Father Jon Kirby's study of the religious system of the Chakosi began with his earlier linguistic work in Twi, for this laid the foundations for working in another Akan language, found isolated in northern Ghana and Togo as the result of an earlier movement of armed warriors. The area in which he carried out his studies is highly complex, consisting of a ruling estate of Akan origin, a Muslim estate of Hausa and Mande descent, plus autochthonous peoples speaking Komba, including many of slave origin incorporated into this warrior kingdom. In such a situation, there is no simple cultural unity. Practices differ in the various groups, territorial and hierarchical. So too do basic ideological notions, such as the extent of the commitment to a single, all-embracing spiritual agency, the High God. Individuals themselves move between various schema, in ways that they do not find contradictory but which create puzzles in the patterns. Indeed the extent to which there is a structural pattern as distinct from individual patterning is a matter for debate.

Dr. Kirby presents us with the first extensive study of a religious system of one of these 'polyethnic', 'polycultural' states of the savannah zone. The situation resembles in some respects that of the ascephalous 'tribal' peoples that Fortes and others have studied but in other ways it is very different. For here the elements of a religion of the book came into contact with the tribal practices and beliefs, in various ways depending upon the groups and individuals involved. It is Dr. Kirby's achievement to have thrown light on this highly complex situation, not only by an anthropological analysis of his own field data but by placing this in a historical regional context.

An outstanding book for preteenagers. The author has an incite into young people, and truly holds the readers' attention. I have given it to all the youngsters I know and highly reccomend it.

Stunningly honest and full of dry humor,this tale of adventure set in the exotic paradise of Madagascar, kept me wide awake to the very last page. A Masterpiece!

The most recent of Standing's work to date, GRAVIDA explores the role of place in poetry, traversing the African continent while examining the cultures lost and found in its regions. Her deeply meditative voice is rich in imagery, evoking all of the senses to situate the reader inside the poem. Standing's poems transform the physical landscape into a bridge toward personal revelation as well. "How to Navigate Small Bodies of Water," "How to Use a Comma Kit," and "Men" were some of my favorite poems in this collection.

This is an absorbing, well written account of a neglected (by American readers anyways) war at the turn of the last century. Rather than being a dry academic text, Farwell's writing style serves to bring the war to life 100 years after the fact.

Coupled with other accounts of the war, like Goodbye Dolly Gray (another excellent book) written by Rayne Kruger, the average reader can understand some of the causal factors of South Africa's apartied system and gain an insight into the history of a long troubled region.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to any reader looking for a fast-paced non-academic history of the Boer War. You won't go wrong.

Donald N. Levine's classic work on the social evolution and integration of the many ethnic groups that make up Ethiopia has been a must reading for all sociologists and those concrned with economic and social development in Africa and elsewhere since the book was first publilshed by the University of Chicago almost 25 years ago. The author has now (year 2000) updated his work with the addition of a new and comprehensive introduction that incorporates recent developments that have occured in Ethiopian society and culture since the book was published. The book has just been translated into Ethiopia's official language, Amharic, testifying to the importance and relevance of the work, in spite of the major transformation, including a revolution, that the country has gone through. The book provides new perspectives and fresh analyses on multi-ethnic societies, and is highly recommended to all who wish to understand the interplay among sub-groups, whether ethnic or otherwise, in today's conflict-ridden societies of Africa, Asia and even central Europe.

Excellent - one of those guides that make you feel you've already been there. Given the size of Madagascar and the difficulty of its internal communications, the update is as good as one could reasonably demand. Ms Bradt knows her subject, from terrain to people to unique wildlife. No visitor should be without this invaluable publication

Last year I went to Uganda. The information given in the book was very useful for me. When you want to go to Uganda it is really necessary to buy this book. The first chapters of this book are about religion, history, polical and other general things about the "pearl of Africa". In the following chapters he crosses the whole country. All national parks are explained in this chapters. Correct and accurate information is given about hotels where you can stay and about the quality of the hotels. For example he explains how get everywhere in the country. When you know nothing about "The pearl of Africa" or you know a lot about Uganda, it will always be a very interesting book. Try it!

This book is so wonderful for children. It is a book that I remember being read as a young child, and to this day it remains a favorite. It is a great children's book, but it is more original than many other children's books that are out now. Unfortunately this book is out of print, but I would recommend looking for it. It is the an Ashanti tale retold, and both the story and the pictures can be enjoyed no matter what your age.

I came across a review of Harmattan: Wind Across West Africa in a Canadian Literary magazine, subTerrain. The word Harmattan immediately caught my attention. I had not heard this word since I was a child living in Nigeria, West Africa. And to see a book written by a fellow Canadian on this topic was rather surprising. (I suspect it's a rather small club of us who have ventured to this part of the world.) I was so pleased to see it offered on Amazon.com.
Harmattan is a wonderfully written travelogue and intimate portrait of one man's visit to an area of the world that is not on the travel adverturers list of "must see places". diCintio captures the essence of the people, customs, culture in a most accurate way with honesty and humour. If the paragraph about the beggar girl in Cape Coast does not move you, nothing will. Harmattan was a wonderful return to Africa for me!