Now, there's no empirical way to prove the above statement, but given the dominance of social-science conventions in writing on African history, "Magomero" is an obvious front-runner. Landeg White is a gifted literary stylist, and this book often reads like a novel (when someone says that, make sure they're not thinking of "Finnegan's Wake"). It is a study of a village in southern Malawi (colonial Nyasaland) over 100+ years, but it is much more than that too.

White's sense of drama is aided by some highly dramatic personages who figure prominently in his story. The most famous is missionary-explorer David Livingstone, a perennially fascinating, complex and influential shaper of the continent's destiny. He visited Magomero, site of the ill-fated Universities' Mission to Central Africa, frequently on two expeditions in the 1850s and 1860s. White perceptively examines the ambiguities of Livingstone's antislavery crusade, not least the paradox of purchasing slaves in order to free them---thus inadvertently stimulating the market. But John Chilembwe is just as interesting: a Malawian Protestant minister and protonationalist who studied in the USA, founded an independent mission, and eventually died leading a doomed rebellion against British rule in 1915. The later chapters are not as event-oriented, but the lucid accounts of cash cropping and womens' work are probably more representative of daily life in the colonial era, and a major contribution to social and economic history.

"Magomero" does not have detailed source notes (they tend to scare off the mass audience White aims for here), but references to scholars' names without the titles of their works ensure that only specialists can swiftly identify White's sources. The other problem is that the author's own account of villagers' accepting his presence and explanation of his research is awkwardly unconvincing; it would be more credible in the words of Malawians themselves, without assuming that they care about associations with long-dead muzungus (Europeans). These minor faults aside, this is the most enjoyable scholarly book I've come across in nearly 20 years in African Studies. For more on the area's history, see E. Mandala, "Work and Control in a Peasant Economy" and M. Vaughan, "The Story of an African Famine." G. Shepperson & T. Price, "Independent African," a classic on Africa, tells the Chilembwe story with great depth and sensitivity. For an authentic Nyasaland account based on oral data from participants in the Rising, see G.S. Mwase, "Strike a Blow and Die."

Brilliant account from a highly qualified author ,of the devasting impact excessive elephant populations have on the habitat; intelligent rationale why they must be culled ; and first -hand accounts of elephant hunting. A MUST READ for any serious conservationist

This book is very clear to those who want to know the truth!

Walvin's book is an excellent summary of the most recent round of scholarship concerning the British end of the Atlantic slave trade. The book is short and to the point, but is very readable and laced with anecdotes. Walvin moves Africans to center stage as players in the drama equal in importance to the Europeans. Walvin's book would be an excellent choice for an undergraduate text or for someone just wanting to understand what the Atlantic slave trade was all about. Scholars will be familiar with most of the material that Walvin reports, but may find a few unfamiliar odds and ends. All in all, highly recommended.

This book brings together information on 137 species of S-African trees. Each species has a page of text (including a distribution map) and a page of color pictures (usually tree habit, flowers, fruits, bark and leaves, with of the omissions bark the most frequent). The color photographs vary from very good to superb.

The text is brought together from a weekly feature in a magazine for farmers, and is full of practical information presented very concisely. In looking for errors I have to look very hard to turn up anything, but there are some. For example the authors say about pink ivory wood (one of the most prized and pricey woods in the world): "a good furniture wood ... used as fence posts". This would seem slightly out of date.

If you love trees and love to browse through beautiful tree books, this is one of the top ten books in the world to buy!

I bought Malaria Dreams before I went to West Africa, but only recently read it. I am glad I waited, because without having been there, I would not have been able to appreciate how accurately Stu describes very real situations. His style and humor, however, should appeal to anyone.

...This will be a classic for readers of all races and nationalities in the years to come...

After reading Mama Elizabeti by Stephanie Stuve-Bodeen, it appears that in this book the author's shares her knowledge as well as her experience from her days in the Peace Corps. The author also demonstrates the connection with a reading strategy known as text to world. Using this strategy she shows that there are similarities from other cultures of the world to our own. I recommend that this book be used as an excellent example to demonstrate how children throughout the world help their parents and find that growing up is part of a continuing learning experience. The book explains to children that as they grow up and learn, they will find not only joy and gratification in helping their parents and siblings, but they will also become aware that they do not need to give up their childhood pleasures and experiences. The book gives the reader the feeling that each person will find the time to enjoy things from the past, present, and future. It is a book that might be shared between parent and child, or in a classroom setting. It is a wonderful example of multicultural reading. I would also highly recommend this book to be used to model as well as be a starting point for discussion of the reading strategy: text to world. It is often difficult to find books that help teachers teach both multicultural experiences and strategies, this book is an example of both.

Anyone who has any interest in traditional West African society should read this book. McNaughton discusses the roles, image and social context of the blacksmiths of the Mande peoples of West Africa. Blacksmiths are not simply artisans, they are skilled manipulators of supernatural power (called nyama in Bambara. As such they are considered in the same vein as jeliw (bards, praise-singers) and sorcerors. They are also woodworkers, potters, circumcisers, and workers of magic. Specifically located in Mali, this study examines the world of the blacksmiths in relation to local rulers, villagers and visitng foreigners.

McNaughton's work emphasizes an anthropological perspective and he worked with and was finally apprenticed to several blacksmiths in the course of his fieldwork. Even though this is a very scholarly book, and at times very dense, it is well worth the effort required to get through it. Like John Miller Chernoff's "African Rhythms and African Sensibility", this book deserves pride of place among people who are serious about expressive culture in West Africa.

As a primer to the deep knowledge that comes out of the continent, this book presents an extraodinary and powerful introduction. A bonus for musicians and rhythmatists: check out the excerpt where he talks about the way the blacksmiths play drum rhythms on their bellows to accompany their work and the rhythms "played" by the women as they work pounding millet in the compound. Magic.

Lynne Duke has written an engaging account of her first-hand observations in Africa during the years she served there as a Washington Post foreign correspondent. Her discussion of the evolution of South Africa and the personalities of Nelson and Winnie Mandela are probably the most fascinating parts of the book, and her work is also deeply touching and informative when it describes the impact of revolutions and war in central Africa (the Congo, Rwanda and Uganda). The book is detailed enough to suit the African scholar, but also accessible and personal enough to engage and inform non-scholastic readers. While detailed and well-documented, it goes beyond dry facts to bring home the rich African culture and the dramatic, sometimes shocking and heartbreaking realities of life on a war-torn continent.