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.

Both of my children, ages 2 and 5, love this book. The two-year-old, normally wiggling and wandering around the room during story time, stays put for this one. They can't wait to see what tricks Anansi and Aso will be up to next!

This book was such a delight. My first grade class could not wait to hear what Anansi would do next. For the first time, Anansi uses his trickery to help someone other than himself! It was refreshing to have the author show how Anani's wife, Aso, helped him to reach his goal. I think my readers learned a lot of valuable lessons from this story.

The Anansi series are a great read. As usual the author keeps us in suspense as to who and how Anansi will trick. My first grade class loved it. They were at the edge of their seats. I can't wait to read more to them.

Godfrey Mwakikagile has written a very important book about military coups in Africa. His focus on West Africa only enabled him to provide more details about this disturbing intrusion into politics by soldiers.

My own country, Ghana, was one of the first to fall under military rule back in February 1966 when Dr. Kwame Nkrumah was overthrown. In one of the longest and most important chapters in the book, the author provides a balanced account of military rule in Ghana, as well as a fitting tribute to Ghana's founding father President Nkrumah.

For decades since the sixties, as Mwakikagile shows in his book, many countries suffered under military dictatorship. In Ghana, Jerry Rawlings who comes from the same region I do, the Volta Region, ruled the longest. Although he did a lot of good things for the masses, he was also a harsh ruler. And no one elected him, until later. That's the point, as the author points out in his book. Soldiers do not have the mandate to rule.

And we just hope that they stop storming into office, anywhere in Africa. We are fed up with them, as much as we are with civilian tinpot dictators. And it's very good that the author has provided some of the solutions on how to discourage or stop soldiers from overthrowing governments, and also on how to get them, as well as civilian despots, out of office. And excellent book on how to use the power of the masses to achieve democracy in Africa.

I have lived under military rule in Nigeria. I know what the soldiers did. They destroyed our country. I also know what military rulers have done to other African countries, not just in West Africa. It has been a nightmare.

But what is so sad is that even the civilian rulers themselves have also destroyed our continent.The only difference is that they are elected, although in rigged elections, which is one of the reasons why soldiers overthrow governments. But the main reason why they do so is to become leaders themselves, and dictators, and thieves. It's such a shame! And an unconscionable waste of our resources.

Talk about theft? Look at Ibrahim Babangida, former Nigerian military dictator. He is one of the richest men in the world, and in history, having amassed a fortune of more than $30 billion within 8 years of his blood-soaked military dictatorship. He ruled from 1985 - 1993, and is still a major player on the Nigerian political scene even today, having bankrolled in 1999 the election of a fellow soldier, Olusegun Obasanjo, who was Nigeria's military head of state from 1979 - 1983.

Where did Babangida get all that money from? He siphoned off billions of petrodollars, and had most of it stashed away abroad, while the Ogoni and members of other nationalities (they are more than just "tribes") in the oil-producing regions of the Niger Delta got nothing. So did his successor, another tinpot military despot, Sani Abacha, who also stole billions - at least $4 billion within 5 years.

Godfrey Mwakikagile, although not a West African, has done a sweeping survey of the region and the devastation wrought by military rulers, as well as "elected" politicians, since the sixties. It is a very interesting study, even if not detailed in all cases. But that is understandable. Covering so many countries, and over such a long period of time, it would have been impossible for him to provide, in a single volume as this one, a detailed account of every military regime in West Africa during the past 40 years. The fact that he was able to focus on the major events, digest and distill all the information he was able to gather to produce such a readable and balanced account, is itself a major achievement.

But the pace at which he is going may also compromise his research. He writes at a brisk pace. He also does research at a brisk pace, based on what he has produced so far. Looking at the list of his works, he seems to have written 7 books within only three years, dealing with major subjects. There's no question that they required extensive research, and his works show that he did it. And since they are also used as college textbooks, there's no doubt that the professors who recommended them for purchase knew they were vital works. All these academics couldn't be wrong. And I believe they all made the right decision. But the writer would be well-advised to proceed with caution when tackling major themes, the kind he has, with the hope that he will provide even more valuable insights into the subjects he addresses; which he undoubtedly can, as one can tell from reading his book. It is a product of a highly analytical mind. And as a fellow African, I am proud of him.

