The building of the Kariba dam was a very complex process; the preparation work like building roads into the "heart of the African wilderness", an amaThe building of the Kariba dam was a very complex process; the preparation work like building roads into the "heart of the African wilderness", an amazing engineering feat but also a humanitarian and ecological operation. Howarth focuses on the efforts to convince and relocate about 50,000 primitive rural Tonga people from their villages.
The Zambezi River separates Northern and Southern Rhodesia (now Zambia and Zimbabwe) and the Kariba gorge eventually was selected as the site for a dam to provide a hydroelectric plant to provide power to the increasing population and industrialization of the countries by predominately British immigrants during the time of British Colonial rule. The dam would flood the Gwembe valley (making a reservoir 175 miles long and 20 miles wide!) where a majority of the Tonga people lived a meager subsistence farming life, necessitating the relocation of the villages out of harm's way to areas that would still allow them to continue their simple way of life. It fell to the District Commissioners, members of the British Overseas Civil Service, to explain to the various Tonga Chiefs and their people that they had to move and devise how and where they would be relocated. The Tonga had never even made a cart on wheels, and he would have to explain about turbines and electricity. They had never seen a lake, and he would have to describe what it would look like and make them believe it. Most had little knowledge of the world outside their villages, how could you convince them that moving was for the good of the country? Most of the Tonga acknowledge the authority of the British government and moved but others held out which eventually led to riots and a battle before finally cooperating in the move. But it took years. The British couldn't have anticipated that the religious beliefs and practices would have been such a sticking point for many.
The ecological devastation that occurred in the entire process was enormous.
Operation Noah that involved the relocation of the animals that would be affected occurred between 1958-61 as an afterthought only as a response to world outrage. I can see Howarth shaking his head as he wrote, the fate of 50,000 Tonga had hardly caused a ripple in the world's newspapers yet the fate of a few thousand animals caused a firestorm.
The whole process: prep, building of the dam, relocation etc took from 5 years from 1956 through 1961. The dam was actually finished in 1959. The enormity of the project is mind-boggling. The site was especially difficult as it was 150 miles from nearest railways (roads had to be built), 750 miles from a port and 5000 miles from factories where the machinery was made. The arch dam is 420 ft tall and 1900 ft long and the reservoir is the biggest made man lake in the world.
The dam has had to be shut down a number of times in recent years due to the prolonged drought in the area most recently in 2022 through Jan 2023 (at least that I could find) and repair work on the dam has been ongoing in fits and starts since 2017. ...more
Written in 1885, it is definitely a product of its time when colonialism was at its height and Africa was dominated by the rich and adventure-seeking Written in 1885, it is definitely a product of its time when colonialism was at its height and Africa was dominated by the rich and adventure-seeking white Europeans. I have never seen any of the film adaptations, so I did not know the whole story of this classic adventure. It took me a long time to finish this because the font in this edition was so damn small for my 69 y/o eyes!! 3.5 stars.
Allan Quartermain, a big-game hunter living in Africa, is convinced by two Englishmen, Sir Henry Curtis & his friend John Good, to join their expedition to an unknown part of Africa in search of Sir Henry's lost brother. George is purported to have gone into the interior seeking the treasure of the mythic King Solomon's Mines. No one who has tried to reach this area of Africa has returned. It will be a dangerous expedition into the unknown. Along with the Englishmen, they are joined by an African guide, Umbopa, who will be a pivotal character in the unfolding of the story. 3/4 of the story finds the reader trekking with the group through difficult terrain and often under the scorching hot sun through desert plains. The tempo picks up in the last quarter where their lives are placed constantly in danger by either hostile natives, an evil witch, battles, and a cavern full of secrets and death. The novel seems to be the origin story for many adventure novels of lost civilizations, treasure, and death-defying escapes. I could see many similarities to the Indiana Jones films I so enjoyed in their day!
I enjoyed this installment even more than the first. When Precious deals with a few cases, the nature of humanity and interaction between everyday peoI enjoyed this installment even more than the first. When Precious deals with a few cases, the nature of humanity and interaction between everyday people shines through. More layers are peeled back about the area and its culture as characters continue to be fleshed out; philosophical musings permeate in the background of the pages. Changes come to Precious' personal life that will lead to a fuller life as the series continues, a very satisfying read....more
This was given to me quite a few years ago and has been sitting on the shelf waiting to be read. I would probably give it 4.5 stars, taking away that This was given to me quite a few years ago and has been sitting on the shelf waiting to be read. I would probably give it 4.5 stars, taking away that last bit for the ending & parts that slowed to a crawl. Overall, a surprising wonderful read full of life's lessons. I have underlined quite a few quotes in this one.
