I know there’s nothing quite as irritating as someone telling you what to read but have you been down to your local bookshop and seen the sardine-can packed shelves of African literature recently? Where do you start?

Right here as it happens. Here are my 5 favourite African reads – see if I’ve got it right, tell me if I haven’t.

Playing the Enemy

Playing the Enemy (John Carlin)

Here’s a book every South African should read. Why? Because if there’s one thing we need to remember it’s the astonishing vision of Nelson Mandela, astutely realising that the way to reconciliation with the Afrikaaner was through their beloved rugby. The book charts Mandela’s progress through jail, his release and the political turmoil of the early 1990s, and culminates in the extraordinary events of June 1995 and the Rugby World Cup final.

It’s lump-in-the-throat stuff and if your only impression of Mandela is that of a genial grandfather-type figure, read this and discover a ferociously political animal and a man to whom South Africa is fundamentally indebted.

The Scramble for Africa

The Scramble for Africa (Thomas Pakenham)

History might not be everyone’s cup of tea but it’s certainly Pakenham’s, and the beauty of this book is that he describes the grisly colonial era with such flair that the 700 or so pages fly by with the speed of a booty-laden East Indiaman sailing back to Europe.

Taking you from an unsuspecting pre-colonial Africa to the carnage of the 19th century and the chaos of de- colonization less than a hundred years later – “scrambling out” is how he neatly puts it – Pakenham provides a vital insight into a defining era for Africa – and clues as to its current condition.

The Bang Bang Club

The Bang Bang Club (Greg Marinovich and Joao Silva)

You’ll need a strong stomach to read this: 4 photographers – friends as well as colleagues – gamble with their lives to record the nightmares inside the cauldron of Johannesburg’s townships during the early 90s, the limbo period between apartheid and democracy in South Africa. It was an exceptionally violent time – ‘bang bang’ refers to the constant gunfire between rival factions of the ANC and IFP – and the book is a fierce reminder of how close this country came to a complete melt-down.

The prose is compelling, the can’t-look-away photographs shocking and there’s no happy ending but if you want a book that leaves you panting for breath then the Bang Bang Club is it.

Disgrace

Disgrace (J M Coetzee)

He might be a bit of a weirdo recluse but boy can J M write (2 Bookers and a Nobel), and if you want his best novel, Disgrace provides a read that’ll leave you as emotionally drained as its protagonist. David Lurie is a character so flawed that you’ll find yourself yelling out aloud at him and yet you feverishly hope it’ll all turn out ok in the end. It doesn’t.

Set in post-apartheid South Africa, Disgrace is an allegory of – according to Coetzee – a deeply troubled society and throws around ideas of ruin, salvation, violence and above all, life and death. Read it, don’t get lured by the movie.

The Covenant

The Covenant (James Michener)

I’m happy to admit that I’m no fan of these holiday-read blockbusters but I simply couldn’t put this historical novel down. Based around the one-sided agreement – the covenant – that Afrikaaners believed they had with God (and thus enabling them to justify apartheid), this book is the perfect introduction to the labyrinthine history of South Africa – black, white, coloured, Chinese and Indian characters are intertwined in story that throws in historical figures to lend an air of authenticity.

It’s easy to read, saves you from having to plough through endless po-faced books on South African history and offers a convincing explanation of just what the hell apartheid was about.

elephant iPhone App

The San Diego Zoo’s new promotion to help raise funds for their collaboration with Elephants Without Borders, to help support work to save elephants. You’ve probably heard the expression “the elephant in the room,” but how about the elephant in the iPhone? Now you can carry elephants with you, courtesy of our brand-new iPhone app. Created especially for us by The Blimp Pilots, creators of Koi Pond, the number one downloaded app of 2008, our animated, interactive app brings you a herd of elephants. You can direct them with a touch, provide food for them, get them to swim, hear them trumpet, and choose three different environments. The Elephant Odyssey iPhone app sells for 99 cents, but the best part is that 60 cents of each download benefits the San Diego Zoo’s elephant conservation work in Africa. Look for it in the iPhone app store!

Get it here: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/elephant-odyssey/id346258636?mt=8

Another screen view of the app

Oxpecker on Kudu photo by Warwick Tarboton

The BirdLife Botswana organization recently sent for my review their latest fundraiser calendars.  Producing and selling these calendars is their biggest annual fundraiser. The BirdLife Partnership strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity, working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources.

For 2010, BirdLife Botswana has created three calendar sizes to help keep track of the. This year their theme is on the twelve designated ‘Important Bird Areas’ of Botswana.  Each month of each calendar features an excellent bird photo and also information and location of one of Botswana’s ‘important birding areas’.

