas of African history and culture with 96 outstanding maps, 250 color photographs and excellent essays. (AFR47, $50.00)
Darwin's Dreampond, Drama in Lake Victoria  •  Tijs Goldschmidt NATURAL HISTORY •  1998 •  PAPER  • 274 PAGES A fortuitous combination of solid science and vivid travel writing, this book is Goldschmidt's account of his field work at Lake Victoria, and especially of his work on the ecology and evolution of the cichlid fishes. (EAF53, $27.00)
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)
The Fossil Trail, How We Know What We Think We Know About Human Evolution  •  Ian Tattersall SCIENCE •  1997 •  PAPER A balanced, thought-provoking survey of the physical evidence for human evolution by the American Museum of Natural History anthropologist. (ATP08, $19.95)
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)
Green Hills of Africa  •  Ernest Hemingway BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1935 •  PAPER  • 295 PAGES A classic, wonderfully readable tale of hunting in the Lake Manyara area. Reissued with its original pencil drawings, Hemingway paints a real life story of his ramblings in East Africa, including portraits of the eccentric white hunter and some of the best writing ever describing the land itself. (EAF25, $15.00)
Guide to Mount Kenya and Kilimanjaro  •  Iain Allan GUIDEBOOK •  1998 •  PAPER  • 264 PAGES A pocket guide to mountaineering produced by the Mountain Club of Kenya. It's a comprehensive overview, covering mountain medicine, geology, flora and fauna, and other topics in detail. With climbing routes, maps and photographs. Also of interest to trekkers, the guide is geared for serious mountaineers on one of the Alpine routes. With a fold-out topo map. (EAF68, $33.95)
Heart of Darkness, with Congo Diary  •  Joseph Conrad LITERATURE •  1995 •  PAPER  • 166 PAGES A monumentally influential literary work, this short story tells of Marlow's harrowing journey into the Belgian Congo. Rich with irony, this story blurs the lines between savagery and civilization. This edition also includes selections from Conrad's journal while he was in the Congo, creating a blueprint for his later writings. (AFR46, $7.95)
Heinemann Book of Contemporary African Short Stories  •  Chinua Achebe  •  Lynn Innes ANTHOLOGY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 196 PAGES All written in the last 25 years, these 20 outstanding stories showcase both established African writers and new voices in the field. A single-volume introduction to the vast literature of all of Africa. (AFR10, $11.95)
Hemingway in Africa, The Last Safari  •  Christopher Ondaatje BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 240 PAGES Ernest Hemingway's love of East Africa can be glimpsed in "The Green Hills of Africa" and "The Snows of Kilimanjaro"-- Christopher Ondaatje traveled to Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda to retrace the steps of Hemingway's inspiration for this amply illustrated biography. Ondaatje examines Hemingway's travels with a literary attention to detail, and documents his findings with 98 color photographs, including one of the actual leopard which inspired the short story "The Snows of Kilimanjaro." (AFR139, $37.50)
How to Draw Animals  •  Judy Tatchell 1988 •  PAPER (JUV01, $4.95)
I Married Adventure, The Lives of Osa and Martin Johnson  •  Osa Johnson BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1997 •  PAPER  • 448 PAGES Sweetly told, homespun and engrossing, Johnson's 1940 memoir chronicles her marriage to explorer and wildlife cinematographer Martin Johnson -- their life on a houseboat in Borneo, their encounters with cannibals, their exploits with wild animals in Kenya and their filming expeditions in the Congo. (PAC110, $19.95)
Kenya and Tanzania Map  •  Cartographia 1999 •  MAP A colorful, double-sided map of Kenya and Tanzania at a scale of 1:2,500,000. With index (EAF97, $12.00)
Kilimanjaro & East Africa, A Climbing and Trekking Guide  •  Cameron Burns GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 236 PAGES A compact guide to climbing with practical information on planning for your trek, outfitters and routes. It covers all the major forest and moorland routes to the main peaks on Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya, Mt. Meru and the Rwenzoris. With sketch maps and photographs. Second edition. (EAF63, $19.95)
Kilimanjaro Map  •  ITMB 2004 •  MAP A traveler's map of the mountain and surroundings at a scale of 1:62,500 with margin notes on the climbing routes, wildlife and history of exploration. It's a colorful topographic map with 100-foot contour lines. Routes, huts, and geographic features are clearly indicated. (EAF69, $11.95)
Larger Mammals of Africa  •  Pierre Dandelot FIELD GUIDE •  1993 •  HARD COVER  • 287 PAGES Featuring handsome color plates of all the larger mammals of Africa (including Madagascar), this compact field guide also includes good information on the range, distribution and abundance of each species. (AFR61, $35.00)