A coming of age story set in South Africa in the 30's & 40's. We follow Peekay from age 5 to 20, an English boy caught in a world of prejudice and racism. I loved that we see the people behind the ethnicity through his eyes. If I could describe him in one word, it would be resilient. He suffers losses throughout the book especially in his formative years and yet is able to take what he learned and turn it into a strength. His desire for knowledge is stoked by some incredible people he meets throughout his life, some for just a short time such as Hoppie who taught him the power of one and gave him a dream, to Doc who became a mentor for most of this time period. An "absoloodle" of a novel!...more
Writing 2 stars (quite pedestrian) & storyline 3 stars. I did love this story no matter how preposterous it was. The book opens as Lady Teal is ruminaWriting 2 stars (quite pedestrian) & storyline 3 stars. I did love this story no matter how preposterous it was. The book opens as Lady Teal is ruminating about her past life & the secrets she has kept. From life growing up as a carney kid, her lonely years at a boarding school and the harrowing life in the Saharan desert in the early 20th century. ..if I take up my pen to write of the strange events in my past I do this because they've been kept secret for too long. ...the time has come to place on paper who and what I have truly been - and what I have seen -and to record all that happened to me during those years when I was young and counted dead by the world, my bones assumed to be whitening under the desert sun with all the others who were murdered.
And so the story slowly unfolds.
I have read quite a few of Gilman's Mrs. Pollifax series, and don't remember feeling this way about the writing....more
Wilbur Smith's second novel is set in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo during a tumultuous time in it's history- the short-lived governmenWilbur Smith's second novel is set in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo during a tumultuous time in it's history- the short-lived government of Moishe Tshome in 1963 and the Baluba Rebellion. Bruce Curry and his group of mercenaries are hired by President Tshome to head to Port Reprieve and bring out the people living there and retrieve millions of $ in diamonds. It is a roller-coaster and sometimes gruesome ride that the reader takes with this group. The Baluba are portrayed as a very cruel and cannibalistic tribe. Besides fighting the Baluba, there is also internal strife among some of the main characters. I would hope we would all have someone like Sgt "Ruffy" in our corner during any crisis, especially one that is life-threatening! Interestingly ( for the time of writing), there is a short paragraph towards the end that illuminates the internal struggles between different tribes in the country that reminds one that it isn't always about European oppression of various African tribes, although history certainly has way too many examples of abusive & oppressive practices by European colonists throughout Africa....more
I had high hopes for this diary of Waugh's 1958 winter sojourn up & down the East coast of Africa. I loved his wit of the first two chapters but afterI had high hopes for this diary of Waugh's 1958 winter sojourn up & down the East coast of Africa. I loved his wit of the first two chapters but after that there was little of real interest for me. No highlighting of culture, a few forays to old Arab forts & mosques but with descriptions that wouldn't entice me to want to go visit. The last few chapters are a little more insightful about the changes going on in a few of the countries as colonialism gives way to the new Africa. Overall somewhat disappointing....more
Wow! Great read, stirred up lots of emotions. Set in Nigeria & narrated by 15 y/o Kambili it is a story of family in the backdrop of great political uWow! Great read, stirred up lots of emotions. Set in Nigeria & narrated by 15 y/o Kambili it is a story of family in the backdrop of great political upheaval in the country. Kambili both loves & fears her domineering father & only strives to please, but the repressive & isolating atmosphere of her life has led to a stutter which she has allowed to limit her interaction in school and home. Her father Eugene is a very complicated character which I alternately hated for his strict adherence to his Catholicism & rigid and abusive nature, yet admired for his financial generosity to others and his willingness to defy the oppressive regime through his newspaper. The tension in this household of mother, father, and two children JaJa & Kambili jumps off the page. I could feel myself tense every time Eugene made an appearance! Kambili & JaJa are allowed to visit with their widowed Aunt Ifeoma & her children, who live in poverty yet laughter & talking, joking abound in the household. They meet a priest who is more friend than confessor, and get a chance to know their grandfather from whom they had limited contact with r/t his refusal to convert to Catholicism and continuing in the traditional ways & beliefs of his tribe. They slowly come to feel a sense of freedom of thinking and acting and will be forever changed by this visit which will leave not only cracks but chasms in their own immediate family unit....more
