lots of fun, 05 Dec 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - the author has a good sense of humour and is not afraid to admit when he's done something different or just plain stupid. He seems to have a good feeling for Africa and its wild life.

A crazy journey, 03 Nov 2008
A must have for anybody who has ambitions in the guiding industry or simply a love of wildlife. Full of campfire stories written so you never want to put the book down. This book makes you want to rush out and buy a plane ticket to Africa immediately.

Amusing account of time in Africa, 14 Aug 2008
Well written and funny in places, but not that dissimilar to other books in this genre.

So good..., 05 Jun 2008
One of those books you can't put down. Each chapter, of about 5-15 pages is a little story in itself - funny, sad, all moving in some way. I found myself trying to limit the amount I read I enjoyed it so much! A wonderful, simple, uncomplicated and fun book.

lots of fun, 05 Dec 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - the author has a good sense of humour and is not afraid to admit when he's done something different or just plain stupid. He seems to have a good feeling for Africa and its wild life.

A crazy journey, 03 Nov 2008
A must have for anybody who has ambitions in the guiding industry or simply a love of wildlife. Full of campfire stories written so you never want to put the book down. This book makes you want to rush out and buy a plane ticket to Africa immediately.

Amusing account of time in Africa, 14 Aug 2008
Well written and funny in places, but not that dissimilar to other books in this genre.

So good..., 05 Jun 2008
One of those books you can't put down. Each chapter, of about 5-15 pages is a little story in itself - funny, sad, all moving in some way. I found myself trying to limit the amount I read I enjoyed it so much! A wonderful, simple, uncomplicated and fun book.

Disappointing to say the least, 30 Dec 2007
I had access to the Footprint of Namibia as well as this Lonely Planet guide for the last 19 days in Namibia. Being an avid LP guide user for many years it was my first choice, but I have to say it was eclipsed by the Footprint guide, and a downright disappointment at times. So much information I looked for was either missing or worse, wrong. Given that it is a 2007 edition I was amazed to discover that a bridge built over the Zambezi in 2004/5 to access Zambia from Namibia was missing. LP stated there was still a ferry only across the river, and as a result I would have driven via Botswana and Zimbabwe instead had I not had the Footprint.

I have also decided I don't like the way they always quote prices in US dollars - why not in the local currency??

My bookshelf supports a number of LP guides for the Middle East, S America and other places, but in future I'm going to try Footprints instead.

Sorry Lonely Planet - you've lost one customer here.

lots of fun, 05 Dec 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - the author has a good sense of humour and is not afraid to admit when he's done something different or just plain stupid. He seems to have a good feeling for Africa and its wild life.

A crazy journey, 03 Nov 2008
A must have for anybody who has ambitions in the guiding industry or simply a love of wildlife. Full of campfire stories written so you never want to put the book down. This book makes you want to rush out and buy a plane ticket to Africa immediately.

Amusing account of time in Africa, 14 Aug 2008
Well written and funny in places, but not that dissimilar to other books in this genre.

So good..., 05 Jun 2008
One of those books you can't put down. Each chapter, of about 5-15 pages is a little story in itself - funny, sad, all moving in some way. I found myself trying to limit the amount I read I enjoyed it so much! A wonderful, simple, uncomplicated and fun book.

Disappointing to say the least, 30 Dec 2007
I had access to the Footprint of Namibia as well as this Lonely Planet guide for the last 19 days in Namibia. Being an avid LP guide user for many years it was my first choice, but I have to say it was eclipsed by the Footprint guide, and a downright disappointment at times. So much information I looked for was either missing or worse, wrong. Given that it is a 2007 edition I was amazed to discover that a bridge built over the Zambezi in 2004/5 to access Zambia from Namibia was missing. LP stated there was still a ferry only across the river, and as a result I would have driven via Botswana and Zimbabwe instead had I not had the Footprint.

I have also decided I don't like the way they always quote prices in US dollars - why not in the local currency??

My bookshelf supports a number of LP guides for the Middle East, S America and other places, but in future I'm going to try Footprints instead.

Sorry Lonely Planet - you've lost one customer here.

