The Shadow of the Sun

Rating:
Summary: Not the best
Review: I think I have read all the books writen by Kapuscinski and this particular one is weak. It seems that the author just took some of the notes that he wrote during his visits to Africa and constructed an unsuccesfully collage; to my big surprise and regret, Kapuscinski just superficially refers to the greatest dissease of many African and Third World countries: corruption. Nevertheless, this book is a just a good initiation for those interested in the forgotten continent politics.

Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written account of Africa's recent history
Review: I was mesmerized by Kapuscinski's account of his travels through Africa during the last 40 years. For me, someone who has not yet been to Africa and has always been confused by the politics of that continent, this book helped greatly in sorting out the issues, politics and history of that region. Kapuscinski is a brilliant writer and, more importantly, a brilliant story teller. Visions of certain related stories play through my head as if a part of my own distant memories, such as his killing of a snake, his night in a cockroach-infested hotel room in Monrovia, his descriptions of heat and sunlight. My only complaint about this book is that it dwells too much on the negatives of Africa. Surely somewhere there are beautiful cities, or at least sections of cities. Although the history, personalities, and misdeeds came through strongly, the beauty of this continent did not.

Rating:
Summary: Enter the "Real" Africa
Review: If you are expecting a scholarly, organized, dissertation explaining modern day Africa you have picked up the wrong book. If you are looking for something that gives you a window into the every day lives of "ordinary" Africans than I can not think of a better book or writer. Like his earlier works, Kapuscinski educates simply by living and writing down his experiences. While there is tremendous value in the works of those, like Robert Kaplan, to sit back and take the 3,000-year view, there is nothing that paints a clearer picture than the words of somenone who has literally lived his subject matter. I have yet to find a book that so vividly portrays life in Africa today and at the same time provide real entertainment and some background history. Also refreshing is Kapuscinski's total lack of fear when making sweeping judgements (Africans are ____ ), a refreshing departure from the timidity and obsessive annotation of academics. I strongly endorse this book for anyone that wants to learn about Africa and be entertained at the same time. I do not recommend this book for someone looking for source material for their history paper!

Rating:
Summary: A free trip to Africa...
Review: If you've ever wanted to go to Africa without leaving your house, this book can provide that for you. It is a vast, gorgeous description of several African countries through the lens of a journalist. It's all here: the heat, the villages, the coups, the government bureaucrats, the safari scenes that look like "the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve came along." Some images, like the one of a hotel room covered top to bottom with cockroaches, some as big as snapping turtles, will make me think twice before ever dreaming up an African visit. Others, like a woman whose sole livelihood is dependant on a single kettle pot she cooks with, make me grateful for what I have. The language is gorgeous, and creates vivid scene after vivid scene.

Rating:
Summary: The Shadow of the Sun
Review: In my opinion, this is an absolutely first-rate series of essays. What impressed me was the rich coupling of the author's experience with snapshots of the political and cultural landscape of Africa. Now ten years after the slaughter in Rwanda, Kapusincinski's brief yet powerful history of that small country is reason enough to buy this book.

Rating:
Summary: Poetic Education
Review: In poetic, compelling prose, Kapuscinski gives us a glimpse into his travels through Africa as a Polish reporter, a journey spanning four decades of post-colonial history. Each chapter is a vingette of a particular country, or a place in a particular country; the subect may be as disturbingly grandiose as Adi Amin Dada or the Rwandan genocide, or as unassuming as a woman traveling by train in Senegal or a truck driver making his way across the Sahara. Through these moving, unsentimental vignettes, Kapuscinski siphons to the reader intimate information about Africa's histories and cultures. Place names that sound vaguely familiar to Western ears suddenly come alive in a splendid, horrible, palpable form. It is food for thought; after reading the book, one has learned so much, yet sets upon a mission to learn more.

Rating:
Summary: Poetic Education
Review: In poetic, compelling prose, Kapuscinski gives us a glimpse into his travels through Africa as a Polish reporter, a journey spanning four decades of post-colonial history. Each chapter is a vingette of a particular country, or a place in a particular country; the subect may be as disturbingly grandiose as Adi Amin Dada or the Rwandan genocide, or as unassuming as a woman traveling by train in Senegal or a truck driver making his way across the Sahara. Through these moving, unsentimental vignettes, Kapuscinski siphons to the reader intimate information about Africa's histories and cultures. Place names that sound vaguely familiar to Western ears suddenly come alive in a splendid, horrible, palpable form. It is food for thought; after reading the book, one has learned so much, yet sets upon a mission to learn more.

Rating:
Summary: another good involving read from Kapuscinski
Review: Interestingly, I originally became aware of this author through a review of this particular book and then proceeded to read his earlier five books...which are all available in paperback and tend to be far more narrow in scope than The Shadow of Sun and therfore I found somewhat more intersting and focussed. I must say that I was slightly disappointed (but not nearly as much as some of the other reviewers who apparently were rather displeased and quite critical of the book) In any event, it is, like all of Mr. Kapuscinski's books, an involving ande engrossing read but is is somewhat inconsistent and does meander at times. In short, I think this author has done a better job when he has taken a more specifc issue or period of time --like the fall of one particular nation or it's ruler and here he has tried to capture the complexities and enormity of a whole continent..and at times he does go off the path --but still and all a very interesting and fascinating read. Interestingly, like Colin Thurbon who has studied Central Asia and Siberia in similar depth --neither author really shares much of their personal life which I think would be equally interesting to read about.

Rating:
Summary: A patchwork of perspectives
Review: Kapuscinksi has in a short space penned an interesting tale of his travels over the years in Africa. As a non-Africa specialist, I found the insights interesting from both an historical and anecdotal perspective. Each chapter in and of itself could have been expanded into a more detailed story, and this is why I did not give it a 5 star rating. Some of the chapters certainly begged for more. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a good relaxing and enjoyable story, particularly on Africa, this is the book for you.

Rating:
Summary: Unknown Africa
Review: Kapuscinski takes you to the parts of Africa that few know exist. Many people think "safari" when referring to Africa. This author will take you to Zanzibar, the Sahara, and other exotic locales as he discusses daily life and thoughts of the inhabitants. Informative and colorful.