Based on true events & people, this is the story of Beryl Markham, an extraordinary and unconventional woman of her time. There is lush imagery that tBased on true events & people, this is the story of Beryl Markham, an extraordinary and unconventional woman of her time. There is lush imagery that takes one back to the British Colonial times of Kenya in the 1920s-40s. Perhaps life was truly like this portrayal among the British elite living far away from their homeland, but it often read like a soap opera, however a pretty interesting one! Beryl is abandoned by her mother at an early age she has an unconventional childhood and even her beloved father leaves her behind at 16. Sixteen!!! As she travels her journey to self-discovery, she makes some pretty disastrous choices along the way, yet demonstrates a remarkable resilience and her accomplishments are amazing! I had to keep reminding myself how young she was throughout this tumultuous period. As McLain, fleshes her character there is quite a dichotomy of independence, self-reliance, & "devil -may-care" attitude juxtaposed with the reality of the need for stability which she tried to find through her relationships. It was perplexing at times. I was surprised by how little was discussed or portrayed in the novel about the rising tensions between the native populations and the British. Surely the political winds of the time would have had an effect on Beryl, one of her closest friends from childhood was African. I am eager to read Beryl's memoir & a non-fiction bio on her....more
I used to gobble up Wilbur Smith's books, but haven't read one for a LONG time. So chose this older one I hadn't read. I think as I've gotten older, II used to gobble up Wilbur Smith's books, but haven't read one for a LONG time. So chose this older one I hadn't read. I think as I've gotten older, I'm more affected by all the violence in his books and killing of animals, but that said...it was a good action-adventure. There are a few romantic encounters that reek of bad Harlequin romance, thank goodness they are few!!
A father & adult daughter are on a hunting safari (1980's) led by Sean Courtney and close African friends from their days of fighting in one of many wars between tribes and nations. Leaving proscribed territory to follow a famous large bull elephant, the troop finds themselves in the midst of a guerrilla war in Mozambique. From that point on the book flies through one harrowing event after another as they try to escape back to safety. ...more
4.5 stars, the first (of 5)books was very slow going for me, after that full steam ahead in this meaty novel. There are some great reviews both pro & 4.5 stars, the first (of 5)books was very slow going for me, after that full steam ahead in this meaty novel. There are some great reviews both pro & con about the book that I can't even come close to matching, but here's a few comments. Nathan Price a fundamentalist Baptist preacher takes his family to the Belgian Congo circa 1959, to bring Christianity to the natives of a small village. The story is told through the 5 females of the family. Usually I would find multiple POVs confusing or at least distracting, but I really enjoyed each girl's unique perspective, the mother's narrative is retrospective while the daughters are told in the present. The novel has beautiful descriptions of life in the village of Kilanga and the Congo at large, rich in cultural detail. The character development is wonderful & I was fully invested in what happened to them. It illuminates what happens when one is not interested,( or doesn't listen) in the culture & traditions and tries to force a new way of thinking, doing, believing onto another whether at a local level or national level. The Price family already has issues & when they are transplanted to a hostile, difficult environment, it is no surprise that the family implodes. Although the Price family are the main characters, there are plenty of wonderful characters throughout, both good and evil. There is a lot to ponder in the novel - family dynamics, the role of females at the time, cross-cultural issues, missionary work, racism, exploitation of native peoples & resources by Western world, politics of the day esp the U.S. foreign policy & it's execution in the region. A real gem for book club discussions....more
Thoroughly enjoyed this book which I picked up on a whim from the library. I haven't read anything else by this author who has written two cozy mysterThoroughly enjoyed this book which I picked up on a whim from the library. I haven't read anything else by this author who has written two cozy mystery series. Myers was raised in the Belgian Congo and it is apparent that she holds the place & people close to her heart. She introduces each chapter with an insert describing some aspect of the Congo: people, customs, topography, flora & fauna etc. Learned quite a bit from those. The story is set in the late 1950's prior to the Congo's independence in a Belgian Mining town and Bashilele village, and there are quite a cast of characters. Most advance the plot in some way, but with a few I wondered at the end why the character was introduced. The storyline & characters are more complex than what it/they may initially appear. The story unfolds through multiple voices and worldviews, quite humorous at times, definitely keeps it interesting. Although tagged as a mystery, I think it is more about relationships & cultural differences. There is a murder and many secrets. The ending made my heart happy. ...more
This was a 1975 story that DeMille wrote that he has rewritten and published in 2013. It is a mid-20thC quest for the Holy Grail and is set in the 197This was a 1975 story that DeMille wrote that he has rewritten and published in 2013. It is a mid-20thC quest for the Holy Grail and is set in the 1970's war-torn Ethiopia. A priest who was with the Italian forces in the early 1930's has been kept in solitary confinement in an Ethiopian prison for forty years. He is not to be allowed to live if his guards have to abandon the fortress. As the current war wages and it appears the soldiers may have to do just that, a guard is sent in to shoot the priest. The current war blasts a hole in his prison and although seriously wounded, he escapes. 2 journalists & a photographer are in Ethiopia covering the war, when their lives intersect with the priest & before he dies, he tells quite the tale. This sets up a harrowing attempt to follow the story. During this journey they meet up (in less than favorable circumstances) a British Colonel who has been the military advisor to the losing Royal forces.
