Africa Reads – 9 Books to See you Through World Cup Soccer

June 10, 2010

Soccer’s World Cup matches start tomorrow in South Africa. Six African countries are represented – South Africa, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria, Cote d’Ivoire and Ghana. The focus will naturally be on South Africa but what better time to learn about the other 53 countries that make up the continent.

 Here’s a sampling of books with an African theme broken down into ones I can personally recommend and one that I would love to read.

Books I’ve Read and can Personally Recommend

  • Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela. This book needs no introduction. It’s a fascinating read that takes you from his childhood to his inauguration.
  • The Shadow of the Sun by Ryszard Kapuscinski. Essays about a number of African countries including Ghana, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda are brilliantly written and incredibly insightful. A must read book.
  • A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah. An unforgettable story about the life of a child soldier.
  • Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller. It’s called a love-letter to her mother but  it’s really a memoir of an African childhood in a dysfunctional family. The family ends up living in a series of cattle and tobacco farms in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe), Zambia and Malawi.
  • The White Masai by Corinne Hoffman. A true story, that’s been made into a movie, about the love affair between a Swiss woman and a Masai warrior. The inevitable clash of cultures ensues.

 Books with an African Theme on My Reading List

  • What is the What by Dave Eggers. This is the story of the life of a refugee from the civil war of Sudan and his travels to refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya before he lands in the States – where his trials don’t end.
  • Altered States, Ordinary Miracles by Richard Dowden. The author had lived in Africa and has an excellent idea of how the continent works. David Kobia says about the book:

It far outranks many of the history books of Africa and should be required reading for all high school students.

  • Unbowed by Wangari Maathai. Ms Maathai is the first African woman to receive the Nobel prize and the individual who started the Green Belt Movement. In her book she examines her roots and her mission to restore the forests of Kenya. She has also written The Challenge for Africa.
  • Dead Aid by Dambisa Moyo. A provocative read by a woman with a doctorate in economics about the value of aid and the vicious circle of aid dependency.

Needless to say, these books are just a drop in the proverbial bucket of what’s been written, but they’ll give you a flavour of the possibilities and challenges facing the African continent.

Leigh McAdam

www.hikebiketravel.com

You might also like:

One of Africa's Gems: Etosha National Park, Namibia
33 Interesting Facts About Africa
Weekly Photos: Decorated Masai Warrior & Family

Posted by Hike Bike Travel | Filed Under Africa, Books and Book Reviews 

Comments

3 Responses to “Africa Reads – 9 Books to See you Through World Cup Soccer”

  1. Tweets that mention Africa Reads - 9 Books to See you Through World Cup Soccer | HikeBikeTravel, My title -- Topsy.com on June 10th, 2010 6:11 pm

    [...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Melvin Boecher, Leigh. Leigh said: HikeBikeTravel: Africa Reads – 9 Books to See you Through World Cup Soccer http://bit.ly/cv9hDF [...]
  2. Spencer Spellman on June 11th, 2010 5:22 pm

    I’ve read most of Long Walk…It’s a freakin’ beast of a book, but there’s some great gems in it that really gives a lot of insight into the history and culture of South Africa.
  3. Hike Bike Travel on June 11th, 2010 5:33 pm

    Spencer- thanks for stopping by the site. It’s a long read but very worthwhile. I think you get a good sense of Mandela’s humanity after you read it.

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