Debbie Zapata's Reviews > The Shadow of the Sun
The Shadow of the Sun
by
by
Dec 9, 9pm ~~ Review asap.
Dec 10, 135pm ~~ I first 'met' this author in 2020 when I read his book Travels With Herodotus. I enjoyed that one so much that I ordered more by RK but this is the first of those that I have managed to get to.
Published originally in Polish in 1998, this translation is from 2001. The essays here cover almost all of the continent of Africa, and RK shows the reader the history of many countries, the character of many people, and the spirit of Africa itself.
Kaupuscinski spent forty years as a foreign correspondent, reporting from all over the world. This from a biographical paragraph in this book:
"He witnessed twenty-seven coups and revolutions and was sentenced to death four times. HIs books have been translated into nineteen languages."
RK writes in a way that makes the reader experience everything he had, from desert furnaces to steaming jungles. And he shares basic history without turning into a dry lecturer. I learned details about situations that I remember seeing in the news but never completely understanding. Rwanda, Liberia, Ethiopia, these and more are covered here and made familiar to the reader.
I liked the author for his attitude while he was on the road. He wanted to see and write about not the tourist Africa, but the real one. This is from a couple of paragraphs RK included as a sort of foreword:
"I lived in Africa for several years. I first went there in 1957. Then, over the next forty years, I returned whenever the opportunity arose. I traveled extensively, avoiding official routes, palaces, important personages, and high-level politics. Instead, I opted to hitch rides on passing trucks, wander with nomads through the desert, be the guest of peasants of the tropical savannah. Their life is endless toil, a torment they endure with astonishing patience and good humor."
This was a wonderful book, I enjoyed it very much and will certainly read it again some day. I also plan to include RK's other titles in my reading plans for 2023. There are already quite a few piles on my Next Year desk, but a another little one won't hurt, right? Right!
Dec 10, 135pm ~~ I first 'met' this author in 2020 when I read his book Travels With Herodotus. I enjoyed that one so much that I ordered more by RK but this is the first of those that I have managed to get to.
Published originally in Polish in 1998, this translation is from 2001. The essays here cover almost all of the continent of Africa, and RK shows the reader the history of many countries, the character of many people, and the spirit of Africa itself.
Kaupuscinski spent forty years as a foreign correspondent, reporting from all over the world. This from a biographical paragraph in this book:
"He witnessed twenty-seven coups and revolutions and was sentenced to death four times. HIs books have been translated into nineteen languages."
RK writes in a way that makes the reader experience everything he had, from desert furnaces to steaming jungles. And he shares basic history without turning into a dry lecturer. I learned details about situations that I remember seeing in the news but never completely understanding. Rwanda, Liberia, Ethiopia, these and more are covered here and made familiar to the reader.
I liked the author for his attitude while he was on the road. He wanted to see and write about not the tourist Africa, but the real one. This is from a couple of paragraphs RK included as a sort of foreword:
"I lived in Africa for several years. I first went there in 1957. Then, over the next forty years, I returned whenever the opportunity arose. I traveled extensively, avoiding official routes, palaces, important personages, and high-level politics. Instead, I opted to hitch rides on passing trucks, wander with nomads through the desert, be the guest of peasants of the tropical savannah. Their life is endless toil, a torment they endure with astonishing patience and good humor."
This was a wonderful book, I enjoyed it very much and will certainly read it again some day. I also plan to include RK's other titles in my reading plans for 2023. There are already quite a few piles on my Next Year desk, but a another little one won't hurt, right? Right!
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Reading Progress
December 2, 2022
–
Started Reading
December 2, 2022
– Shelved
December 9, 2022
–
Finished Reading
December 10, 2022
– Shelved as:
twenty22print