I must say that these calendars feature some really fine photography.  I particularly liked the medium sized calendars featuring a Kori Bustard on the cover (Kori and Company size).  Some of my favorite photos are:

• Violet-backed Starling – This beautiful violet bird was photographed by Warwick Tarboton with an insect in the beak.
• Saddle-billed Stork – Image by Joyce Bestelink features a head close-up of the bird.
• Gold Weaver – Pete Hancock photographed this beautiful bird building the nest.  The nest beautifully frames the bird.
• Red-billed Oxpecker – Another photo by Warwick Tarboton.  In this image, Mr. Tarboton captured the bird on a kudu’s back.  The kudu is passively looking back at the bird.

In addition to the primary photos for each month, there are also 2 smaller bird photos on the bottom edge of each month.

Photo contributors include: Joyce Bestelink, Tim Jackson, Warwick Tarboton, Willie Blackstock, Simon Paul, Robin Weeks, Vincent Grafthorst, Kevin Shakespeare, Ian White, Pete Hancock, Eugenie Skelton and Kerri Wolter.

BirdLife Calendar makes an ideal marketing tool and end-of-year gift to suppliers and clients. For company orders, the organization has incorporated space for company logos and/or by-line (available for orders of 50+ ).

As a non-African, but visitor to southern Africa, I think that the BirdLife Calendars are ideal and practical souvenirs for visitors/tourists to take away either for themselves or as gifts.  Buying BirdLife Botswana calendars will contribute significantly to the conservation of our environment  and preservation of one of Botswana’s most spectacular assets: its birds. From discussions I have had with membership of BirdLife Botswana, I know that your support is greatly valued.

May on mid-size Calendar - Violet-backed Starling - Copyright: Warwick Tarboton

Here is a review of the options available:

Carmines & Colleagues – This is the largest and popular flagship A2 portrait-style hanging calendar.  This calendar will create significant impact to your wall space: ideal for office, board room or home. For 26 years I worked for an international company.  I can tell you that everyone always coveted the wildlife calendars in this size that our South African office offered each year.  You will too. This monster calendar is 420mm x 594mm (about 16½” by 21” ).  Pricing is 125 pula ($20) plus packaging and postage for up to 100 calendars and discounts for larger orders.

Kori & Company – This is an A3 wall hanging calendar opens up to stunning bird photography on the top half and the bottom half gives a ‘bird’s eye’ view of the month with space for notes: ideal for corporate or family use. Opened for hanging, this calendar is approximately 11½” x 18”.  Pricing is only 75 pula ($12) plus packaging and shipping for up to 99 units, 78 Pula for 100 to 249 and 75 Pula for greater than 250.

Oxpecker & Friends – This is a smaller table/desk-top calendar designed to fold into a triangular cross section.  It’s designed to be two sided so that the excellent photography faces outward while the opposite side shows the month with space for notes. It would be ideal for corporate or family desktop use. (210mm x170mm).  It is priced at 50 pula ($8) plus packaging and postage for up to 249 and additional discounts for greater than 250 units.

For Comparison - a stack of all 3 calendars

Again special thanks to Harold Hester and the team at BirdLife Botswana for my copies!

Link to the BirdLife Calendars

For more information or orders please contact Molebi or Harold at BirdLife Office. Harold: haroldh@accelerate-it.bw or Molebi: marketing@birdlifebotswana.org.bw

Using my Canon 100-400mm lens for a size illustration on the largest calendar

Septermber - The Golden Weaver, photo copyright Pete Hancock

July's Saddle-billed Stork, photo copyright Joyce Bestelink

The African Birds Eye Pepper

On my first trip to southern Africa, I discovered a dish that I fell in love with: peri peri chicken fron Nando’s.  Peri-Peri Chicken is a must on your trip to Botswana or South Africa! Peri-Peri is the perfect blend of flavor and fire.

Technically, it should be piri-piri and not peri-peri. It is also known as peli-peli … but what is the origins of the name and the dish? Piri-piri is the name used in Mozambique and Angola to describe the African bird’s-eye chili. The variations in spelling derive from the various pronunciations of the word in parts of Africa. Although “piri-piri” is the correct spelling in Portuguese, in South Africa and Botswana, it is spelled “Peri-Peri”, so for this article, that’s what we will call it!

The African bird’s eye pepper is quite hot, measuring around 100,000 SHU (Scoville heat units). By comparison, a jalapena is about 10,000 SHU and the Habanero or Jamaican Scotch Bonnet are also around 100,000 SHU – so this is one hot pepper.

