Reviews (129)

Wow you have to read this!!!
Reading this book has changed the way I have looked, felt and believed in life. I couldn't put it down, and everyday I keep thinking about it. I have shared with others the aw inspiring inspiration I have received. I am not one to read a lot of spiritual books or self help books. I have read a few but this one definitely surpasses any book I have read in a very long time. I am blown away. And it has made me take stock of my own life and my beliefs and it has shifted. I started thinking about whom in my life do I need to forgive. I truly recommend this book to everyone! We all need it especially now with what is going on in the world today.

Life-changing story
I could not put this book down.I've read several other books on the Rwandan genocide and I really appreciate this one the most for breaking down a complex political situation/history into one that is easy to understand for all readers, not to mention one of the most emotionally touching books I've ever read.This book has changed my perspective on life.

Best Book I've read all year!
I love to read, mostly spiritual self-help books, and a few biographies. I would say I read about 2 books a month on average, sometimes more. Any way I simply could not put this book down. I felt as if I was experiencing everything she was experiencing, and I could not help but admire her faith in God. She reminded me how good God is, and how he can do the impossible if we just trust him. I plan to give the book to a couple people as Christmas presents this year, so that they can truly embrace how blessed they are. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa - Central    2. Africa - History    3. Biography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Catholics    6. Civil War, 1994    7. History    8. Ilibagiza, Immaculâee    9. Inspirational - General    10. Motivational & Inspirational    11. Personal narratives    12. Prayer    13. Religion    14. Religious    15. Rwanda    16. Spiritual Healing    17. Self-Help / Motivational   

Reviews (12)

If you miss the exhibit , buy the book
I will see the Exhibit in Chicago and have visited the Cairo Museum, but this book is like revisiting the exhibit or the next best thing to seeing it!

Zahi Hawass brings it all to life with fascinating detail
King Tut died around 1350 BC. and theories on the cause of death range from a hunting accident to murder. X-rays revealed signs of a blow to the back of his head, however. After his tomb was found in 1922, his death mask and golden coffin became among the most famous Egyptian artifacts in the world. The teenage king of ancient Egypt is best-known by his golden death mask. But a fiberglass reconstruction of Tutankhamen based on computer models generated X-rays in 1969 of his mummified corpse bear little resemblance to the golden funeral mask found in the pharaoh's tomb. But Tut's mummified head was too dried and sunken to give life-like dimensions for the reconstruction team said National Geographic.
The Original King of Bling
Tutankhamen makes the Crown Jewels look like costume jewelry.I saw the exhibit in Fort Lauderdale, and it was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.Everywhere you look there's another 3500-year-old masterpiece crusted with gold and jewels, and Tut was just one of many Pharaohs - they all received this kind of treatment.
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Subjects:  1. Ancient - Egypt    2. Antiquities    3. Archaeological Museums And Collections    4. Archaeology    5. Egypt    6. Eighteenth dynasty, ca. 1570-1    7. Eighteenth dynasty, ca. 1570-1320 B.C.    8. Exhibitions    9. Historical Archaeology    10. History    11. History - General History    12. History: World    13. King of Egypt    14. Middle East - Egypt    15. Tutankhamen,    16. African history: BCE to c 500 CE    17. Ancient Egypt    18. Egyptian archaeology    19. History / Ancient / Egypt   

Reviews (153)

An Extraordinary African Childhood
Alexandra Fuller's "Don't Let's Go To the Dogs Tonight" will bring you into her world of a childhood spent in the wilds of Africa.Hers is a colorful memoir that you won't soon forget.While reading this book, I literally carried it with me everywhere I went so that I could read it during any spare moments I had during the day.Run, don't walk, to purchase this book and buy a spare to share with everyone you know!

