This delightful book tells the story of the bear Reggie, who travels to Africa for a safari with his owner. His handwritten account records everything he sees in a journal/scrapbook format that is accompanied by beautiful illustrations. A wonderful book for any age. Also check out the follow up, Journey Up the Nile.

I have been on a safari with each of my daughters and am going on another with my son, his wife and 3 young grands this summer. Mailed them Reggie's book which was so beguiling I had to get another copy for my daughters to share with me. Needless to say I love the East African experience and this book gives some useful information in a fun, easily accessible and creative way.

I was apprehensive that a book ostensibly written by a teddy bear would get sneers from my teen aged son, however, despite a few pages of cuteness at the start, the book was so well done in art work and content, and mirrored our own safari experiences so well, that Nick loved it. He even, abeit a bit sheepishly, liked the teddy bear humor. If this book succeeds so well with a cynical teen, it should work for everyone. Read this book before you go to East Africa, then re-read it (and get a little misty-eyed) after you return.

One of the Most Brilliant Writers of the Orisha of modern day, Awo William Bascom has written some of the greatest books of Orisha and Yoruba Religion and Spirituality of our times. All of his books are destined to be classic in Orisha Literature.

16 Cowries as all his books are a must have for all young babalorishas and iyalorishas, and for the young Iyawo ask your godparents what there opinion is on this book, and I am sure you will get a good response. Of the few books of Merinndilloggun this has to be the best, in fact all of Awo Bascoms books blow away all the other books on the same subject. I highly recommend all the young Aborishas, and Iyawo, to check out his works. They are all a wealth of information and should be in every ones Library. Awo William Bascom has written some of the best books of Orisha Spirituality.

El libro contiene una información increible sobre el facinante mundo de la interpretación de los caracoles. Es muy complejo para un principiante; pero para el que desea realmente información como practicante de La Religión este libro es invaluable.

Once again Awo William Bascom will live forever. This book is an excellent book to help facilitate the learning of Eerindinlogun(Cowrie Divination)system.It is LOADED with information that the non-practioner,Awo's,Babalorisha,Iyalorisha,and even Babalawos would appreciate.

If you are, or you have friends or family who are collectors of exotic cookbooks -- especially African -- then South of the Sahara is a terrific gift! It was my pleasure to receive a copy from the book's publisher to review for my African Cultures site at About.com. In addition to great, authentic West African recipes, the book contains valuable information about the various foods and sources where you may purchase the ingredients called for in West African cooking.

We are Americans residing in Ghana and received this book as a gift-the recipes faithfully recreate the food we find in the markets and chop bars. Its a book we'll carry and use in all our future travels.

Good food, beautiful pictures of some of the dishes and of Africa, and easy to follow recipes.

A beautifully presented account of the suffering, resilience & ingenuity of the Biafrans; the sheer bravery of its young soldiers. Written in the great Achebe's approach. About time Biafran story is included in the school curriculum.

From when I picked up the book until I finished reading it, I was simply taken into another world. It was as though the Nigerian civil war had been brought to life again by the author. The author has done a splendid job of capturing the events of that period for his readers. The book profiles one of the pivotal periods of the Nigerian nation. I recommend it to all those who want to learn more about Nigeria and Africa.

This book captures the tragedy of a war that the world still knows very little about...the cost in human lives that in the end was about resource control...oil. What the Uzokwe family and the Igbos endured represent the triumph of the human spirit. A must read for everyone because there cannot be peace without justice.

I was hooked from the start - young New Yorker goes from radio pioneer to OSS agent and learns to survive. That it is a true story only adds to the enjoyment.

Brought me through a part of WWII I had never known about. The author describes feelings, choices, preparation and then takes you along for a dangerous ride. Well written, I kept having to get back to it to see what would happen - and I was never disappointed. Spy chasing, hasty exits, from the tremendous heat of Casablanca to the most bone chilling cold of northern Russia.

My only wish would be for a sequel - but in real like I guess that doesn't happen.

As president and editor of a Merchant Marine Veteran organization it is my job to search for stories that tell about being at sea during WWII. This book is a great testimonial to the hazards of the Merchant Marine and the OSS in WWII.
His duties as a sailor and a spy put him in harms way.His ships sailed in convoy to Russia. These waters were the most hazard of all. We lost many ships and lives in the North Atlantic. This was his duty on the sea. Then he had to face great danger with his undercover work on the land. The world of spys, spooks, and shadows makes for great stories. He writes with such skill that he puts you with him at every turn. A great true adventure story that takes place on land and sea. Well Leon Wortman did both and lived to tell about it. I Couldn't put it down.