"Military Coups in West Africa since the Sixties" is an invaluable work, choke-full of facts, and well-balanced, by one of our important African writers from Tanzania. The only criticism I have has to do with typographical errors which may even tarnish the author's reputation especially as an academic author, although this is not his fault, as anyone who knows about book publishing will tell you. The publisher should be taken to task for this, while the author should be given all the credit he's duly entitled to, for writing one of the most important books - not only about military coups, but about Africa as a whole since the sixties.

This is, to my knowledge, the first comprehensive study
of military governments in West Africa - in fact anywhere
in Africa - since independence in the sixties. Written
by an East African but who, because of his impressive
credentials and background as a journalist in Tanzania,
is no less qualified to handle the subject about West
Africa; the book is more than just a history of military
coups in West Africa. It is also a prescription for
ending military intervention in African politics, and a
call for consensus building to form governments of national
unity in order to end civil wars and unrest, and guarantee
full participation of all groups in the conduct of national
affairs, in all African countries. The corruption and
brutality of African leaders, both civilian and military,
and other abuses of power, are fully exposed in this book.
So is the involvement of the CIA in the ouster of Dr. Kwame
Nkrumah, the first president of Ghana and an ardent
Pan-Africanist who was also one of the most influential
African leaders in the 20th century. And tribalism, which
has caused so much chaos, misery, and suffering, and
which has been exploited by politicians across Africa,
also gets full attention in this book. In fact, ethnic
hatred almost destroyed Africa's largest and most
populous nation, Nigeria, during the civil war in the
sixties. It was, until then, the bloodiest conflict in
the history of post-colonial Africa. It is because of
this disruptive force of tribalism across the continent
that Africans should seriously consider forming coalition
governments in order to harmonize conflicting interests
in a pluralistic context. The book is well-written, and
well-documented, except for typographical errors here
and there the publisher should not have overlooked. Some
people may blame the author for this. But that shouldn't
be the case. Writers, write. And publishers, publish; and,
in the process, are responsible for what their typists
and copy editors do. So, apportion guilt accordingly.
And give credit where credit is due. There's no question
the author has written a very important book, covering
a lot of territory, and in an objective way as is humanly
possible.

After all the fine words and 'never agains' the truth is out. Genocide will slip right in front of major organs of news and nothing happens to stop it.
This short but detailed account of the Rwanda genocide 1994 is both low-key and shocking and needs examination.

Probably, the story of Rwandan genocide is the most shocking international scandal of the post World War II era. The book is a brilliant reconstruction of that time, written with amazing clarity and based on well established facts.
In three months of 1994 about one million people was killed in organised genocide. The killing rate was five times faster than that achieved by the Nazis during WWII holocaust. But on the contrary to the Nazis, the Rwandan genocide happened in the full light of the international media, with the full knowledge of the UN Security Council and the Western governments.
Linda Melvern describes and documents in detail the role of the West in the genocide.
The story is so bad that almost all of the publishers in the UK refused to publish this book with comments like "the story is really too awful" or "I cannot see people forking out money to read about such an unspeakable subject..."

Do you think you can fork out some money for the truth? I think this book is certainly worth any money.

'Quite extraordinary: precise, and yet overwhelming; a fine balance in the face of depravity... Linda Melvern has written an extraordinary account of the Rwanda genocide, and the shocking failure of the West to lift a finger... What Melvern demonstrates so powerfully is that where Western geopolitical interests are absent, Western morality and 'civilised' concerns are nowhere to be found ... A brave and compelling book.' - Professor Richard Falk, Center of International Studies, Princeton University

'This is a devastating account of lies, deceit, complacency and tragic neglect.... All we can hope is that this fine book will provide lessons for the future, because it provides all of us who lobby and campaign for early warning systems and conflict prevention with invaluable evidence. Looking around the world, you wonder what has been learnt since 1994. Linda Melvern deserves our thanks for investing so much in breaking the silence and revealing the truth.' - Glenys Kinnock, MEP; Chair, Forum on Early Warning And Early Response (FEWER)

