Best East Africa History

Already a classic of war reporting and now reissued as a Grove Press paperback, Black Hawk Down is Mark Bowden’s brilliant account of the longest sustained firefight involving American troops since the Vietnam War. His gritty narrative tells of how Rangers and elite Delta Force troops embarked on a mission to capture a pair of high-ranking deputies to warlord Mohamed Farrah Aidid only to find themselves surrounded in a hostile African city. He makes full use of the defense bureaucracy's extensive paper trail--which includes official reports, investigations, and even radio transcripts--to describe the combat with great accuracy, right down to the actual dialogue. But Bowden's gripping narrative of the fighting is only a framework for an examination of the internal dynamics of America's elite forces and a critique of the philosophy of sending such high-tech units into combat with minimal support. That's one of the key questions Bowden raises in a gripping account of combat that merits thoughtful reading by anyone concerned with the future course of the country's military strategy and its relationship to foreign policy.
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Find Best Price at Amazon"On page 363 of the "Notes" Bowden writes: "To me, the communications mix-up that left five soldiers dead and dozens badly injured was the single biggest snafu of the battle," ( re: from the section "Black Hawk Down," Chapter 17, pp. And remember the incredible bravery of Delta snipers Gary Gordon and Randy Shughart, who both received posthumous Medals of Honor; and every member of "Task Force Ranger," and that Specialist John Stebbins "would receive a Silver Star for his part in the fight ..." (p.324), as would Navy SEAL Howard E. Wasdin (see his book below). effort in Somalia and is a classic exercise in summing up policy mistakes in retrospect, rife with 'flagrant misreadings' and 'precisely wrong' approaches, which is the easiest of all academic sports. He tells a story of clan warfare in Somalia where teenagers have grown up in the midst of gunfire; how 18 and 25 year olds are battle hardened soldiers. Stevenson writes that one of the realities of the Post Cold War era is that "terrorists become statesmen" and the U.S. only strengthened Aidid by casting him as the villain and blaming for all of Somalia's problems. U.S. helicopters flew the same routes and used the same formulas for their "snatch and grab" missions everyday-fly in and have Delta Force sweep the target areas while ringed by Rangers for protection. American planners also did a poor job with translations on leaflet drops, provided little historical or cultural knowledge for the soldier on the ground, and did not comprehend the role khat played in lives of the gun-toting young men. Other fractured communications structures meant delays in reinforcements and wrong turns made by the convoy during the October 3 firefight. He prescribes using small, mobile, technological units engaging in aggressive actions that stress agility, diversion, and the element of surprise. Gradually phasing out U.S. soldiers and replacing them with a multilateral U.N. peacekeeping force would "allow the beneficiary population to be weaned of its dependence." See also: "The Battle of Mogadishu," (2004), Edited by Matt Eversmann and Dan Schilling and. "Seal Team Six, Memoirs of an Elite Navy Seal Sniper" (2011), by Howard E. Wasdin and Stephen Templin. For general reference: "O2S4 MEC:". Objective (Simplicity); Offensive, Sprit of; Superiority at Point of Contact (Economy of Force); Surprise (Security); Security (Surprise); Simplicity (Objective); Movement (Mobility); Economy of Force (Superiority at Point of Contact); Cooperation (Unity of Command)."
"This should be required reading for anyone in the U.S. government, about what can go wrong when the U.S. gets involved in places that can't be fixed."
"being an ex-soldier i admire great stories of the bravery and camaraderie of our elite warriors, cause i know i'm a big wuss and could never be one."
"Exactly as advertised: Historical, but reads like a novel."
"Such an account reminds me of why I avoided military service, because of messed up politics and risking lives on pointless or soon to be abandoned missions."
"With so much action going on and so many perspectives to tell the story from, "Black Hawk Down" give a truly in-depth look at what happened over the course of less than a day, but just like the fog of war confuses those within it, the mashing of multiple story lines challenges the reader to do lots of work on keeping up with who is where and doing what."
"If you want the inside scoop on the Battle of Mogadishu, look no further than this book."
"I am so sad that the soldiers who fought feel as though it is not remembered, and that this fight that was important enough for their friends to die for was called off so soon after the battle."