South Africa’s (and Botswana’s) love of Peri-Peri ties to the general love in South Africa of many Mozambican dishes with Portuguese names. In Mozambican cuisine, Peri-Peri is often used in preparing sauces and marinades for roast and grilled dishes, especially chicken but also shrimp and various fish.

The adventurous Portuguese explorers, that had made Southern Africa their home, took full advantage of the rich, fertile soils and the glorious climate to cultivate and nurture the newly discovered little treasure called Peri Peri.  The local Africans had introduced the settlers to Peri-Peri and it became part of their everyday culinary life. The explorers realized the positive and powerful effects Peri-Peri had in their cooking and ultimately on their lives, so they made sure there was always enough Peri-Peri for everyone.

They experimented with Peri-Peri in a variety of exotic dishes and of course with chicken, and by blending with other natural ingredients like herbs, spices, lemons and vinegar they created their own secret blends of Peri-Peri. It was these Peri-Peri blends that became family secrets, with each family trying to create their own recipe as a matter of pride.

Nando’s

Nando's

In general, when you think Peri-Peri and southern Africa, you think Nando’s. Nando’s is a the Portuguese-themed chicken restaurant chain which originated in South Africa from Portuguese who left Mozambique after the independence in 1975.  The first Nando’s restaurant was opened in 1987 in Johannesburg, South Africa by two friends, Robert Brozin and Fernando Duarte. These original owners continue to play an active role in the management and care of Nando’s … they are sort of the Harlan Sanders of Africa if you are a KFC fan.  As a side note, Botswana doesn’t seem to have any McDonald’s but they have lots of Kentucky Fried Chicken restaurants in country – but not in Kasane!
Nando’s is flame-grilled from never frozen birds which have been marinated for 24 hours (this is key!).  Customers choose their chicken from a menu that features several items, but you only need to look at two: half or quarter butterfly-cut chicken.   You do get to choose the Peri-Peri flavor that fits your spiciness tolerance and taste: the chicken can be basting from mild, hot, extra hot and, for wimps, there is the lemon and herb.

Whether chicken lovers prefer Nando’s Peri-Peri chicken prepared with the not-so-spicy lemon and herb or fiery extra hot (for the slightly insane), they will always get to taste the unique flavor of their chicken. Apart from enhancing almost everything that’s edible (even drinkable) with the perfect balance of heat and taste, Nando’s Peri-Peri has some other amazing special effects. It is well known that Nando’s Peri-Peri has a high content of vitamin C and that our Peri-Peri releases endorphins. Endorphins are responsible for that natural high that when combined with excited taste buds cause people to develop a healthy addiction to Nando’s Peri-Peri. Nando’s Peri-Peri is rumored to have an enormously positive effect on the libido, which also explains why Nando’s lovers always want more. Only the best natural ingredients are used in creating our Peri-Peri.

While all Nando’s Peri-Peri recipes and chicken-bastings to sauces remain a closely guarded secret. You can bring some of Nando’s home with you.  All of the Nando’s sells bottles of all of their sauces.  I have also found these on Amazon, but they’re a little more expensive that way.

Nando's Sauces and Marinades

As I said in the beginning, Peri-Peri Chicken is a must on your trip to Botswana or South Africa!

A post script to be nice: If you made the mistake of not buying a case of Nando’s sauces while in Africa, or if you’re just a ‘do it yourself person’, I have you covered.  The following is my personal Peri-Peri recipe.  Key is the zest of lemon and the 24 hour marinade period:

Peri-Peri Chicken

The most basic peri-peri marinade recipe calls for just oil, cayenne pepper or minced fresh hot chile pepper, and salt. However many peri-peri recipes add an acidic liquid (usually lemon or lime juice, or vinegar, or possibly wine or liquor) which adds a tang and tenderizes the chicken.   I think that is what Nando’s does, so that is what  is included in my recipe.

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon, plus 1/2 cup olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 3 Serrano or jalapeño peppers, stemmed, ribs and seeds removed, and rough chopped
• 1 Habanero, stems, ribs and seeds removed (for the faint, this is optional)
• 1 teaspoon of Cayenne, (paprika if you want milder marinade)
• 1 fresh squeezed lemon
• Zest of the lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions

Heat a small saute pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic and peppers to the pan. Saute, stirring often, until the edges of the garlic start to turn brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the lemon juice to the pan, and remove from the heat.

Place the contents of the saute pan in a blender and add the salt. Puree the peppers and garlic in the blender until mostly smooth. Drizzle the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil through the feed tube of the lid of the blender. Let cool before using, and store refrigerated in an airtight container.