A wonderfully entertaining read, 31 Oct 2008
My whole family (including my 10 year old) have now read this book. He is a very good writer who observes Botswana with a discerning eye but with a lightness of touch. It's just a great story, whether you knew anything about Botswana beforehand or not. Having spent some time there, I can attest to the accuracy of his presentation of it, and it made me want to go back. It is packed with enough incident and story and insight, that it is much more than a simple travelogue. I will certainly hunt out more of his books.

great insight, 01 Sep 2008
this book will give anybody travelling to Botswana an insight into the culture. i absolutely loved it and it made me sit back and truely appreciate the country. Have lived here all my life and sometimes take it for granted. I tend to get frustrated that things don't happen fast enough or with the efficiency of the first world. Reading this book made me appreciate how unique Africa is and that the world would be a very boring place if everywhere was the same. Thanks Mr Randall, for teaching me how to love my country and people a little more!

fantastic account of life and voluntary work in Africa, 21 Aug 2008
Will Randall has a way of living and then telling you what happened during his life that is entertaining, sad, funny and interesting all in one volume. This is a great representation of voluntary work in Africa and shows the patience and perseverence needed to achieve much in developing countries. It also shows how rewarding and what an amazing experience this can be. I have bought this book for several people as a present and nobody has been disappointed. Other books he has written are just as well written, so explore further...

another show stopper, 23 May 2008
After Indian Summer I never thought any other book could possibly earn 5 stars again! but here we are another fabulous, heartwarming and moving adventure. I am so glad this has been made available in large print - my Dad (and many others) can now enjoy this book as much as I have. Fingers crossed Indain Summer will be made available in large print too.

A delightful book, 10 Feb 2008
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Will's previous adventures in India I was hoping that this book was going to be as good. I was not disappointed as it is a delightful series of tales about his adventures in what seems an idyllic part of Africa (despite the horrors of AIDS). Having read all of AMS's books about Precious Ramotswe I have become a Botswanaphile and this book reinforces my belief in the country and what it has achieved since independence. Will has a lovely turn of phrase and the children he teaches appears bright, eager to learn and still innocent to the wonders around them. Would that we still had these characteristics in our own school children. Get it and read it - you will feel better after doing so.

lots of fun, 05 Dec 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - the author has a good sense of humour and is not afraid to admit when he's done something different or just plain stupid. He seems to have a good feeling for Africa and its wild life.

A crazy journey, 03 Nov 2008
A must have for anybody who has ambitions in the guiding industry or simply a love of wildlife. Full of campfire stories written so you never want to put the book down. This book makes you want to rush out and buy a plane ticket to Africa immediately.

Amusing account of time in Africa, 14 Aug 2008
Well written and funny in places, but not that dissimilar to other books in this genre.

So good..., 05 Jun 2008
One of those books you can't put down. Each chapter, of about 5-15 pages is a little story in itself - funny, sad, all moving in some way. I found myself trying to limit the amount I read I enjoyed it so much! A wonderful, simple, uncomplicated and fun book.

Disappointing to say the least, 30 Dec 2007
I had access to the Footprint of Namibia as well as this Lonely Planet guide for the last 19 days in Namibia. Being an avid LP guide user for many years it was my first choice, but I have to say it was eclipsed by the Footprint guide, and a downright disappointment at times. So much information I looked for was either missing or worse, wrong. Given that it is a 2007 edition I was amazed to discover that a bridge built over the Zambezi in 2004/5 to access Zambia from Namibia was missing. LP stated there was still a ferry only across the river, and as a result I would have driven via Botswana and Zimbabwe instead had I not had the Footprint.

I have also decided I don't like the way they always quote prices in US dollars - why not in the local currency??

My bookshelf supports a number of LP guides for the Middle East, S America and other places, but in future I'm going to try Footprints instead.

Sorry Lonely Planet - you've lost one customer here.

A wonderfully entertaining read, 31 Oct 2008
My whole family (including my 10 year old) have now read this book. He is a very good writer who observes Botswana with a discerning eye but with a lightness of touch. It's just a great story, whether you knew anything about Botswana beforehand or not. Having spent some time there, I can attest to the accuracy of his presentation of it, and it made me want to go back. It is packed with enough incident and story and insight, that it is much more than a simple travelogue. I will certainly hunt out more of his books.

great insight, 01 Sep 2008
this book will give anybody travelling to Botswana an insight into the culture. i absolutely loved it and it made me sit back and truely appreciate the country. Have lived here all my life and sometimes take it for granted. I tend to get frustrated that things don't happen fast enough or with the efficiency of the first world. Reading this book made me appreciate how unique Africa is and that the world would be a very boring place if everywhere was the same. Thanks Mr Randall, for teaching me how to love my country and people a little more!

fantastic account of life and voluntary work in Africa, 21 Aug 2008
Will Randall has a way of living and then telling you what happened during his life that is entertaining, sad, funny and interesting all in one volume. This is a great representation of voluntary work in Africa and shows the patience and perseverence needed to achieve much in developing countries. It also shows how rewarding and what an amazing experience this can be. I have bought this book for several people as a present and nobody has been disappointed. Other books he has written are just as well written, so explore further...

another show stopper, 23 May 2008
After Indian Summer I never thought any other book could possibly earn 5 stars again! but here we are another fabulous, heartwarming and moving adventure. I am so glad this has been made available in large print - my Dad (and many others) can now enjoy this book as much as I have. Fingers crossed Indain Summer will be made available in large print too.