'What happened in Rwanda is one of the most appalling, heartbreaking tragedies that the world has known. Why did it occur? And what more could have been done to prevent it? This serious, very thorough attempt to answer those questions will be essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand what happened. This is a powerful and important book.' - The Right Reverend Richard Harries, Bishop of Oxford

'A riveting and well-researched account of the horrendous crimes committed in Rwanda while an indifferent world, to its shame, looked the other way. There are grim lessons here for everyone, from international statesmen and politicians to responsible citizens and decent human beings everywhere' - Dame Margaret Anstee

'This is a very important book. It is a book that a large number of people should read....what is good about the book is that it shows the big picture. It shows the failure that actually took place. It tells the story of what really happened. An outstandingly good book... ...compelling.....its content is exceptional.' - Colin Keating, Secretary for Justice, New Zealand Ministry of Justice, and former New Zealand Ambassador to the UN

With "Abolitionists Abroad," Lamin Sanneh has produced another great piece of scholarship, one of the best books on West Africa ever written. Sanneh examines antislavery not as an intellectual exercise by Western elites but as a movement of former slaves and former captives who went to West Africa to fight slavery and the slave trade. Crucial to Sanneh's book is the concept of "antistructure," which is the framework used by Sanneh to signal the opposition to chieftain authority structures that became the foundation of antislavery in Sierra Leone. These former slaves and former captives sought to undermine the chieftain values of birth, rank, and patronage and replace them with enlightened values--informed by American Christianity and republicanism--such as freedom and inclusiveness. The proliferation of evangelical Christianity taught ex-slaves the idea that everyone is equal in God's eyes, and these blacks soon began to find its "earthly counterpart in liberty without prejudice." Former American slaves and recaptives alike insisted on equal rights under the law, and opposed official British attempts to meddle with their religious practices. They found prosperity in the growth of legitimate trading enterprises, which served as an alternative model to the economic system of the chiefs, which was closely tied to the slave trade. The final result was the creation of a new kind of society in which chiefly authority was contested, Christanity was tranformed, and former slaves were able to use their "second chance" to pursue dignified and productive lives.

I have now read more than 5 of Lamin Sanneh's books and many of his published article's. Being a student of his at Yale, I was fortunate enough to learn side by side with a legend in the field of African history. Abolitionists Abroad is one that everyone must read. Sanneh writes in a clear and easy to comprehend manner that every book lover will appreciate. I highly recommend this book and others written by Lamin Sanneh including Translating the message and West African Christianity. I was fortunate enough to learn in the classroom with this brilliant mind, here is your chance to learn in your home. Five stars.

The characters really come to life in this compelling read. 4 stars because I just finished reading Neal Peart's "Masked Rider" and that was tops. 5 stars - check that one out if you enjoyed this one. Overall an enjoyable read.

I had so much fun reading this book! As a traveler, I related so much to all the different pieces of it. I laughed so hard, and I also found that it had a surprising emotional impact that lasted long after I put it down. I couldn't stop thinking about the characters-- I felt like I knew the Africans, the volunteers, and the narrator herself, in all their glorious confused humanness! What a great journey.

Move over, V. S. Naipaul and Paul Theroux; there's a new kid on the block, but with a decided feminist slant. Tanya Shaffer's African odyssey, adds an affecting intimacy to the account of the people, places, and things chronicled in the usual travel book. Her role as a volunteer in the construction of schools and hospitals in small communities of Ghana, living in the homes of local families and sharing their lives, and her wanderings by the most plebeian public conveyances - overcrowded buses and canoes - are the settings for heartwarming encounters with individuals whose lives we come to share. Ms. Shaffer's staunch respect for cultural differences does not silence her from voicing her objections to men who follow sexist tribal customs.that demean their wives and impede the modernization of Africa.. Her narrative sets a brisk pace that holds and delights the reader through a charming picaresque tale of the personal growth of a young woman.