Butterfly chicken (Split Breast bone & Pound lightly to flatten chicken). Place butterflied chicken in a large Ziploc bag and add enough marinade to coat chicken. Marinate in bag for 24 hours (or up to 3 days), refrigerated.

When it’s time to ear: Prepare the barbeque grill (known as a braii in Botswana and South Africa) until chicken is cooked through, turning occasionally and basting with additional pepper sauce, approximately 45 – 60 minutes.

Enjoy!
Links of interest:

• Emeril Lagasse’s Piri-Piri Sauce
• Nando’s commercial ( sexual overtones)
• ChiliWorld’s wild to mild Scoville Heat Scale
  

by Ishmael Beah

Cover of Ishmael Beah's excellent book

Sierra Leone is not Botswana.  Both have diamonds, so I guess their fates could have been similar, but, different fates emerged.  Regardless, this is Africa and this is really worth a read.  I read this book on my first trip over and I feel it gave me more of an appreciation for what Botswana is not.  I considered writing a review, but found this excellent review is by Connie Ogle of The Miami Herald

Ishmael Beah was 13 years old the first time he touched an AK-47. He was frightened, but the gun had been thrust at him by a soldier, and in Sierra Leone during the west African country’s brutal civil war you obeyed the authority standing before you if you wanted to survive.

“I held it in my trembling hand,” Beah writes in his harrowing, spellbinding memoir of those terrible days, which robbed him of family, home and childhood. “He then added the magazine, and I shook even more.”

But just like the more than 300,000 other child soldiers who perform their grisly duties worldwide, Beah quickly grew accustomed to carrying a weapon and, through a haze of drugs, brainwashing and numbingly repetitive violence, he became immune to killing and guilt. A year of horror had primed him for transformation. He had lost his family, wandered alone in the jungle, starved, wept and witnessed sights no one should have to see—a woman on fire, a baby shot, villagers burned alive in their houses, severed heads, pulsating brains leaking into the ground. From a carefree, mischievous boy who loved hip-hop, he turned into a conscience-bereft murderer who cared only about staying alive.

Beah’s story is a wrenching survivor’s tale, but there’s no self-pity or political digression to be found.

Raw and honest, A Long Way Gone is an important account of the ravages of war, and it’s most disturbing as a reminder of how easy it would be for any of us to break, to become unrecognizable in such extreme circumstances.

Beah writes of his ordeal with startling candor and breathtaking simplicity, bringing a dreadful phenomenon—the arming of children—into uncomfortably sharp focus, so close that it’s no longer possible to look away. When trouble began for him, he was 12, happily on his way to a talent show in the town of Mattru Jong with his brother and friends, his head full of Sugarhill Gang lyrics. When they arrived, they found the villagers on edge, fearing an assault from Revolutionary United Front rebels and hearing rumors that their village had been attacked. Unable to return home, the boys decided to wait.

“When the rebels finally came, I was cooking,” Beah writes, after explaining that his mother had insisted on teaching him to prepare food for the time before he married—hopefully a short period, as she longed for grandchildren. “The rice was done and the okra soup was almost ready… .” Families scattered, and the rebels left death everywhere. Beah, his brother and their friends fled, and Beah’s memories of the chaos are hideous and indelible:

“Dead bodies of men, women, and children of all ages were scattered like leaves on the ground after a storm. Their eyes still showed fear, as if death hadn’t freed them from the madness that continued to unfold. I had seen heads cut off with machetes, smashed by cement bricks, and rivers filled with so much blood that the water ceased flowing.”

The boys roamed the countryside, quickly learning that traveling together was as dangerous as being captured by the RUF. “People were terrified of boys our ages. Some had heard rumors about young boys being forced by rebels to kill their families and burn their villages … Some people tried to hurt us to protect themselves.”

In one instance the boys were captured by men with machetes, who tied them up and threatened to drown them, only to be saved when one man pulled a

Naughty by Nature

cassette from Beah’s pocket and concluded that these were innocent children, even if he wasn’t sure what rap music was.

Inadvertently separated from the others, Beah journeyed alone for awhile, wrestling with an unexpected result of uncertainty and constant flight—a ravenous fear of thinking. Eventually, he met up with some other boys, and they stumbled into a town full of overwhelmed soldiers, who fed them brown-brown (cocaine mixed with gunpowder), gave them marijuana, armed and brainwashed them into becoming a ragtag but ruthless death squad.