Great Book
I like this book a lot I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed her stories . For anyone who wants to know about growing up in Africa. A must read

Being born in an interesting part of the world should not be an excuse for just anybody to write
Alright, so her childhood was a bit different than your average white middle-income childhood.
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Subjects:  1. 1969-    2. Africa - General    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Childhood Memoir    8. Childhood and youth    9. Fuller, Alexandra,    10. Girls    11. Historical - General    12. Literary    13. Zimbabwe    14. Biography & Autobiography / General    15. Reading Group Guide   

Reviews (13)

Excellent; 4.5 Stars
There has been a revival of interest in this book because of our entanglement in Iraq.There are considerable similarities between the military situation faced by the French armed forces and the problems faced by our Army and Marines in Iraq.The political circumstances faced by the French, however, are quite different from those we face in Iraq.Regardless of any analogy with Iraq, the Algerian war is an important subject in its own right and this book is an excellent account of that war.Horne based his book on the extensive secondary literature in French and what appears to be a large number of interviews with many of the major actors.Horne accomplishes the difficult job of providing a good narrative of the war proper, accounts of the relevant politics of France and the European community (Pied Noir) of Algeria, a good history of the independence movement (the FLN), and an analysis of the role of the French armed forces as a political force.Each of these topics would be worthy of a book in their own right, but Horne manages to combine all these elements into a clear and very well written narrative.My only criticism is that it is clear that much of the violence in Algeria was Algerian versus Algerian, particularly committed by the FLN as part of an effort not only to achieve independence but also to guarantee political supremacy in anticipation of eventual victory.Horne deals with these issues but not extensively though he was probably limited by his source material.
Ever wonder why the French army wanted to kill de Gaulle in "The Day of the Jackal" ?This books explains it, and much more.
(1) This is a superb history book, by any standard.
a classic
As one ponders the `insurgency' in Iraq, one wonders if the administration had any idea what they were getting into. If they had read this work, they may have at least prepared for what has occurred since March 2003.
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Subjects:  1. Africa - North    2. Algeria    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Military History - Post 1945    7. North Africa - History    8. Revolution, 1954-1962    9. African history: postwar, from c 1945 -    10. History / Africa / North    11. War & defence operations    12. c 1945 to c 1960   

Reviews (38)

He phoned this one in.
Deeply disappointing in quality and quantity for this Bryson fan. I order his titles automatically, but would have passed on this had I read the reviews first and realized it was a CARE puff piece .

An easy-to-read introduction to Africa
This is a good-humored and entertaining record of Bryson's visit to Kenya.It's a short book about a short trip, and so it would make a good read for someone just beginning to get interested in Africa.

Bill Bryson's African Diary
Though short, the sad realities don't necessitate a longer one.As usual, Bryson's writing is very enjoyable. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Bryson, Bill    4. Description    5. Description And Travel    6. Kenya    7. Personal Memoirs    8. Travel    9. Travelers    10. History / Africa   

Editorial Review

The famously taciturn South African president reveals much of himself inRead more

Reviews (108)

The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela: with Connections
This book is awesome.It is a great privilege to be allowed a glimpse into the life of such a courageous individual.Its is really a great read.

The Greatest Man in the World

Amazing book
This account of Nelson Mandela's life is brutually honest. A complex and totally inspiring person.
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Subjects:  1. Africa - South - South Africa    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Blacks    7. Civil rights    8. Historical - General    9. Political    10. Presidents    11. Presidents & Heads of State    12. South Africa    13. Africa    14. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents    15. Biography: general    16. Political oppression & persecution   

Editorial Review

By a recent count, the continent of Africa comprises some 1,300 cultures. Some of them number millions of people, some only a few families; some are thriving, while others are in danger of disappearing, the victims of acculturation or, in extreme cases, of genocide. This diversity--and the dangers to it--is little known outside Africa. PhotographersCarol Beckwith andAngela Fisher highlight both matters in Read more

Reviews (12)

Book is good, but the supplement CD is...
There is no-doubt about the photos are more than good.
See it before it disappears
A beautiful look at cultural conventions that may soon be relegated to the quaint and unusual.

BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE
HOW CAN ANYONE SAY THAT THESE CULTURES DON'T EXIST ANYMORE, OR THIS IS AN AFRICA THAT NO LONGER EXISTS. THEY TOOK THESE PICTURESWITHIN THE LAST 10 YEARS.. DIDN'T THEY ? DUH ?EVERYONE KNOWS THERE IS A COMMON EVERYDAY AFRICA.. GOING TO WORK GENERAL LIVING ( JUST LIKE US HERE IN AMERICA FOLKS) BUT STILL THERE IS AFRICAN TRIBAL SPLENDOR. JUST LIKE IN AMERICA INDIAN'S GET TOGETHER FOR TRIBAL POW WOWS. THEY STILL EXIST TOO. THE PICTURES IN THIS BOOK ARE SHOCKINGLY GORGEOUS...AFRICAN PEOPLE STUNNINGLY BEAUTIFUL. PLEASE! THE MEN ARE HANDSOME, THE WOMEN WONDEROUS. IT JUST MAKES ME WONDER WHY THE EUROPEAN STANDARD, HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE "STANDARD" OF BEAUTY. THIS REVUE MAY SOUND SHALLOW, BUT IF YOUR INTO THE HUMAN HAS ART FORM ...BUY THIS BOOK!! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Africa - General    3. Anthropology - Cultural    4. Customs & Traditions    5. Initiation rites    6. Marriage customs and rites    7. Photo Essays    8. Photography    9. Photojournalism    10. Rites and ceremonies    11. Ritual    12. Sociology    13. African studies    14. Anthropology    15. Customs & folklore    16. Photographs: collections    17. Religion / Ethnic & Tribal    18. Religious rites & ceremonies   