A wonderful book!!! Even from the introduction, Malidoma Patrice Some engages the reader with compelling observations on the limitations of the "Western" worldview, but does not do so in a derisive way. He conveys, in a very moving life story, his role in the current world and tells how he has lived up to the mission foretold in his given name. What I especially liked, having read several other books on various spiritual traditions, was how the rituals and beliefs of the Dagara resonate with the wisdom found in traditions from Wicca to the "new age" ideas put forth in books like The Celestine Prophecy and Conversations with God. I was sad to come to the end of this book, because I wanted to learn more. I hope Some' will write a sequel that continues his story, as well as those of his father, Guisso, Nyangoli, and others he has encountered on his path through his adult life. This book reaffirms the truth of our divine nature; and powers that we in the West need to accept and "understand" without needing scientific "proof". Everyone should read this book -- it's good for the soul!

I just finished this book and I am hungry for much, much more. Malidoma Some's deep wisdom, wide vision, vulnerability and honesty stirred my soul so deeply. This book has awakened my yearning to re-connect with Nature and the Spirit world like no other I have read. I found his vivid, well-paced storytelling and the wisdom of his people utterly fascinating. I wish to thank the Dagara for being so generous in sharing their wisdom through this man. If I could give this book 20 stars, I would!!

I enjoyed this book very much. It took me into a world that I knew existed, It is one of the best books that I have read about African culture. It is believeable and well written. Mr. Some takes you on the initiation along with him. I can feel as though I am there. It is a rights of passage that is unforgettable. I hope this books stays in print for a long time. It is easy reading.

An impressive range of scholarship. The author's knowledge of the works of leading Western thinkers - from Kant and Fichte to Heidegger and Montesquieu and others - and of African philosophical traditions, is indisputable.

A lucid thinker of penetrating intelligence, Godfrey Mwakikagile is one of those Africans writing scholarly works to reclaim the dignity of the African personality that has been subjected to so much abuse since the imperial powers conquered Africa. Yet he is honest enough to admit Africa's mistakes, and shortcomings, including many in the glorious past of ancestral ways so much glorified by Afrocentric scholars.

This is a vital text in the study of African philosophy and identity, an area of abstract ideas in which the African mind is grossly underrated.

And the chapter on South Africa is a brilliant analysis of where this multiracial nation may be headed after the end of apartheid. The legacy of apartheid may be with us for generations to come; a bleak prospect for a country that is a beacon of hope on a troubled continent.

Mr. Kofi Akosah-Sarpong wrote an excellent review of "Africa and the West" by Godfrey Mwakikagile, an academic author from Tanzania who has written many books about Africa, seven to date.

It is a major African work in the African Renaissance tradition and dignifies Africa, especially in the author's philosophical discussion of the African personality and Africa as an organic entity, in a way many African writers don't. And as always, as in his other reviews, Akosah-Sarpong captures the essence of the author's work few reviewers are able to.

There is, however, one semantic detail that needs to be clarified. The reviewer says: "Meanwhile, though the book deserves to be taken seriously, Mwakikagile states in the introductory chapter as if he wrote the book with another person by stating 'we' repeatedly."

As a well-read person himself, I'm sure Mr. Akosah-Sarpong knows it's common for writers, especially for academic authors, to use the first-person plural 'we,' instead if 'I,' in their writings; for example, by saying, "in the first chapter we discussed...," "We are going to address in the next chapter..." May be it comes from the imperial "We," when British kings said "we" instead of "I," and probably still do. It's acceptable in King's English.

One renowned African academic author is Professor Ali Mazrui in his book "Towards A Pax Africana" and others. As he states in the introduction to "Towards A Pax Africana": "In general terms we are concerned in this book with...We do not propose to limit ourselves to..." In chapter one, he states: "In this book we define diplomatic thought to be..." In chapter two: "In the last chapter we discussed utilization..." In chapter four: "We hope to discuss..." In chapter five: "We pointed out in the second chapter that..."

