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READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Books for

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 EXSAF174. Buy these 5 items as a set for $111 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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Lonely Planet Southern Africa

Lonely Planet Southern Africa

by Alan Murphy

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 808 PAGES

This hefty practical guide to the nine nations of southern Africa, including Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Swaziland, Malawi, Mozambique and Lesotho, is ideal for independent travelers on a multicountry tour. (SAF121, $32.99)

The Safari Companion

The Safari Companion

by Richard Estes

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 459 PAGES

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)

Cry of the Kalahari, Seven Years in Africa's Last Great Wilderness

Cry of the Kalahari, Seven Years in Africa's Last Great Wilderness

by Mark Owens | Delia Owens

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1985
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

The story of a family thrown out of Botswana for its stance on conservation. While their approach to conservation is controversial, there's no doubt that the Owens are dedicated to the wildlife of southern Africa -- and are very good writers. (SAF13, $16.00)

Southern Africa Regional Map

Southern Africa Regional Map

by ITMB

  • 2008
  • MAP
  • BEST SELLER

A double-sided map of the continent south of the Zambezi River, at a scale of 1:2,125,000, with color photographs and notes on parks and major attractions. (SAF63, $12.95)

 
Botswana Map

Botswana Map


by Globetrotter

  • 2011
  • MAP

With a country map (1:1,600,000) and insets of Chobe and other national parks on the reverse. (SAF07, $10.95)

Bradt Guide Namibia

Bradt Guide Namibia


by Chris McIntyre

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 544 PAGES

From the desolate Skeleton Coast to the lush Kavango and Caprivi Strip, or the picturesque capital, Windhoek, Bradt has it covered. (NMB06, $26.99)

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)

Lost World of the Kalahari

Lost World of the Kalahari


by Laurens van der Post

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1986
  • PAPER
  • 279 PAGES

Originally published in 1958, this poetic book is the story of a quest to find the San people in the remote desert. It has become a classic romanticized tale of an encounter between the literate European and "noble savage": mystical, captivating and a useful record of a time. (SAF24, $21.95)

The Harmless People

The Harmless People


by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1989
  • PAPER
  • 303 PAGES

A classic study of the Bushmen of the Kalahari, novelistic in its detail. Based on the author's fieldwork, the account is direct, informative, and strong on the character of the people and land. (SAF60, $15.95)

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)

Exploration of Africa, From Cairo to the Cape

Exploration of Africa, From Cairo to the Cape


by Ann Hugon

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 173 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

This jewel of a book chronicles the 19th-century exploration of Africa with hundreds of contemporary paintings and prints, brief chapters on the expeditions, and a very useful chronology. Livingstone, Burton and others are featured in a series of journal excerpts. (AFR03, $15.95)

The Healing Land, The Bushmen and the Kalahari Desert

The Healing Land, The Bushmen and the Kalahari Desert


by Rupert Isaacson

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 2003
  • PAPER
  • 278 PAGES

A powerful account of the ancient traditions of the Kalahari Bushmen -- and the very contemporary struggle of a people who have been displaced from their land. (SAF135, $13.00)

Mating

Mating


by Norman Rush

  • LITERATURE
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 480 PAGES

This comic novel evokes daily life in Botswana and skewers the notion of well-intentioned academics at large in the developing world. The description of a trek from Gaborone to the Kalahari is terrific. (BOT03, $16.95)

The Collector of Treasures

The Collector of Treasures


by Bessie Head

  • LITERATURE
  • 1977
  • PAPER
  • 128 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

One of Africa's greatest writers, Bessie Head writes eloquently of village life in Botswana in this collection of stories revolving around themes of family, prejudice and power. (BOT02, $14.95)

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency


by Alexander McCall Smith

  • MYSTERY
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 235 PAGES

The delightful introduction to Botswana's formidable female detective, evoking the cultures, customs and texture of Africa. (BOT10, $13.95)

Horn of Darkness, Rhinos on the Edge

Horn of Darkness, Rhinos on the Edge


by Carol Cunningham | Joel Berger

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 2000
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

A lively account of field work, combining adventure, natural history and thoughtful commentary on the plight of the severely endangered black rhinoceros in Namibia. (NMB07, $50.00)

The Myth of Wild Africa

The Myth of Wild Africa


by Jonathan Adams | Thomas McShane

  • NATURAL HISTORY
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 290 PAGES

The authors, associated with the World Wildlife Fund, explode the romantic fallacy of an untouched continent where animals roam freely in sanctuaries. It's a no-holds-barred critique of old-style conservation in Africa. (AFR15, $29.95)

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)

Birds of Southern Africa, Princeton Illustrated Checklists

Birds of Southern Africa, Princeton Illustrated Checklists


by Ber Van Perlo

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

An admirably compact guide, featuring small illustrations of 1,250 species, brief descriptions and black-and-white range maps. (SAF79, $29.95)

Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa

Field Guide to the Birds of Southern Africa


by Ian Sinclair | Phil Hockey | Warwick Tarboton

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 447 PAGES

This compact, comprehensive field guide features 200 dazzling color plates covering 950 species of birds from South Africa to southern Mozambique. Fourth Edition. (SAF12, $35.00)

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)

Southern African Wildlife, A Visitor's Guide

Southern African Wildlife, A Visitor's Guide


by Mike Unwin

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 2011
  • PAPER
  • 234 PAGES

A popular photographic guide to the mammals, birds, reptiles and habitats south of the Zambezi. With 300 color photographs and illuminating text. (SAF131, $26.99)

The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals

The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals


by Jonathan Kingdon

  • FIELD GUIDE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 476 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

This stunningly-illustrated, comprehensive field guide by a leading authority includes Kingdon's 480 exquisite color paintings. (AFR32, $49.50)

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.