In Strength in What Remains , Tracy Kidder gives us the story of one man’s inspiring American journey and of the ordinary people who helped him, providing brilliant testament to the power of second chances. Deo was a young medical student who fled the genocidal civil war in Burundi in 1994 for the uncertainty of New York City. Against absurd odds--he arrived with little money and less English and slept in Central Park while delivering groceries for starvation wages--his own ambition and a few kind New Yorkers led him to Columbia University and, beyond that, to medical school and American citizenship. That his rise followed a familiar immigrant's path to success doesn't make it any less remarkable, but what gives Deo's story its particular power is that becoming an American citizen did not erase his connection to Burundi, in either his memory or his dreams for the future. Writing with the same modest but dogged empathy that made his recent Mountains Beyond Mountains (about Deo's colleague and mentor, Dr. Paul Farmer) a modern classic, Tracy Kidder follows Deo back to Burundi, where he recalls the horrors of his narrow escape from the war and begins to build a medical clinic where none had been before. Strength in What Remains is the story of Deogratias, a young man from the central African nation of Burundi. We hear about mass slaughter in distant countries and we imagine that murder and mayhem define those locales. But when it’s come to dealing with the burden of his memories, the public health system and clinic that he founded has been the nearest thing to a solution. As I was trying to describe his effort to build a clinic, I found myself writing: "Deo had discovered a way to quiet the questions he’d been asking at Columbia. Told in flashbacks from Deo's 2006 return visit to Burundi to mid-1990s New York and the Burundi of childhood memory and young adulthood—as the Rwandan genocide spilled across the border following the same inflamed ethnic divisions—then picking up in 2003, when author and subject first meet, Deo's experience is conveyed with a remarkable depth of vision and feeling. This profoundly gripping, hopeful and crucial testament is a work of the utmost skill, sympathy and moral clarity.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"), to his homeless days in New York City, to working menial jobs with sadistic bosses who assaulted and belittled him (his own people and Americans equally), to getting downright lucky and meeting a couple open-minded enough to open their home and wallet to get him a top-rate education in an Ivy League School, you can't help but think (even if it's just for the duration of reading this book) that your worst day is nothing next to what Deo went through. The best part of this book is that Deo rubs me as a humble person hell-bent on getting his medical degree and building clinics in his native Burundi to help the poor get better health care."
"'Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.'."
"Kidder, once again, draws the story of a remarkable life so we are able to make the connections ourselves--to see how so many people and things came together in this life of misery and dedication that leaves one with a sense of fulfillment and meaning."
"It's particularly moving in light of the fact that the clinic/nonprofit (Village Health Works) that Deo helped start in Burundi is very much still providing vital services and saving lives."
"The book tells the story of Deo Gratias, who escaped genocide in his home country and came to America without any support system."
"Excellent read!"
"A very interesting story highlighting social differences among the world."
"Difficult, worthy story to tell."

Readers will shed a tear at her losses and laugh at her predicaments in this sometimes hilarious, often heartbreaking, true story that gives a moving and often shocking insight in to the earlier life of the much-loved travel author famed for her humour and her honesty. Susie recalls a 1950s childhood in post-war London's every shade of grey and the splendours of Africa as, with her glamorous mother and father, she boards a ship bound for exotic, technicolor Kenya. Then in its final decade as a colony, Kenya was peopled with larger-than-life characters who had helped to forge its identity. Each time it seems things cannot get any worse, they do as the popular travel author lifts the lid on her own, often shocking, behaviour in her quest to protect herself and those she loves. Rebellious, lonely and self-destructive, it is a small grey horse named Cinderella who saves Susie from herself and brings her the love she craves. ' There is something very special about this book and the way the reader is instantly drawn into Susie's world and the appalling people and situations she had to endure.'. Filled with candid humor and insights, this authentic tale captures one woman's incredible coming-of-age journey.'.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I made a vow when I turned 70 that I would not review a book unless I could give it 5 stars. The child Susie is mistreated by her father and her step-mother, and her real mother abandons her early on. She finds solace in the support of many good people in her life, who recognize that she is being mistreated and try to help. As a young woman, seeking to escape her home, she marries poorly, and as a young mother is left alone to solve problems that even had her father helped her were enormous. Today, you can't in conscience write a book about Africa that leaves out the black experience (oh, she mentions Mau-Mau briefly, and gives the nod to Kenyatta, but this is just stage dressing). Just as you can't write about 17th Century America and leave out Native Americans. Or write about a Deep South that is nothing but a round of julep parties."
"What an interesting and full life this author has led."
"I feel that she must have had a strong resilient nature to begin with, and that her tribulations only served to make her stronger still because I doubt if I could have survived her childhood half as well."
"Her marrying at an early age to 'get away from it all', was a great mistake which she paid dearly through the years and also losing both parents before she really got to say good bye and I love you has bothered her throughout life."
"Wonderful, sensitive story of self examination and the acquiring of necessary coping skills living in very different cultures."
"A wonderful read by a wonderful author."
"However, Ms. Kelly relayed the good and bad things about her childhood and life as a young wife and mother with a very well-controlled resentment and was as fair to others as she could be, I think."
"Her story is about finding her way in the world after her parents separate and she is shipped off to another country and then comes back years later to her father with his new family."
Best African Travel