Told in the first person-present. A tough job for any writer. Wortman, by this technique, makes you a participant in all his tasks.

A helpful feature of Rough Guides is a listing of other reading for the Kenyan traveler. Included in that list is an exciting cross-cultural novel entitled Herdsboy.

As a woman travelling alone in Kenya, the hotel information was very good- warned of bars and hotels you might not want to go to alone. Also, gave good advice on the best rooms in a hotel (e.g. not over the bar). This is true at least for hotels in the very cheapest level, as I was budget travelling and never stayed or ate in places above level 2 price range.
Additionally, directions on how to get to out-of-the-way places via local transport was really helpful.

The Rough Guide Kenya is an indispensable guide and is useful for first-time and veteran travellers to Kenya. Sections on literature and history complement excellent, detailed, and often witty coverage of nearly the entire country. The best thing about this book is the author's attempt to introduce the reader to the social and political realities of modern Kenya which lie behind the facade of safaris and curio shops.

Walk inside the universe of World Music is not easy. You have the feeling to moove in a jungle of names, titles and unknown instruments. A Guide is necessary to understand and help you for orientation. This book is good for primers and experts, speaking about generes, origins, musicians and their best records. From the 1994's first edition the new release is more rich and reflects the high number of World Music records released in the last five years. I think you are in presence of the best guide you can buy today on the matter.

World Music appeared in 1994 and became a fine resource: here is the first volume of a 2-volume edition; this first volume covering Africa, Europe and the Middle East with expanded musical references, over 80 articles from experts, extensive discographies organized by country and photos and directors of world music labels and specialty stores. An outstanding reference and a 'must' for avid world music listeners. Don't miss the Rough Guide Music Sampler CD, which provides a satisfyingly diverse sampler of some of the most famous names in world music from Carlos Gardel's tangos to Inti-Illimani's Andean sounds and the Soul Brothers' special South African beats.

I am biased: I love the Rough Guide series of CDs. They have opened my ears and mind to worlds I not only never knew existed but also couldn't have imagined. This revision and expansion of the original Rough Guide to World Music is dazzling in its diversity. I agree with the first reviewer about its strengths and weaknesses. However, if you love the exploration of music and are willing to acknowledge that no encyclopedic work can but scratch surfaces, you'll love this book.

Janice Booth's Rwanda guide not only is the most updated travel guidebook on Rwanda, but it also goes culturally/historically where the other guidebooks do not go. I spent several weeks in Rwanda in 2003, finding almost all the information in other guidebooks almost completely useless or irrelevant. Due to the genocide, and subsequent arrival of international aid, the entire infrastructure of the country, especially Kigali, had changed, and so the nuts and bolts information of hotels, transport, and other practicalities found in the Bradt guide were of great use.
The personal relationship of the author with Rwandans made it easier for a post-war visitor to understand what the average Rwandan had been through, and the section on "giving back," and what a traveller who had been affected by the country and people could do AFTER visiting the country is something that should be included in a lot of guidebooks.
The only bit of impractical information was that regarding traveller's checks. They are not accepted in banks unless one has an account there, and this is a bit of an obstacle to be surmounted (the national parks office does, and can help with other needs).

The Bradt Guide is by far the most comprehensive guide to Rwanda that I was able to find. I don't know what I would have done on my trip without it. The book is a mix of background info and travel tips. One good thing to know is that Kigali has added a "5" in front of all the phone numbers since the guide was published.

To travel to Africa without a guide, paper or flesh, is a bit looney. But, this month, I found myself in Rwanda in said (and sad) condition. For the first few days I managed to blunder along, until I found and bought this great guide at a hotel side store (of course at a significant mark up).

For the next two weeks Briggs and Booth did a superb job of guiding me along the dirt roads and winding byways (This is the "Land of a thousand hills"). They always explained clearly the world where I wandered. They consistently helped me uncover destination gems that I would have surely overlooked.

Most impressive were their cultural, economic and ecological commentaries. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to traveling with the Office of Tourism across this country while I was working on a medical project for the President's office. I can say that the insights and comments of Briggs and Booth regarding Rwanda are extremely competent and on the mark. Their insight alone makes this book a needed purchase for those that will visit or work in Rwanda.