Reviews (2)

Cliches and action
This book is rife with cliches and stereotypes.It is a cast of characters of bad guys cut from perhaps to much of a need to see the 'other' as intrinsically negative.There is the 'bad' white "neo-colonialist" who wants to topple a poor native government just as his ancestors did in the 17th century.There is the 'bad' Afrikaner 'thugs' who are vilified just as they have been since 1950, no one bothering to ask if perhaps there is more diversity among the Afrikaners than meets the eye, no one bothering to point out that just because they are South African whites doesnt mean they are Afrikaners(descendants of the Dutch), but rather members of the English speaking community.
Lessons from a Failed Coup
Equatorial Guinea isn't much of a nation, even for Africa."In most atlases, the country lies hidden under the staple," writes Adam Roberts.But it has oil, and that makes quite the difference. In _The Wonga Coup: Guns, Thugs and a Ruthless Determination to Create Mayhem in an Oil-Rich Corner of Africa_, Roberts has told the story of an attempted coup by international businessmen and mercenaries in March 2004.The aim was not to gain political power, or to help the blighted nation's poor start claiming some of their country's riches.The aim was simply to get "a large splodge of wonga" as one of the plotters called a big infusion of cash.(Surprisingly, the _OED_ says that "wonga" is British, not African, slang.)The plot, for many reasons explained here, did not work, and plenty of the plotters and their henchmen suffered, but it has had some effects on Equatorial Guinea, and also reflects the current larger problems in the economic development of Africa.The book is well researched, and at times reads like an adventure novel, sort of a failed _The Dogs of War_.
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Subjects:  1. 21st century    2. Africa - General    3. Africa - West    4. Central Africa - History    5. Coups d'âetat    6. Equatorial Guinea    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History: World    10. Mercenary troops    11. Political corruption    12. Revolutions & coups   

Subjects:  1. Africa - South - South Africa    2. Anglican Communion    3. Biography    4. Biography & Autobiography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Bishops    8. Church of the Province of Southern Africa    9. Protestantism    10. Religious    11. South Africa    12. South Africa - History    13. Tutu, Desmond    14. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Reviews (13)

Always learning something new
Even though I had believed that I knew at least a bit about all aspects of the American Revolution, this book caught me by surprise. I had never known anything about the British and their freedom offer to the slaves of American rebels. This exciting story spends a bit of time on the war itself and the rush to liberty of multitudes of blacks, but the bulk of it is taken up with what happened to the freed slaves when the war was over. There we see that the British government wasn't very much different from the American one, in that it professed its belief in liberty for all, but in practice the ex-slaves were considered second-class citizens, if even that. They were unceremoniuosly dumped into squalor in Nova Scotia, and only the efforts of a few brave Englishmen allowed many of them to be transported to Sierra Leone, there to found a free black society. Even there the people were subjected to being demeaned by the whites who controlled the area. This is a sad morality tale, and it shows up the hypocracy of both the American and British systems of government. This should be required reading for everyone.

