Best of
Africa

1960

Born Free: A Lioness of Two Worlds


Joy Adamson - 1960
    Especially now, at a time when the sanctity of the wild and its inhabitants is increasingly threatened by human development and natural disaster, Adamson's remarkable tale is an idyll, and a model, to return to again and again.Illustrated with the same beautiful, evocative photographs that first enchanted the world forty years ago and updated with a new introduction by George Page, former host and executive editor of the PBS series Nature and author of Inside the Animal Mind, this anniversary edition introduces to a new generation one of the most heartwarming associations between man and animal.

The White Nile


Alan Moorehead - 1960
    Capturing in breathtaking prose the larger-than-life personalities of such notable figures as Stanley, Livingstone, Burton and many others, The White Nile remains a seminal work in tales of discovery and escapade, filled with incredible historical detail and compelling stories of heroism and drama.

Black Africa: The Economic and Cultural Basis for a Federated State


Cheikh Anta Diop - 1960
    It concludes with a lengthy interview with Diop.

The sands of Kalahari


William Mulvihill - 1960
    

God's Bits of Wood


Ousmane Sembène - 1960
    Sembène Ousmane, in this vivid and moving novel, evinces all of the colour, passion and tragedy of those decisive years in the history of West Africa.'Ever since they left Thiès, the women had not stopped singing. As soon as one group allowed the refrain to die, another picked it up, and new verses were born at the hazard of chance or inspiration, one word leading to another and each finding, in its turn, its rhythm and its place. No one was very sure any longer where the song began, or if it had an ending. It rolled out over its own length, like the movement of a serpent. It was as long as a life.'

Bell of Africa


W.D.M. Bell - 1960
    He was born in 1880 near Edinburgh, and by the time he was six, he had lost both parents. When he was ten, he took a pair of muzzleloading dueling pistols, a watch, and a few pennies and set off for America to go "bison shooting"! This scheme failed spectacularly when the stationmaster grabbed him as he was about to board the train, but other adventures soon followed. Never interested in school, he was, however, consumed by the writings of Gordon Cummings and thoughts of hunting elephants. He was not quite a teenager when he enlisted on a sailing ship in hopes of reaching Africa . . . but landed up in Tasmania. By the time he was fourteen his exasperated family bundled him off to a boarding school in Germany in the hopes of getting some sort of education in him, but once there he built a rough sort of kayak and managed to get to the coast via the river system and eventually back home by taking a steamer and trains. Finally his siblings relented and let him go to Africa. This was obviously no ordinary boy! Not even seventeen years old, he arrived in Mombasa with little more than a .303 single-shot rifle. This initial foray proved unsuccessful and unprofitable, so he took a steamer back to England and arrived home penniless. Refitted and a bit wiser, he then sought his destiny in the Yukon, mining for gold and providing game for the camps in the Klondike. Again penniless after having been cheated by a partner, he enlisted in the Canadian army to fight in the Boer War, which would also provide a means of returning to Africa. Now finally all elements fell in place: more wisdom through maturity, some funds, the right rifles, and a great deal of determination saw him make his first safari for ivory. Like a tiger after its first kill, he developed a taste for elephant hunting, and he subsequently made what are generally considered the greatest ivory-hunting expeditions ever conducted by a single hunter. Bell began writing Bell of Africa, his third and last book, in the late 1940s but he died before it was completed. Col. Townsend Whelan took over the editing and finished the book, which contains some revised sections of Bell's earlier books but is, for the most part, all new material. In addition, this book contains Bell's own original drawings that depict scenes from his youth as well as his much-praised sketches of where to place brain, heart, and lung shots on elephants. These drawings were for a long time the only true anatomical studies of the position of an elephant's brain. Possibly the great secret to Bell's success-besides his extraordinary skill with a rifle-was his ability to think like an African. Bell was so good at understanding the mentality of the Africans he hunted with and encountered that he was able to get them to cooperate on his ivory-hunting expeditions to an astonishing degree. This clearly shines through in his books. There may be men who have led an adventurous a life, but not many of them were as daring and courageous as Walter Maitland Dalrymple Bell!

Dr. Schweitzer of Lambarene


Norman Cousins - 1960
    Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

Tobruk to Tarakan


John G. Glenn - 1960
    The Second 48th fought in Tobruk, El Alamein, New Guinea & Tarakan... Contains Maps, a photos throughout.TOBRUK TO TARAKAN is the most stirring book to arise from the Second World War. This new edition has been released in recognition the 70th anniversary of the El Alamein campaign.The most highly decorated unit of the Second A.I.F. was in action in so many campaigns that a great deal of the drama of the conflict as experienced by Australian soldiers is encompassed in one volume. They went through the Hell of Tobruk, blasted their way to El Alamein and stalked through the rotting jungles of New Guinea and Tarakan where a Japanese with a machine gun seemed to lurk behind every tree.This story of an outstanding body of fighting men is told by one of their number, John G. Glenn, who shared in all these experiences and was himself mentioned in dispatches. He describes the day-by-day experiences of his comrades on foreign soil, the welding of plain Australian men into a ruthless fi ghting machine, the heroic deeds of many, highlighted by the exploits for which the Victoria Cross was awarded to such men as Kibby and Derrick, whose names will never be forgotten while courage and gallantry under fire continues to be honoured.Yet Tobruk to Tarakan is not only the story of bloody battles and dangerous sorties. It is relieved throughout by flashes of that sardonic humour which is traditionally associated with the Australian fighting man. It is a book which gives colour and fire to our history and every Australian who reads it will hold his head a little higher… for these are his countrymen…

Awo: The Autobiography of Chief Obafemi Awolowo


Obafemi Awolowo - 1960
    He campaigned heavily for developmental change and implemented free primary education and child healthcare policies across the Western Region. Awolowo began work on this autobiography in 1957, at a time when Nigeria's request for self-government had been refused. The work was completed in 1960, the year Nigeria gained its long-awaited independence. Accordingly, this autobiography is dedicated to a 'new and free Nigeria', with the trust that its people will enjoy 'a more abundant life'. This determined, self-made leader here describes his youth, education and politics. He writes of his hope that this tale of stubborn perseverance can become 'a source of inspiration' in itself, and indeed, this account will fascinate anyone with an interest in Africa, the history and politics of Western Nigeria, or a love of insightful political autobiography.