Namibia: Saving the Rhino

SUGGESTED READING

Namibia: Saving the Rhino

Here is a brief selection of favorite, new and hard-to-find books, prepared for your journey. For your convenience, you may call (800) 342-2164 to order these books directly from Longitude, a specialty mail-order book service. To order online, and to get the latest, most comprehensive selection of books for your voyage, go directly to reading.longitudebooks.com/TJ26300.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

These five items are available as a set for $106 including shipping, 15% off the retail price (Item EXNMB18). Any additional books ordered will be shipped free of charge.

Carruthers, Vincent (Editor), and Kenneth Newman (Illustrator). The Wildlife of Southern Africa. Struik, 2008. With 1,200 color illustrations by a range of experts, this field guide includes all the birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, fish and plants that a traveler is likely to encounter in southern Africa. (PAPER, 320 Pp., $28, Item SAF59)

Bass, Rick. The Black Rhinos of Namibia, Searching for Survivors in the African Desert. Mariner Books, 2013. Bass' lifelong search for rare and iconic animals takes him into the harsh terrain of the Namib desert on the trail of the rare black rhino. With insightful prose, Bass tells the story of the rhinos – brought back from near-extinction thanks to cutting edge conservation. (PAPER, 272 Pp., $14.95, Item EXP98)

Estes, Richard. The Safari Companion. Chelsea Green Publishing, 1999. An encyclopedic guide to Africa's mammals by a noted scientist, this perennial bestseller includes black-and-white drawings, an overview of each animal group and in-depth information. Written with the typical safari-goer in mind. (PAPER, 459 Pp., $30, Item AFR06)

McIntyre, Chris. Bradt Guide Namibia. Bradt Publications, 2015. From the desolate Skeleton Coast to the lush Kavango and Caprivi Strip to the picturesque capital of Windhoek, Bradt has it covered. (PAPER, 544 Pp., $27.99, Item NMB06)

Reise Know How. Namibia Map. Reise Know How, 2009. A folded, indexed road map of Namibia, showing all major and many minor roads, cities and towns, at a scale of 1:1,200,000. (MAP, $14.95, Item SAF06)

MAPS & GUIDEBOOKS

The Africa Adventure Company. Safari Planning Map, East & Southern Africa. Perseus, 2014. This large-scale colorful map covers the top safari countries and important wildlife reserves of East and Southern Africa. (MAP, $11.95, Item SAF340)

Sharri Whiting. Culture Smart! Namibia. Kuperard, 2008. A concise and practical guide to local customs, etiquette and culture with a short overview of the land and people along with practical travel advice. (PAPER, $9.95, Item NMB22)

HISTORY, CULTURE & EXPLORATION

Joyce, Peter. This Is Namibia. Struik, 2014. A useful primer to Namibia, this visual essay on the up-and-coming African country surveys its cultures, wildlife and diverse landscapes. Peter Joyce takes readers from Namibia’s icy Atlantic shores to the arid Kalahari Desert, revealing a land of towering sand dunes, ancient civilizations and enigmatic beauty. (PAPER, 144 Pp., $21, Item NMB24)

Meredith, Martin. The Fortunes of Africa, A 5000-Year History of Wealth, Greed and Endeavor. Perseus, 2014. Covering the epic story of colonialism in Africa, Meredith’s magisterial history depicts empire-hungry kings, missionaries, tribal warlords, mining barons – even modern multinational corporations. An expansive but entertaining read. (HARD COVER, 704 Pp., $35, Item AFR327)

Pakenham, Thomas. The Scramble for Africa. Avon Books, 1992. Absorbing and meticulously researched, this in-depth history of the Victorian land grab in 19th century Africa includes excellent portraits of the egomaniacal personalities who overran the continent. (PAPER, 738 Pp., $23.99, Item AFR26)

Reader, John. Africa, a Biography of the Continent. Alfred Knopf, 1999. With the ease of a practiced journalist, Reader weaves a masterful and lively tale of the continent, from ancient cultures to modern times. Both authoritative and informal, this is a splendid introduction to all of Africa. (PAPER, 816 Pp., $20, Item AFR49)

TRAVEL, BIOGRAPHY & MEMOIR

Allison, Peter. Don't Look Behind You!. Lyons Press, 2009. Subtitled A Safari Guide's Encounters with Ravenous Lions, Stampeding Elephants, and Lovesick Rhinos, this harrowing and hilarious travel narrative makes you feel like you’re right there on safari. (PAPER, 256 Pp., $16.95, Item SAF252)

Isaacson, Rupert. The Healing Land, The Bushmen and the Kalahari Desert. Grove Press, 2003. A powerful account of the ancient traditions of the Kalahari Bushmen and the very contemporary struggle of a people who have been displaced from their land. (PAPER, 278 Pp., $13, Item SAF135)

Theroux, Paul. The Last Train to Zona Verde, My Ultimate African Safari. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2014. Paul Theroux’s challenging, thought-provoking travelogue that chronicles his trek from the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa northward to Namibia and the 'Zona Verde' in Angola. (PAPER, 368 Pp., $15.95, Item WAF172)

LITERATURE

Orner, Peter. The Second Coming of Mavala Shikongo. Back Bay Books, 2007. Set in 1991 at a school in the middle of a Namibian desert, soon after independence from South Africa, Orner's hypnotic debut novel revolves around a young American teacher's captivating and beautiful co-worker, Mavala Shikongo. (PAPER, 311 Pp., $13.99, Item NMB15)

NATURAL HISTORY & FIELD GUIDES

Bennett, Barbara. Soul of a Lion, One Woman's Quest to Rescue Africa's Wildlife Refugees. National Geographic, 2010. Bennett recounts with affection and humor her volunteer sabbatical at Namibia's Harnas Wildlife Foundation, where she worked with orphaned, injured and abandoned wild animals alongside Harnas' inspiring founder, Marieta van der Merwe. (HARD COVER, 320 Pp., $26, Item NAM59)

Berger, Joel, and Carol Cunningham. Horn of Darkness, Rhinos on the Edge. Oxford University Press, 2000. A lively account of field work, combining adventure, natural history and thoughtful commentary on the plight of the severely endangered black rhinoceros in Namibia. (PAPER, 256 Pp., $50, Item NMB07)

Kingdon, Jonathan. Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals. Princeton University Press, 2004. A conveniently compact edition of Kingdon's gloriously illustrated Field Guide to African Mammals. The guide includes abbreviated information on identification, distribution, ecology and conservation status and 480 outstanding color illustrations and maps. (PAPER, 272 Pp., $28.95, Item EAF128)

O'Connell, Caitlin. The Elephant's Secret Sense, The Hidden Life of the Wild Herds of Africa. University of Chicago Press, 2008. O'Connell chronicles the extraordinary social lives of elephants in Etosha National Park with this powerful account of a 14-year study. (PAPER, 240 Pp., $15, Item NMB20)

Schoeman, Amy. Skeleton Coast. Struik, 2012. This revised edition of Shoenman's classic shows the magnificent landscapes, wildlife and nature of the Namib desert, Skeleton Coast and northwest Namibia in 160 color essays and accompanying essays on geology, climate, nature and history. (HARD COVER, 208 Pp., $54, Item NMB08)