Having just finished 'The Zanzibar Chest' I am somewhat at a loss for words. Part travel narrative, history, journalism, biography, and more. There is not a page in it that is not of interest, sometimes so riveting as to leave one speechless. Harley has written a great book.

This is a great book that spans the past and present, the beautiful and horrifying, as well as the tender and violent. Never condescending or boastful, Hartley managed to keep my interest throughout his book. Check out also his Wild Life column for The Spectator.

I picked up this book based on its cover artwork and the title, which sounded romantic and intriguing. I was not at all prepared for the author's harrowing accounts of his years in East Africa as a stringer for Reuters, or for the lingering effect this book has had on me. While he uses bits of his family history and the interesting story of one of his father's best friends as the glue to hold his tale together, The Zanzibar Chest is essentially a memoir of the author's own experiences as a journalist covering the century's most forgotten wars and hot spots: Rwanda, Burundi, Congo, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia. While other correspondents covered the glamorous European war - the Balkans - Hartley and his band of fellow cowboys lurched from country to country, hitching rides on UN cargo jets, on convoys of armed guerrillas, or travelling hundreds of miles by foot in the company of whichever militia would take them along - usually at their own expense. The descriptions of war, and in particular the unique hopelessness of African civil wars (ignored by the rest of the world), are written in flawless prose - evocative, truthful, but with a journalist's precision. The book becomes much more personal, however, as Hartley describes the deaths of his Reuters colleagues - several of whom died in a most horrific incident in Somalia. His retelling of the story of the four journalists stoned to death by an angry mob in Mogadishu will send chills down any reader's spine: it is this chapter that eventually brings the book into focus and reveals its purpose. (And it will illuminate and inform readers of Black Hawk Down.) The personal details that Hartley includes in the book - a full-blown love affair in the midst of the Rwandan genocide, his own use and abuse of drugs and alcohol to numb the pain - occasionally render him pathetic, but they also allow us to feel more than sympathy for him. Not many people could have survived the conditions that Hartley did, let alone live to write about it in such elegant prose. The futlity and senselessness of war and death in Africa is conveyed through a series of heartbreaking stories, and one can't help but take away an overwhelming sadness at the fate of most African nations and their people. By telling the story of Peter Davey - his father's best friend and an almost typical example of the 'white man in africa' in the early 20th century - Hartley manages to capture some of the inexplicable romance and allure of the continent and its people (although much of Davey's story takes place in the Yemen). Westerners will always try - and always fail - to put their finger on what it is that draws us to the 'other', whether we call it Orientalism or Colonialism or something else. Hartley's love for his home - he was born and raised and continues to live in Kenya - is obvious and contagious. His despair over his adopted home's fate is equally tangible. The Zanzibar Chest is an exceptionally graceful and stirring debut, and although one gets the feeling that Hartley has poured most of his heart and soul into this book, I can only hope that there are other stories that he has yet to tell.

This book is so fun to read. The zum-zum, zzzng-zxzng is contagious, the illustrations are great, and the whole idea of the book is wonderfully goofy.

Mosquitoes have never looked so good and sympathetic. Do you have kids who hate mosquitoe bites? Then this is the book for you. The art is lovely and playful; the text is simple and rhythmic. 5 Stars for this nice visual combination.

Excellent resource for ESL students (adults or children ages 11-16+)or remediation - second/third grade readability but high interest. It features the adventures of Corina and Zack to various parts of the world. The publisher (High Noon Books) also has similar books at first grade level and up...high interest, humor, and core background knowledge for those who have not had the advantage of having learned to read in first/second grade.

This inspiring book tells an awesome story of someone's trek across the Sahara. Leaves you spellbound, and amazed, very good book!

Went to a reading of this book the other night -- more stories than you can shake a stick at. Can't wait for the english translation!

This is the first book I have ever read which speaks to the origin of both St. Vincents Island and what today we call Honduras. The majesty of precolonial East African people lives on through the African slaves who were washed ashore on St. Vincents and lived to grow and thrive. So successful were they, that the mighty English military had to physically capture and deport them to Honduras, where they again grew and thrived.

The descendents of those very people now populate much of today's Honduras and St. Vincents Island. They fashioned their own language, which has survived and is now known as garifanu. This book is must reading for those who are serious about the real Central American History.

There are few people who can capture all the complexity and paradox of South Africa in modern times as Brink can. This book may be big but it crystallizes a time in South African history that was very real, scary and complex.

"The Adventures and Misadventures of Peter Beard in Africa" is a spectacular look at the life of this well-known photagrapher and author. The writing is vivid and fascinating. The book is also illustrated throughout with Mr.Beard's excellent photographs. This book is a history lesson, ecology lesson, and art lesson all rolled up in one book, and is well worth reading. A real gem, about an amazing personality!

A FAST PACED FIRST PERSON NARRATIVE OF THE LIFE OF CAPTAIN THEODORE CANOT, TRADER IN GOLD, IVORY AND SLAVES ON THE COAST OF GUINEA CIRCA 1854. CAPT. CANOT HAD QUITE A LIFE AND THE BOOK IS WRITTEN IN A MANNER THAT SEEMS TO DEFY DATING IN THAT IT IS EASY TO READ; TO GET INVOLVED IN, AND GIVES ONE MAN'S VIEW OF AN ERA THAT PLAYED A LARGE PART IN HISTORY. NOT AS ROUGH AS ONE WOULD EXPECT.

The author has presented a simple, easy to read format which will be easy for children to read, understand, and most important, ENJOY! The humor is wonderful. The main character, Spider, will be easily recognizable to those children already familiar with the Anansi stories. Additionally, I am a teacher and have introduced oral storytelling into my second grade classroom. These stories are simple, rich and easy to learn for those who may be interested in becoming a storyteller themselves! It's a thoroughly enjoyable and wonderful book.