A delightful book, 10 Feb 2008
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Will's previous adventures in India I was hoping that this book was going to be as good. I was not disappointed as it is a delightful series of tales about his adventures in what seems an idyllic part of Africa (despite the horrors of AIDS). Having read all of AMS's books about Precious Ramotswe I have become a Botswanaphile and this book reinforces my belief in the country and what it has achieved since independence. Will has a lovely turn of phrase and the children he teaches appears bright, eager to learn and still innocent to the wonders around them. Would that we still had these characteristics in our own school children. Get it and read it - you will feel better after doing so.

very readable travel writing, 18 Dec 2007
I would like to rebut one reviewer's comments that van der Post had never been to Africa before he wrote this, which is poppycock, and that reviewer clearly hadn't read the book.
This is a great read, it is somewhat a pop anthropology book, but that is not why you should read it. It is in the ilk of 'green hills of africa', and a brilliant travel/expedition book. I must say that i have been to parts of africa and it has helped my imagination run wild whilst reading this book. But I'm sure it would appeal just as much to those who just have a vivid imagination. The book is full of well written description, and has a real thread to the whole book (something 'green hills of africa' lacks). It centres on van der Post's attempts to find the San Bushmen.
Van der Post is a well renowned writer, and despite this book being relatively old, it is still excellent, and something you'll not want to put down once you've started it.
A great book to read if you're going to Southern Africa, or have an interest in the region and it's peoples.

The lost world of the Kalahari, 10 Sep 2007
It's quite funny to think that Laurens Van Der Post wrote this account of the san people before he had actually met them or stepped foot on African soil. It's a load of rubbish.

genius at work!, 08 Mar 2006
This is an exciting, narrative-driven tale which despite our better understanding of tribal life in Africa - thanks mostly to the amazing documentaries we frequently see on TV today - it still has a sense of urgency and relevance to the present moment. Most of that is due to the author's talent as a writer. Van der Post is truly - not arguably - one of the greatest author's of the 20th century. Some of his sentences strike you with such power and eloquence that you have to re-read them to be sure that what you have just read is possible to say. His writing is nothing short of poetry - the greatest poetry. I would recommend this, or any of his other works.

A magical journey, 18 Jan 2004
Laurens van der Post's classic tale of his expedition to find and understand the San bushmen of the Kalahari takes the reader on a mystical journey into a different world. It is brilliantly told, capturing the vast dryness of Botswana and the attitudes of the very different peoples of that part of Africa. He is neither embarrassingly politically correct (as modern authors on the subject can be) nor patronising. His humour and palpable excitement draw you in completely. You can feel the rumble of the Landrover, taste the dust, and smell the sweat of the sacred Eland as they move deeper and deeper into the bush.

It is hard to imagine that the San could ever have existed in such a desolate land, but that they did until so recently - and perhaps still do - untouched by the outside world, seems almost beyond belief.

Outstanding.

lots of fun, 05 Dec 2008
I thoroughly enjoyed this book - the author has a good sense of humour and is not afraid to admit when he's done something different or just plain stupid. He seems to have a good feeling for Africa and its wild life.

A crazy journey, 03 Nov 2008
A must have for anybody who has ambitions in the guiding industry or simply a love of wildlife. Full of campfire stories written so you never want to put the book down. This book makes you want to rush out and buy a plane ticket to Africa immediately.

Amusing account of time in Africa, 14 Aug 2008
Well written and funny in places, but not that dissimilar to other books in this genre.

So good..., 05 Jun 2008
One of those books you can't put down. Each chapter, of about 5-15 pages is a little story in itself - funny, sad, all moving in some way. I found myself trying to limit the amount I read I enjoyed it so much! A wonderful, simple, uncomplicated and fun book.

Disappointing to say the least, 30 Dec 2007
I had access to the Footprint of Namibia as well as this Lonely Planet guide for the last 19 days in Namibia. Being an avid LP guide user for many years it was my first choice, but I have to say it was eclipsed by the Footprint guide, and a downright disappointment at times. So much information I looked for was either missing or worse, wrong. Given that it is a 2007 edition I was amazed to discover that a bridge built over the Zambezi in 2004/5 to access Zambia from Namibia was missing. LP stated there was still a ferry only across the river, and as a result I would have driven via Botswana and Zimbabwe instead had I not had the Footprint.

I have also decided I don't like the way they always quote prices in US dollars - why not in the local currency??

My bookshelf supports a number of LP guides for the Middle East, S America and other places, but in future I'm going to try Footprints instead.

Sorry Lonely Planet - you've lost one customer here.