A Little Known Story, Well Told
In the Broadway musical 1776 there is a very dramatic scene during the debate over the Declaration of Independence where the representatives from the northern and southern states are arguing over the South's 'peculiar institution.' It became clear that there would be no revolution if slavery had not been maintained.
A new facet of US history
Schama has done a service to us all through this book, which provides a look at how people in the 18th century interpreted the phrase "all men are created equal."The British by and large were far more willing to include blacks in that category than the people of the United States.Slaves who escaped and fought for the British were promised their freedom. Not every promise was kept, but many were. After the war, Schama takes us along with the freed slaves as they are shuttled to Nova Scotia and eventually Sierra Leone, as they demanded and fought for the freedom due to them by virtue of their service in the British army.The text is very well written and footnoted; the author understands that well-told history is told in (true) stories.The book's only miscue is Schama's subtle mocking of the religious fervor of the freed slaves and abolitionists. Highly recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1775-1783, Revolution    2. 18th century    3. Africa - West    4. African Americans    5. Blacks    6. England    7. Europe - Great Britain - General    8. General    9. History    10. History - General History    11. History - U.S.    12. History: American    13. Slavery    14. U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789)    15. United States    16. United States - Revolutionary War    17. History / General   

Editorial Review

If you enjoyed Read more

Reviews (20)

Beautiful memoir!
Through this well written memoir you get to learn a lot about Africa, specially about Rwandas history. Rosamund's life story is very interesting, the choices she made, the oportunities life offered to her and that she took. It's great to see all the good deeds she made and the things she achieved inspite of all the caos Rwanda has gone through in the last decades. She takes care of lots of orphan kids and shelters them at her property. She does her best to help these kids become the best they can be even they live surrounded by danger. I enjoyed the book very much and learned more about Africa and about humanity as well.

50 years are artfully packed into this memoir
What a well-written book! It reads like the memoir that it is, and memoirs require special storytelling skills when they cover an entire 50 years.And this is what the book does--covers 50 years of the author's life and Rwandan history.
Fascinating look into Rwanda's history
My interest in Rwanda was spurred by watching the movie "Hotel Rwanda" and reading "The Poisonwood Bible" (which is set in next door Congo).This book follows the life of a young woman that marries an African adventurer and goes there at a fairly young age.She winds up spending practically the rest of her life there, and provides a unique and interesting perspective on Rwanda's history.Watching "Hotel Rwanda" gave me only a snapshot - leading me to think that Hutus were crazy blood thirsty savages going after Tutsis.Well, many of them were, but this book gave me a little of the background as to why the Hutus are so crazy and militant.Rwanda certainly has had a turbulent history.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Carr, Rosamond Halsey    6. Central Africa - History    7. Country life    8. Description and travel    9. Ethnic Cultures - General    10. Historical - General    11. Rwanda    12. Social life and customs    13. Travelers    14. Women    15. Biography & Autobiography / General    16. Biography: general    17. Travel writing   

Reviews (12)

Overcome Extreme Adversity
Reviewed by Mary Simmons for Reader Views (9/06)
Story of survival and endurance
On October 21, 1993, Tutsi students and teachers from Burundi's "Lycee Kibimba" school were bound, stripped, herded into an abandoned building, then attacked with machetes and gasoline by their Hutu classmates, teachers and neighbors.
Touching beyond belief ... where is the free world?
As all books on the Rwandan genocide, this one is touching. It is a must read if you want to appreciate your freedom and understand others tragedies. It makes you question where are we, where are we when this is going on and we're off in other worlds fighting. The author details his experience and incredible forgiveness in minute detail and it makes you wonder how they survived with any normal feelings in tact. Worth the read. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Africa - History    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Burundi    6. Christianity - General    7. Ethnic relations    8. Genocide    9. People of Color    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Race And Ethnic Relations    12. Sports - General    13. Tuhabonye, Gilbert    14. Biography & Autobiography / Sports    15. Christian Interest    16. Religion / Bible / Biography / General   

Editorial Review

King Leopold of Belgium, writes historian Adam Hochschild in this grim history, did not much care for his native land or his subjects, all of which he dismissed as "small country, small people." Even so, he searched the globe to find a colony for Belgium, frantic that the scramble of other European powers for overseas dominions in Africa and Asia would leave nothing for himself or his people. When he eventually found a suitable location in what would become the Belgian Congo, later known as Zaire and now simply as Congo, Leopold set about establishing a rule of terror that would culminate in the deaths of 4 to 8 million indigenous people, "a death toll," Hochschild writes, "of Holocaust dimensions." Those who survived went to work mining ore or harvesting rubber, yielding a fortune for the Belgian king, who salted away billions of dollars in hidden bank accounts throughout the world. Hochschild's fine book of historical inquiry, which draws heavily on eyewitness accounts of the colonialists' savagery, brings this little-studied episode in European and African history into new light. Read more

Reviews (162)

Good research work
This is one book every historian should read. It is a good start, especially for those studying or just interested in the History of Africa. It helps one understand the present state of affairs not only in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which is what the book is all about, but on the entire continent. Once you read this book, you can then go on and read any other History book on Africa.