It does not mean Mazrui wrote the book with another person.

Otherwise Akosah-Sarpong's review of Mwakikagile's "Africa and the West," is not only excellent, but one of the best I have read of a major African book by one of Africa's prolific authors.

To be a modern African is perplexing experience. Not only is Africa the only region with the most dominant of foreign values, but the African, more especially the elites, are confused, transmitting such confusion unto the entire African personality, and making the African not only misunderstand himself/herself but difficult to explain himself/herself to the world about his/her personality.

Godfrey Mwakikagile, a Tanzanian journalist who worked with Tanzania's leading mass circulation "Daily News," echoing a familiar rallying cry, argues passionately for Africans to return to their native roots for balance and order. "Africa and the West" is also a reflective treatise, especially in its philosophical discussion of the importance of African values, history and tradition, African philosophical concepts, and way of life in pre-colonial times as compared to the advent of colonialism. "Africa and the West" is also an uncompromising demand for dignity and respect for Africans which they have been denied by today's leaders, which was not the case in pre-colonial times and continuing, as the author says, though contentiously, under traditional rulers in most societies across the continent today.

The author says the traditional leaders ruled by consultation and direct mass participation at village meetings. How to transform such pre-colonial consultation and direct mass participation across Africa's 2,000 ethnic groups in order to usher in democracy that fits the African environment is missing.

Mwakikagile recognizes Africa's natural beauty and abject poverty, diseases and disturbing ignorance, but his thesis aims at Africa's weak unity - "That is one of the main reasons why they [Africans] were conquered by foreigners, and why Africa is still weak and poor today." Before Mwakikagile attempts to answer why Africa's weak unity is the root cause of all its crises, he reveals the contradictory nature of Africa: Africa endowed with numerous world-class natural resources but at the same time Africa as "the only continent where it has been so easy for foreigners to take what does not belong to them." Why this? Weak co-operative spirit among Africans, more markedly their elites.

For Mwakikagile, Africa's weaknesses can be located in its personality. So to understand Africa, there is the need to psychoanalyze the African personality in relation to the world, "especially to the West." Why especially to the West? Because the West, more than any other people, conquered Africa, colonized it, brutalized it, demeaned its culture and indigenous institutions, and a large number of Africans, especially those who have been to Western schools, "were brainwashed into believing that they had no history they could be proud of; that all their customs and traditions were bad, and that even their languages were bad. Nothing good."

More than physical brutality to Africans such as Belgium's King Leopold ordering the amputation of Congolese for not meeting working (quotas) as expected in rubber farms or Germans brutalizing and killing Namibia's Herero ethnic group, the author demonstrates that the West's capture of Africa has been more at the metaphysical plain through propagation of ideas that skillfully but quietly demeaned African values. While he acknowledges that not all foreign ideas are destructive to Africa, he also states that not all foreign values are good either. It is here that Mwakikagile takes a swipe at Africentrism, a courageous venture aimed against the excesses of Afrocentric scholars. For Afrocentrists, there is nothing wrong with African values, and in their zeal to recall Africa's glorious past, have distorted Africa's values in order to "inflate our achievements."

His prejudices are firmly on the side of African Renaissance thinkers who recognize both the negative and the positive values of African culture and how to discuss them for the health of Africa's progress. This reveals the balances of Mwakikagile who is honest enough to criticize his own kind regardless of the wrath which he may spark, and which the African intelligentsia need for the health of the climate of the African Renaissance process.

Mwakikagile's piece adds to the struggles being waged by the new generation of African thinkers, journalists, and media outlets such as "Expo Times" (Sierra Leone), "West Africa" and "New African" magazines to open up the African culture, its negative aspects as well as its positive aspects, for eventual policy formulation. The reason being that colonialism did not help the growth of African values in relation to Africa's progress, and African elites, ever weaker, have not been able to mix their colonial legacies with African values unlike other ex-colonies in the development game. Meanwhile, though the book deserves to be taken seriously, Mwakikagile states in the introductory chapter as if he wrote the book with another person by stating "we" repeatedly.

