Africa - History Current Events and Travel
Discover Africa's complex history and modern realities through essential reads like King Leopold's Ghost, The Shadow of the Sun, and The Zanzibar Chest—exploring politics, travel, and unforgettable true stories.
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The Shadow of the Sun
by Ryszard Kapuscinski
In 1957, Ryszard Kapuscinski arrived in Africa to witness the beginning of the end of colonial rule as the first African correspondent of Poland's state newspaper. From the early days of independence in Ghana to the ongoing ethnic genocide in Rwanda, Kapuscinski has crisscrossed vast distances pursuing the swift, and often violent, events that followed liberation. Kapuscinski hitchhikes with caravans, wanders the Sahara with nomads, and lives in the poverty-stricken slums of Nigeria. He wrestles a king cobra to the death and suffers through a bout of malaria. What emerges is an extraordinary depiction of Africa--not as a group of nations or geographic locations--but as a vibrant and frequently joyous montage of peoples, cultures, and encounters. Kapuscinski's trenchant observations, wry analysis and overwhelming humanity paint a remarkable portrait of the continent and its people. His unorthodox approach and profound respect for the people he meets challenge conventional understandings of the modern problems faced by Africa at the dawn of the twenty-first century.
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The Zanzibar Chest
by Aidan Hartley
A journalist covering Africa in the 1990s recalls his childhood there, his family's history in the early development of the country, and his search for the mystery surrounding the death of Peter Davey, a family friend.
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Out of America
by Keith B. Richburg
This soul-searching personal journey into the African-American identity, written by an award-winning reporter for the "Washington Post", takes readers behind today's cultural battlefields. Map.
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We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families
by Philip Gourevitch
In 1994 the Rwandan government implemented a policy for the Hutu majority to murder everyone in the Tutsi majority.