The 1994 genocide is, of course, briefly covered and the history, heath, culture, people, planning and preparing sections are all informative and full of needed information. Also, for an outstanding book on the 1994 genocide do read; 'We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families' by Philip Gourvitch.

I found Janice Booth's caring and engaging story of her friendship over the years with Peter - a Rwandan Tutsi a wonderful and caring addition. This story is found in the preface and concluded in the epilogue.

The only notable shortcomings are the maps. In today's competitive world of travel guides, good maps are essential. The maps are very basic on only fair. That said this guide is a 'must have' for all who journey to this beautiful and bewildering destination. Highly Recommended. 4.5 stars.

As all the Jents books, also this one is dedicated to the Panzertruppen and his day by day analysis of the single fighting is an inestimable fount for the ones really interested in understand the peculiar problems of the tank combat in the desert and, more general, on flat lands.
The author introduce the reader with the complete list of the italian, british and german tanks operating on the theatre and reporting not only the tanks datas but also the ones of the guns and the kills capabilities of all them explaining why the italian army, supported by no more than 100 german tanks was able to keep the entire british army at bay for three years.
Inside this book you'll find tactics notes, use of formation and how not to use the radio in combat, how to plain a tactical operation and how to plain a complete failure overstimating the enemy and completely forgotting the Von Moeltke lessons about the uncertain nature of the battlefield and the strange enemy use to have its own plans...
If you are interested about the tank warfare and the desert one, you must have this book

This is precisely the sort of work which wargamers long for, but never find. It is exhaustively researched and clearly presented, and chock-full of detail on equipment and tactics. If you are interested in Advanced Squad Leader, Advanced Tobruk, Panzer Grenadier Afrika Korps, or similar simulations, you will be delighted with this. It's also filled with clear, excellent photographs, maps, and charts.

This book is made of very high quality paper and hardcover. It is very easy and entertaining to read. It covers the early battle actions from February 1941-June 1941. The book has all the data on the tanks (even to the steel specifications of each armour plate), all the guns penetration and accuracy data tables & gunners aim diagrams for how the Germans should fire at Matilda tanks!) Jentz uses original sources for all his information not others work.

There are many official after action reports included as to the effectiveness of the tanks both in reliability and fighting performance. Also the official recommended tactics for battle are given.

Each battle is covered with tactical movements and a map showing them, also battle reports and at the end a summary of the tactics each side used and what conclusions can be made.

The B/W plates are of very clear reproduction and show many details not normally visible like the extra armour plates added to early Pz4D. The Matilda is definatly the "star" of this book but there is still a full appeciation of the Italian tanks and guns.

This book covers next to everything those interested in early North Africa Tank battles & tanks could want to know. Like the other reviewer I am eagerly waiting the next 2? books in this series!!

Father Martin has written a very good book. The strength of the book lies in the way that the refugee's stories are presented. Father Martin does not parade their hardships and poverty before us in an attempt to provoke our sympathy or guilt. Rather, Father Martin presents us with real people who love and live. We come to know the people in the book as people, no different in their humanity than you or I. On the surface, this is no great insight, but I think we tend to objectify the exiles of the world in order to keep our distance from them. Father Martin does not let us do this. We come to know and care about the people in this book very deeply. Of course, this opens us up, as readers, to a deeper sorrow and (hopefully) a deeper understanding of how too many people live. But it also opens us up to a greater experience of God and how God works in the world. This book is a slim volume and easily read, but the spirutual insights are deep and meaningful. This book should be read by all of the idle and self-involved inhabitants of the "first world." You will never be able to look at a disposable plastic cup in the same way again.

I'm planning on going on a missions trip to Kenya this summer, so I was really searching for a book that would give me insight on the people of that region, not just the normal tourist information. This book blew away all my expectations. Not only did I meet the refugees through James Martins engaging narratives, I also felt like I knew them and could really identify with their hardships. The stories grew depressing at times, but such is life in East Africa, and that fact only made their faith and hope more amazing and inspiring. Martin was often humorous and candid, and I felt myself trying to cheer him along on his journeys as if I was right there with him.
This our Exile is a good read for anyone interested in East Africa and it's people who are often ignored and under represented. 2 giant thumbs up.

In this engaging book, a young Jesuit recounts the trials, tribulations and rewards of his two-year stint among the refugees of East Africa. He describes in vivid detail true-life vignettes of strength and hope in the midst of grinding poverty. But this book is far from somber--rather, it's full of laugh-out-loud humor combined with an evident love of the author's fellow man. A great book!!