Lonely Planet East Africa  •  Hugh Finlay GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 688 PAGES This practical guide to East Africa by Lonely Planet features maps, a good overview of culture, history and nature, and much nuts-and-bolts information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. With color photographs and excellent travel information. Lonely Planet also publishes "Trekking in East Africa". (EAF81, $29.99)
Lonely Planet Kenya  •  Matt Fletcher  •  Hugh Finlay  •  Geoff Crowther GUIDEBOOK •  2006 •  PAPER  • 416 PAGES A compact, practical guide to Kenya featuring maps, a good overview of culture, history and nature and much nuts-and-bolts information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. With a brief wildlife guide and scattered color photographs. It includes sketch maps of cities, towns, parks and reserves. (EAF84, $24.99)
Lonely Planet Swahili Phrasebook  •  Lonely Planet LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  1998 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES A compact reference for the traveler, covering useful idioms, vocabulary and basic grammar. (EAF96, $8.99)
Lucy's Legacy, Sex and Intelligence in Human Evolution  •  Alison Jolly SCIENCE •  2001 •  PAPER  • 528 PAGES Jolly brings the perspective of a sociobiologist -- and of her decades of field work on the female-dominated ring-tailed Lemur -- to this lively account of who we are as a species. She looks particularly at the evolution of gender and intelligence. (AFR104, $18.95)
The Nile  •  Robert O. Collins HISTORY •  2002 •  HARD COVER  • 384 PAGES Collins draws on a lifetime of study and travel in this revealing portrait of the 4,000-mile-long river, its political geography and environmental history. (AFR129, $48.00)
Nomads of the Serengeti  •  Robyn Stewart NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 176 PAGES A coffee-table survey of the wildlife of the Serengeti, with a focus on the birds, migrating herds, and predators, featuring 200 color photographs. (EAF149, $32.95)
Out of Africa  •  Isak Dinesen BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1992 •  CASETTE TAPE Isak Dinesen's classic tale of life on a farm in the Kenyan highlands as read by Julie Harris. This abridged version comes on two audio cassettes. (EAF124, $15.95)
Paradise  •  Abdurlazak Gurnah LITERATURE •  2006 •  PAPER  • 247 PAGES • COMING IN A wonderfully written novel set on the Swahili coast of East Africa. A finalist for the Booker Prize, this vibrant book is the story 12-year-old Yusuf, sold by his father in repayment of a debt and thrust from rural life into the complexities of commerce. The book evokes the landscapes and social mix of Arab Muslims, Indian merchants, European colonists and African tribes in Kenya and Tanzania. (MAD03, $13.95)
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)
The Remarkable Baobab  •  Thomas Pakenham NATURAL HISTORY •  2004 •  HARD COVER  • 144 PAGES It was inevitable that Pakenham, an historian of Africa with a penchant for the world's most striking and bizarre trees, would discover the baobab. In this followup to Remarkable Trees of the World and Meetings with Remarkable Trees, he focuses on the tremendous, twisted boabab trees of Africa, Madagascar and Australia. Of the world's eight species, six are found in Madagascar. With 60 large-format color photographs. (NAT71, $19.95)
Safari Living  •  Tim Beddow ART & ARCHITECTURE •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 168 PAGES Beddow captures the beauty and setting of lodges and camps, highland estates and coast retreats in 100 color photos in this handsome overview of architecture and interior design in East Africa. (EAF147, $16.95)
The Scramble for Africa  •  Thomas Pakenham HISTORY •  1992 •  PAPER  • 738 PAGES A well-written, meticulously researched history of the Victorian land grab in Africa. The book includes excellent portraits of the egomaniacal personalities that overran the continent, including Kitchener, Rhodes, Gordon and King Leopold. Subtitled "white man's conquest of the dark continent from 1876 to 1912, " it's an absorbing tale of adventure, tragedy and farce. (AFR26, $23.95)
Serengeti Journey, On Safari in Africa  •  Gare Thompson NATURAL HISTORY •  2006 •  HARD COVER  • 48 PAGES • YOUNG READERS (Age 4-8) A fun and informative overview of the Serengeti and its wildlife for readers ages 4 to 8. (EAF150, $17.90)
The Snows of Kilimanjaro  •  Ernest Hemingway LITERATURE •  1995 •  PAPER  • 156 PAGES A collection of 10 excellent Hemingway stories set in Africa, including The Snows of Kilimanjaro and The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber (which begin and end the collection, respectively). The latter is a chilling masterpiece concerning an American couple on a big-game safari. Originally published in 1936, the book draws from stories written over the previous nine years, when Hemingway's prose was at it's best; a classic not to be missed. (EAF26, $13.00)