It is a story of faith and history & adventure. It can be unbelievable & that's the point of faith isn't it? To believe what you can not see or prove. Not all 4 of the main characters are driven by faith, the motivation behind their drive could have been more fleshed out. I liked some of the ancient history of the area that was discussed along with the more current history of Ethiopia which I knew very little. I'm hoping he got it right. The romantic triangle and sex scenes detracted from the storyline for me. The ending a little too tidy, but overall an enjoyable read and different form other books of the author's that I have read....more
I'm almost always interested in fiction or non-fiction stories set in other cultures and this was no exception. Kris Holloway was a Peace Corps voluntI'm almost always interested in fiction or non-fiction stories set in other cultures and this was no exception. Kris Holloway was a Peace Corps volunteer 1989-1991 in a small village in Mali. She primarily worked with the amazing Monique who acts as a general health care practitioner and midwife for the villagers. Daily life can be back-breaking labor, or other work from morning to night especially for the women. Oh yes, another patriarchal society that frustrated and disturbed me as I moved through the book ( as did many other things). I'd most likely be part of the 1/3 of volunteers who do not complete their two years!!! There are definitely other hardships, deprivations, and struggles to stay alive. Quite a stark contrast to the life most Americans lead. Although the author writes near the end of her "tour", "I cherished spending almost all my time out-of-doors, taking bucket baths under the stars, watching thunderheads pile the sky, and walking and dancing by moonlight. I loved living in an inviting community, where you were always asked to share food and drink, and where you spend time greeting and joking rather than avoiding others because of a busy schedule. Generations intermingled, there was always an excuse for celebrating, and death was sad, but not feared" I did not feel any of that throughout most of the book. Monique was the shining, progressive, resilient emotional center of the book and it is for her, that I kept reading and hoping....more
Although not as much adventure, & exploration, as the White Nile; still a very interesting book about the countries that the Blue Nile runs through- EAlthough not as much adventure, & exploration, as the White Nile; still a very interesting book about the countries that the Blue Nile runs through- Ethiopia, Sudan & Egypt during the period of 1790's-1870. Invasions, war, political intrigue, & religious conflict were the bulk of the activities affecting that section of the world during this time period. Some beautiful, lyrical descriptions of the Blue Nile & countryside surrounding it were scattered throughout....more
Totally absorbing work on the exploration of central Africa & the source of the Nile in the last half of the 19thC. Stanley, Livingston, Speke, BurtonTotally absorbing work on the exploration of central Africa & the source of the Nile in the last half of the 19thC. Stanley, Livingston, Speke, Burton, Gessi,Baker, Gordon, Emin and a cast of others who go to Africa for a variety of reasons such as trade, scientific study, evangelization, politics. "A common hunger for adventure certainly bound them all to Africa". Although it took me quite a while to finish this, it certainly wasn't because I wasn't caught up in the telling; more likely because I knew so little about this topic. I am planning to read Moorehead's next book- The Blue Nile....more
This book is touted as a great 20thC American classic. I don't get it. Didn't like any of the characters, I thought the story was pointless. The writiThis book is touted as a great 20thC American classic. I don't get it. Didn't like any of the characters, I thought the story was pointless. The writing was good....more