I bought this book because it was supposed to be one of the 100 greatest adventure books of all time. While it does have narrow escapes and Mary Kingsley was very brave, there is too much discussion of "the African mind". I found the constant reference to the superiority of the European colonists very offputting. Of course it was written in the 1890's!

Although some of her comments about "the African Mind" and her belief in the unassailable superiority of Europeans is off-putting, she was otherwise a fine writer and this book is a considerable pleasure to read. Highly recommended.

Single and independent, with a small allowance after the death of her parents, Mary Kingsley decides to explore Africa. She sets off to the Congo, with no entourage nor special clothing and with no knowledge of the local lingo, knowing that this area was renowned for cannibals. Considering that Richard Burton set off to find the centre of Africa with an entourage of 600 bearers puts Ms.Kingsley's trip into perspective.
This is not just a wishful fantasy, she has an agenda to research the fetish cults of the natives and collect animal specimens, as well as fulfil the wanderlust that she had bottled up while looking after her parents.
She takes everything in her stride, beating off crocodiles - 'he was only a pushing young creature', wading through fetid swamps, falling into a staked animal trap and attributing her salvation to the benefits of a good thick woollen skirt!
She has a wonderful way with words; that dry, laconic humour that starts one into fits of giggling; the page-long description of 'Hubbards' sent out by well-meaning, misguided women in Europe for the use of the natives is absolutely wonderful.
She has excellent communication skills, getting what she wants from any native by offering him exactly what he wants - tobacco (reminding us of Xabicheh in 'Dead Man') - and if he doesn't want that, then he must need a hairpin to clean out his pipe!
I am awed by the determination, bravery, guts and chutzpah of this young woman; even more awed by her writing skills - which are definitely not in the Victorian mold, would that there were more of her books than the two she wrote (the other is 'West African Studies'), sadly this was not to be, as she died of typhoid in Capetown in 1900.
A book to savour - highly recommended! *****

If you want a guide book with more than the basic superficial run of the mill tourist info this book is for you.

Lots of maps, tips and explanations of the deeper meaning behind the sites you're visiting.

I'm bringing this book with me on my trip!

Now in a updated and expanded new edition, John West's The Traveler's Key To Ancient Egypt continues to be the definitive guide to all of the sacred places of ancient Egypt. The ideal traveler's guidebook is enhanced with maps, diagrams, and photos to accompany the history and spiritual significance of Egypt's art, architecture, mythology, religion, and ritual practices. From the Pyramids of Giza to the Valley of the Kings, this traveler's guide reveals the hidden meaning of monuments, ancient city sites, as well as new research on the dating of the Sphinx. Travel tips include tour information, Nile cruises, what to bring and what to wear, shopping advice, as well as information on money, hotels, and restaurants. If you are planning a trip to the Land of the Pharaohs, beginning with a thorough perusal of John West's The Traveler's Key To Ancient Egypt!

This book is essential for any traveller to Egypt with a mind that is even slightly ajar, let alone open.

West gives an alternative account of the meaning of the monuments and antiquities to be seen in Egypt, more esoteric (though certainly not more difficult to understand) than that which is usually presented in guide books. He points out the details which brought him to the conclusion that the Giza Sphinx is in fact closer to 13,000 years old than the 4,500 years old that has been traditionally believed, and has a different viewpoint to the orthodox school in many cases. He presents both sides of the argument, and gives the information necessary to make up one's own mind based on observation of what is actually there to be seen.

On my first visit to Egypt, my companions and I felt rather sorry for tourists in groups with official guides, because they seemed to be missing out on at least half of the story, and in many cases the whole point.

I was particularly impressed with West's analysis of the architecture of the Temple of Luxor, based on the work of Schwaller de Lubicz, and once it was pointed out how the whole building maps onto a plan of the human skeleton, I found it very difficult to refute.

Whilst I did not always agree with his conclusions on every occasion, it cannot be disputed that West has raised thoroughly pertinent questions which conventional Egyptology has either glibly brushed under the carpet or failed to address at all.