Surrender or Starve: Travels in Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia, and Eritrea  •  Robert D. Kaplan TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  2003 •  PAPER  • 240 PAGES Robert Kaplan, the prolific journalist and author of Balkan Ghosts, travelled through Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia and Eritrea for this illuminating travelogue examining the culture, religion, and politics of the region. Kaplan also pays particular attention to the formidable impact of the 1980s famine. (AFR155, $13.95)
Swahili Dictionary  •  D.V. Perrott LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  2003 •  PAPER  • 266 PAGES A convenient dictionary, useful anywhere in East Africa and especially along the coast, with 14,000 entries and guide to grammar and pronunciation. (EAF54, $15.95)
Swahili, Start Speaking Today  •  Educational Services Corporation LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS •  1995 •  CASETTE TAPE A 90-minute crash course in Swahili on two audio casettes tapes, which focuses on useful words and expressions for the traveler. (EAF110, $21.95)
Tall Blondes, A Book About Giraffes  •  Lynn Sherr NATURAL HISTORY •  1997 •  HARD COVER  • 128 PAGES A giraffe-lover's guide to giraffes, not incidentally written by a tall blond person (and ABC correspondent). The author writes enthusiastically about the Giraffe Center outside Nairobi. With color illustrations throughout, this book will appeal to the whole family. (AFR79, $19.95)
Tanzania Map  •  Nelles 2008 •  MAP A clear, color double-sided map of Tanzania at a scale of 1:1,500,000 with a cardboard cover. With an inset of Zanzibar, and maps of attractions on the reverse. (EAF08, $10.95)
Through a Window, My Thirty Years with the Chimpanzees of Gombe  •  Jane Goodall NATURAL HISTORY •  2000 •  PAPER  • 320 PAGES The now-classic account of Jane Goodall's research into the life of the chimpanzee on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, offering insight into field work, animal behavior and conservation issues. (EAF42, $16.00)
Trekking in East Africa  •  Lonely Planet GUIDEBOOK •  2003 •  PAPER  • 264 PAGES A guide to Kilimanjaro, Mt. Kenya and the Rwenzori mountains and lesser-known treks in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. This book is both a practical guide to preparing for your trip and a good introduction to the history, culture and wildlife of the region. With 27 trekking maps, a section of color photographs and a focus on trekking. (EAF67, $19.99)
The Ukimwi Road: From Kenya to Zimbabwe  •  Dervla Murphy TRAVEL NARRATIVE •  1995 •  HARD COVER  • 276 PAGES • HARD TO FIND ELSEWHERE An Irish grandmother and award-winning travel writer, Murphy rewards herself on her 60th birthday in 1992 with a state-of-the-art mountain bike and an adventure from Kenya to Zimbabwe, including a sojourn in Zambia. She frames her portrait of contemporary Africa around the AIDS crisis, providing a unique glimpse into the life of Africans in each of the countries she visits. But, beware: Murphy's attitude towards the international, animal-watching tourist trade is less than kind. Still, it's a vastly entertaining and eye-opening book. (AFR01, $22.95)
A Vanished World  •  Wilfred Thesiger BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  2002 •  HARD COVER  • 200 PAGES This stunning record of an unusually eventful life takes in Thesiger's travels and adventures in revolutionary Ethiopia and the mountains of the Hindu Kush, his time among the Marsh Arabs of Iraq, his long stint living in Northern Kenya, and, memorably, his long love affair with the Empty Quarter of Oman (memorialized in "Arabian Sands"). Ninety-one-year-old Thesiger selected the black-and-white photographs for this album, which include many of his portraits of people and ways of life long gone. (ARB56, $35.00)
The Wisdom of the Bones, In Search of Human Origins  •  Alan Walker  •  Pat Shipman SCIENCE •  1997 •  PAPER  • 368 PAGES A dramatic account of the discovery, in 1984, and significance of a remarkably intact skeleton of Homo erectus in northern Kenya. (ATP09, $15.00)
The Worlds of a Maasai Warrior, An Autobiography  •  Ole Saitoti BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR •  1988 •  PAPER  • 144 PAGES Wonderfully evocative of life in Maasailand. Raised in a traditional Kraal, on the open plains of Africa's Rift Valley in the 1950s, Saitoti became the first in his family to leave the family compound and attend bush school. He went on to become one of the first safari guides, featured in a National Geographic film and later educated in Munich and New York. Here he looks back on his life as a Maasai and spokesperson for his people, bridging several worlds with tremendous grace. (EAF29, $19.95)