A wonderfully entertaining read, 31 Oct 2008
My whole family (including my 10 year old) have now read this book. He is a very good writer who observes Botswana with a discerning eye but with a lightness of touch. It's just a great story, whether you knew anything about Botswana beforehand or not. Having spent some time there, I can attest to the accuracy of his presentation of it, and it made me want to go back. It is packed with enough incident and story and insight, that it is much more than a simple travelogue. I will certainly hunt out more of his books.

great insight, 01 Sep 2008
this book will give anybody travelling to Botswana an insight into the culture. i absolutely loved it and it made me sit back and truely appreciate the country. Have lived here all my life and sometimes take it for granted. I tend to get frustrated that things don't happen fast enough or with the efficiency of the first world. Reading this book made me appreciate how unique Africa is and that the world would be a very boring place if everywhere was the same. Thanks Mr Randall, for teaching me how to love my country and people a little more!

fantastic account of life and voluntary work in Africa, 21 Aug 2008
Will Randall has a way of living and then telling you what happened during his life that is entertaining, sad, funny and interesting all in one volume. This is a great representation of voluntary work in Africa and shows the patience and perseverence needed to achieve much in developing countries. It also shows how rewarding and what an amazing experience this can be. I have bought this book for several people as a present and nobody has been disappointed. Other books he has written are just as well written, so explore further...

another show stopper, 23 May 2008
After Indian Summer I never thought any other book could possibly earn 5 stars again! but here we are another fabulous, heartwarming and moving adventure. I am so glad this has been made available in large print - my Dad (and many others) can now enjoy this book as much as I have. Fingers crossed Indain Summer will be made available in large print too.

A delightful book, 10 Feb 2008
Having read and thoroughly enjoyed Will's previous adventures in India I was hoping that this book was going to be as good. I was not disappointed as it is a delightful series of tales about his adventures in what seems an idyllic part of Africa (despite the horrors of AIDS). Having read all of AMS's books about Precious Ramotswe I have become a Botswanaphile and this book reinforces my belief in the country and what it has achieved since independence. Will has a lovely turn of phrase and the children he teaches appears bright, eager to learn and still innocent to the wonders around them. Would that we still had these characteristics in our own school children. Get it and read it - you will feel better after doing so.

very readable travel writing, 18 Dec 2007
I would like to rebut one reviewer's comments that van der Post had never been to Africa before he wrote this, which is poppycock, and that reviewer clearly hadn't read the book.
This is a great read, it is somewhat a pop anthropology book, but that is not why you should read it. It is in the ilk of 'green hills of africa', and a brilliant travel/expedition book. I must say that i have been to parts of africa and it has helped my imagination run wild whilst reading this book. But I'm sure it would appeal just as much to those who just have a vivid imagination. The book is full of well written description, and has a real thread to the whole book (something 'green hills of africa' lacks). It centres on van der Post's attempts to find the San Bushmen.
Van der Post is a well renowned writer, and despite this book being relatively old, it is still excellent, and something you'll not want to put down once you've started it.
A great book to read if you're going to Southern Africa, or have an interest in the region and it's peoples.

The lost world of the Kalahari, 10 Sep 2007
It's quite funny to think that Laurens Van Der Post wrote this account of the san people before he had actually met them or stepped foot on African soil. It's a load of rubbish.

genius at work!, 08 Mar 2006
This is an exciting, narrative-driven tale which despite our better understanding of tribal life in Africa - thanks mostly to the amazing documentaries we frequently see on TV today - it still has a sense of urgency and relevance to the present moment. Most of that is due to the author's talent as a writer. Van der Post is truly - not arguably - one of the greatest author's of the 20th century. Some of his sentences strike you with such power and eloquence that you have to re-read them to be sure that what you have just read is possible to say. His writing is nothing short of poetry - the greatest poetry. I would recommend this, or any of his other works.

A magical journey, 18 Jan 2004
Laurens van der Post's classic tale of his expedition to find and understand the San bushmen of the Kalahari takes the reader on a mystical journey into a different world. It is brilliantly told, capturing the vast dryness of Botswana and the attitudes of the very different peoples of that part of Africa. He is neither embarrassingly politically correct (as modern authors on the subject can be) nor patronising. His humour and palpable excitement draw you in completely. You can feel the rumble of the Landrover, taste the dust, and smell the sweat of the sacred Eland as they move deeper and deeper into the bush.

It is hard to imagine that the San could ever have existed in such a desolate land, but that they did until so recently - and perhaps still do - untouched by the outside world, seems almost beyond belief.

Outstanding.

a great book from a GREAT hearted writer, 12 Oct 2004
Bessie Head writes about ordinary women in African villages, often dealing with extaordinary situations. She writes with great love and feeling for these women. In a series of short, simply presented stories, Bessie Head introduces us to women with profund decisions to make, and often difficult circumstances to deal with. How each woman faces these trials and deals with them, reveals the authors deep understanding of the way tragic and profound experiences can enrich us and give greater meaning to our own and others lives.Much more than a description of womens position in African society. This is a great book from a GREAT writer and humanitarian.