Delightful Read
Watching King Leopold II carefully create and control public perception and use his power to influence, manage and direct other governments, media and policy makes me acutely aware that the same thing is probably happining today. and always will. I feel overwhelmed and a little bit sick after reading this but I will recommend it to every reader I meet.
Mutilation and Murder in the name of "Civilization"
Eminent author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle termed the exploitation in the Congo, initiated by Belgian King Leopold II, "the greatest crime which has ever been committed in the history of the world," while Viscount Ferdinand de Lesseps, the builder of the Suez Canal, had earlier described the work of the same king as "the greatest humanitarian work of this time." The enormous contradiction of these statements represents the totality of the struggle between civilizing values and crass exploitation in Hochschild's work. Unique, even among early 1900s colonial possessions, Leopold's Congo Free State was deliberately and systematically founded on slave lobor.
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Subjects:  1. 1885-1908    2. 19th century    3. 20th century    4. Africa - General    5. Congo (Democratic Republic)    6. Forced labor    7. General    8. History    9. History - General History    10. History: World    11. Indigenous peoples    12. Politics and government    13. African history: c 1500 to c 1900    14. Congo    15. History / Africa   

Subjects:  1. 1918-    2. Africa - History    3. Africa - South - South Africa    4. Biography    5. Biography / Autobiography    6. Discrimination & Racism    7. General    8. Historical - General    9. History    10. History: World    11. Leadership    12. Mandela, Nelson,    13. Pictorial works    14. Political    15. Presidents    16. South Africa    17. Biography & Autobiography / Historical   

Reviews (17)

The Protestant Corruption of Orthodoxy?
Bearing in mind that most Americans--and most devotees of the Germanic historical critical method--are Protestants or ex-Protestants, I will, briefly, try to explain what is wrong with this book. Yes, Ehrman does make plausible connections between a few variations in New Testament manuscripts and Christological controversies in the early Church. And, in all fairness, that is his point of inquiry.
Excellent, but have a proper Torah perspective
I am a great fan of Ehrman's work - have most of his books and several of his lectures on video. A note of caution - one must approach the material such as this coming out of the New Testament textual criticism efforts carefully. If one is intellectually honest, and willing to look at all the evidence then the conclusions are clear - there are tremendous problems with the texts and beliefs that were introduced for a variety of reasons. These will and should cause the real truth seekers to question what they know and believe - for that is the hallmark of the truth seeker.
Daniel2
I'm always amazed about people who study the Bible in order to find there errors. They have a lot to say, but it is vanity of vanities.
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Subjects:  1. Africa - General    2. Bible - CriticismInterpretation - New Testament    3. Christianity - Theology - Christology    4. History    5. History: World    6. Religion    7. Religion - Commentaries / Reference    8. Africa    9. Early Church    10. New Testament    11. Religion & Theology | Biblical Studies | New Testament    12. Religion / Christianity / Theology / Christology    13. Translation & interpretation   

Reviews (14)

We want more of the kind...
Probably the most pleasant book you will use, not just to learn about hieroglyphs, but also, to learn about ancient egyptian culture.

Excellent Book...but Gardiner still worth it!!

An good text book!
If you want to learn the basics of hieroglyphs. Dont buy this book first. Buy "How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs: A Step-By-Step Guide to Teach Yourself". Then buy the text book by Allen. Read more

Subjects:  1. African Languages    2. Ancient - Egypt    3. General    4. History - General History    5. Language    6. Language Arts & Disciplines    7. Egyptian    8. Egyptian language--Grammar    9. Language & Linguistics    10. Language Arts & Disciplines / General    11. Language teaching & learning material & coursework   

Reviews (19)

An Extraordinary Man
A powerful and reflective telling of what it means to live, not in the dualistic world of black and white, but in the reality of many shades of gray.Paul Rusesabagina was able to find and draw out the good that he knew to be in each person, offering even the most despicably behaving individual an opportunity to see beyond themselves.The Rwandan genocide is described in a broad historical and cultural context, including the role that the United States and Europe played in it.The shameful lack of response from the world powers speaks for itself and highlights even more clearly the courage, faith and power of individuals.The book provides a wi