Colour maps and images throughout Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sight-seeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss Cultural insights give you a richer, more rewarding travel experience - history, art, literature, cuisine, etiquette, sports, politics, landscapes, wildlife, architecture Over 102 maps Covers Cairo, the Nile Valley, Minya, Luxor, Esna, Siwa Oasis, Western Desert, Alexandria, Suez Canal, Red Sea Coast, Sinai and more. Downloadable PDF and offline maps prevent roaming and data charges Effortlessly navigate and jump between maps and reviews Add notes to personalise your guidebook experience Seamlessly flip between pages Bookmarks and speedy search capabilities get you to key pages in a flash Embedded links to recommendations' websites Zoom-in maps and images Inbuilt dictionary for quick referencing. Anthony Sattin is an award-winning journalist and the author of several acclaimed history and travel books.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Great guidebook for an amazing city."
"excellent composition."
"Excellent guide for the traveler going to Egypt."
"Very accurate and helpful for my trip to Egypt."
"Really good tour book for Egypt."
"Good stuff!"
"This book provided us with very helpful information."
"Great book with lots of detail for anyone planning to take a trip to Egypt."
Best West African History

Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. In A Long Way Gone , Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he'd been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. This is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty. His monotone works particularly well when he is recounting his dreams, for he cannot distinguish his nightmares from his waking life. But rebel forces destroyed his childhood innocence when they hit his village, driving him to leave his home and travel the arid deserts and jungles of Africa. Told in a conversational, accessible style, this powerful record of war ends as a beacon to all teens experiencing violence around them by showing them that there are other ways to survive than by adding to the chaos.— Matthew L. Moffett, Pohick Regional Library, Burke, VA Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This kid was born in a shack on a muddy floor, with no bathroom, with a roof leaking under his moms head. The country was underdeveloped, bullets flying and bombs falling over their heads."
"To give a brief overview, the novel is about a young boy who is on the run from war his whole life and he deals with the death of many people in his family and many of his friends."
"This book was a great read and an eye opener to what others are facing in the world around us. Many can read these kinds of books that share such a powerful and personal story but without learning from them or taking away something they truly do not share their messages."
"Amazing story about very difficult experience of a young boy."
"I think history would stick with us better if we read more personal, individual-driven books like this one and less flavorless, distant history books."
"Captivating, sad, frightening reality should interest all who breathe common air and are warmed but the same sun."
"A very well written, engaging book but the subject and the author's life was truly horrific!"
"Young girls being forced into sexual situations which aside from be completely involuntary are also concepts way beyond their capacity of understanding at their young ages. Though Ishmael survived the struggle there are plenty of other people just as young that are going through this painful lifestyle and that inevitably results in addiction, emotional trauma and death. The infection is a struggle that will take more than one organization of to cure. It is a change in structure that these countries need; and deconstruction of the corruption may be successful if fought consistently...but we know that doing such a thing is a difficult task that to this date, there have been limited numbers of people/movements that have been successful. Aside from the desensitization, we must also battle the mentalities that certain peoples have established in their minds depending on their culture."
Best North Africa History

Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates reads like an edge-of-your-seat, page-turning thriller. No one captures the danger, intrigue, and drama of the American Revolution and its aftermath like Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger.” —Brad Thor This is the little-known story of how a newly independent nation was challenged by four Muslim powers and what happened when America’s third president decided to stand up to intimidation. Few today remember these men and other heroes who inspired the Marine Corps hymn: “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, we fight our country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.” Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates recaptures this forgotten war that changed American history with a real-life drama of intrigue, bravery, and battle on the high seas. ), author of Team of Teams “A riveting book of history that reads as though it were ripped from today’s headlines, and a must read for anyone seeking an understanding of the roots of U.S. foreign policy.” —ADMIRAL JAMES STAVRIDIS (Ret. I thoroughly enjoyed this must read that brings to life a critical period in our nation’s history and shows the importance of a navy in our nation’s security.” —KIRK S. LIPPOLD, former commander of the USS Cole; author of Front Burner: Al Qaeda’s Attack on the USS Cole “No one captures the danger, intrigue, and drama of the American Revolution and its aftermath like Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger.” —BRAD THOR, bestselling author of Code of Conduct “A colorful, exciting, and historic account of an overlooked portion of American military history, and a wonderful tribute to the brave sailors and Marines who set a high standard for U.S. maritime operations.” —GENERAL JACK KEANE (Ret. Count on Kilmeade and Yaeger to remind us of it with this swashbuckling adventure.” —MARCUS LUTTRELL, former Navy SEAL; author of Lone Survivor and Service “If you want to understand the deep historic roots of the 9/11 attacks and what it will take to win the war against today’s jihadists, you must read this book.” —DR.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Enjoyed reading and learning the history."
"Loved the book."
"A GREAT HISTORY LESSON.WHAT THE GREAT PRESIDENTS DID TO MAKE AMERICA WHAT IT IS TODAY.IT SHOULD SHOW ALL AMERICANS WHAT WE MUST DO TODAY TO KEEP OUR COUNTRY STRONG."
"Very interesting to read about the history of early merchant shipping in the Mediterranean and the sort of piracy that continues along the west African Coast (Somalia)."
"Amazing story."
"HE SAID HE THOUGHT HE KNEW A LOT ABOUT THAT TIME IN OUR HISTORY, BUT BRIAN CAME IN WITH A LOT MORE."
"This book is very readable and details America's encounters with Islam in the early days of this country."
"I'm reading it for the second time to concentrate on the events in history that I find so interesting."
Best Central Africa History

It was during those endless hours of unspeakable terror that Immaculee discovered the power of prayer, eventually shedding her fear of death and forging a profound and lasting relationship with God. In 1994, Rwandan native Ilibagiza was 22 years old and home from college to spend Easter with her devout Catholic family, when the death of Rwanda's Hutu president sparked a three-month slaughter of nearly one million ethnic Tutsis in the country. This searing firsthand account of Ilibagiza's experience cuts two ways: her description of the evil that was perpetrated, including the brutal murders of her family members, is soul-numbingly devastating, yet the story of her unquenchable faith and connection to God throughout the ordeal uplifts and inspires. This book is a precious addition to the literature that tries to make sense of humankind's seemingly bottomless depravity and counterbalancing hope in an all-powerful, loving God.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Immaculee Ilibagiza's "Left to Tell" is a powerful book detailing the miracle of Ilibagiza's survival during the Hutus led Rwandan genocide (over one million Tutsi slaughtered) of the early 1990s. For three months, Ilibagiza and five other Tutsi women were protected by a Christian pastor, a Hutus, who, at great personal risk, allowed the women to stay hidden in a small bathroom in his home four feet long and three feet wide."
"Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee Ilibagiza is an insightful and heartfelt look at the trials and tribulations of being a hunted Tutsi in a Hutu ruled Rwanda."
"Insightful and scary what our world is like and should never be."
"Prayer, as she practices and teaches it, is a combination of meditation, trust in God, positive thinking, envisioning the desired outcome, and acknowledging every "small" (and large!)."
"This is the most incredible story I have ever read."
"The story is terrifying and gruesome in depicting the things that human beings are capable of carrying out (or ignoring); but at the same time shows humanity's better side - its' capacity for love and forgiveness in the face of some of the worst atrocities ever perpetrated."
"The reader will be in awe as he or she progresses through the details of the story, but will emerge with a sense of hope from Ilibagiza’s ability to forgive and love."
Best Southern Africa History

Nelson Mandela is one of the great moral and political leaders of our time: an international hero whose lifelong dedication to the fight against racial oppression in South Africa won him the Nobel Peace Prize and the presidency of his country. Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize and the first democratically elected president of South Africa, Mandela began his autobiography during the course of his 27 years in prison.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The book was probably the fastest/easiest read I have had because it was so easy to just keep on reading."
"This is an excellent read."
"Most of the time I picked that up through the name or context, but occasionally I read for several chapters before discovering that a trusted person was white. This book should be read slowly, over several months, in order to absorb a multitude of facts, and the growth of the man who wrote it."
"AThis is a stunning book."
"I think this a must read for those you need insight the importance of undertaking the struggle to gain freedom and independence for a deprived and discriminated majority."
"I am planning to visit south Africa it has been my dream for years , what a great man he was chosen by God I will always have respect for him."
"His personal freedom and rights were curtailed and he saw it happening to all his people."
"I knew the basics of Mandela's life--his exceptional intelligence, his fight against apartheid, his long incarceration, his Nobel Prize for Peace. He studied the philosophical underpinnings of all sorts of governments, particularly those of the National Party that ruled South Africa during his years of prison."