A Long Way Gone is relentlessly paced, an agonizing chase that enters a bleak heart of darkness once the boys are taken under the military’s wing. What happens is all the more unnerving for Beah’s stark, straightforward reporting. The officers repeatedly tell the boys the rebels they butcher are responsible for their families’ deaths. They keep up the drug supply and prompt the boys to watch endless Rambo movies. “Sometimes we were asked to leave for war in the middle of a movie. We would come back hours later after killing many people and continue the movie as if we had just returned from intermission.”

Beah’s story has a miraculous outcome: UNICEF plucked him from the regiment at 16 and sent him to a rehabilitation center to undergo a grueling re-entry into civilian life. He was invited to speak at the

United Nations

about the peril children face internationally and eventually fled to the United States for good. He graduated from Oberlin College in 2004 and now lives in New York City. Thousands of other children weren’t so lucky. Beah’s uncompromising voice is a potent elegy for their suffering, a powerful reminder of the innocent casualties of war.

— 9 March 2007

Links to Ismael Beah web site

DVD Cover of the Gods Must Be Crazy

I will show my age a little. I first heard of this movie in 1985.  At the time, my neighbors were a couple of South African ex-patriots that starved for anything with a southern Africa flavor.  They invited me over to see “The Gods Must Be Crazy” which they had just gotten in video.  The movie starts as a basic documentary (about 6 minutes), but after that initial opening, they were dying with laughter, but I wasn’t.  I didn’t know of the San people; heck, I hardly knew where Botswana was located and had no idea of the size of the Kalahari or the population of the reason.  As I continued to watch, the tale of this darling bushman, Xi and his adventure with the outside world I couldn’t help but start to enjoy the movie.

On the surface, “GODS MUST BE CRAZY”s sounds like a common slapstick filmed in the exotic locations of the African Kalahari.  Stopping there, you really haven’t understood the movie. Basically, the film appears as an essay on the collision between man & modern civilization – pristine survival instincts genetically programmed into human civilization that face imminent devastation when they collide with the practices and values of modern society.

The movie contains two parallel stories: one of a western biologist and a professional woman’s misadventures, the other of Xi’s with encountered modern civilization for the first time when he decided throw away an “evil” coke bottle (thrown from an airplane over the desert) to the end of earth. Xi, through his own experience, interpreted the modern world as “people with a lot of magical things” but are “quite illiterate” because they lack basic survival skills (tracking animals, finding water) and they “can’t live without their magical things”.

Maybe it sounds like an okay movie, but why am I writing this review on a site featuring the bush?  If you go to Chobe (or for that matter to Linyanti, Moremi or the Okavango Delta) you will either fly over or drive across the edges of the Kalahari. The Kalahari Desert encompasses much of Botswana and is devoid of surface water except for a short rainy season. Despite its harshness, it hosts a range of animals including elephants, zebras and rhinos. The Kalahari people are one of oldest people in the world. The film portrays them as living peaceful lives without any knowledge of the surrounding world. That is no longer true.  The world has become smaller.  Will the San/bushmen survive?  Only time will tell. There are about 50,000 San living in Botswana, Namibia, Angola and Zimbabwe. Most live in a modern way, and their children go to school while the adults work in various jobs. However, about 3,000 San still live in the traditional way, called hunting and gathering, just as their people have lived for about 30,000 years. They live by hunting animals and collecting wild food. They own bows and arrows, bone knives, grass mats, and tanned animal skins, and do not have permanent houses. The Bushman have recently won law suits that would allow them to return; however, the “complete peace and harmony” of the Kalahari people shown in the film is threatened.

I am told that these people were the original inhabitants of the Chobe Region.  Maybe, but many of the current residents are not of this people, but rather of Bantu speaking or Batswan origin from further north.  The language primarily spoken at Chobe and within Kasane is Setswana and does not have the unique clicking sounds of the San people.

Okay, back to the movie.  It is this simple:  If you are going to Botswana you must see this movie.  The clothing in the movie may be dated, but much of the story still really fits.  It is funny and educational.  If you never plan to visit Botswana, you still should see this movie because it is funny, simple and well made.  By the way, as of writing this review, there are 132 reviews of this movie on Amazon.  Of these, 112 give the movie 5 stars and only 3 give it one or two stars.  That’s a lot of good reviews … so it’s not just me!

Links of interest:

• Amazon listing
• Barnes & Nobles listing
• More on the San Bushmen from Wikipedia
• First 15 minutes of the movie on YouTube

For now, read the press:

London, UK, 1 September 2009: Canon today unveils the EOS 7D digital SLR camera –   a completely new design to meet the specific demands of photographers. Incorporating a new 18MP APS-C CMOS Sensor, developed by Canon, the EOS 7D also features: Dual “DIGIC 4” processors to offer fast, high-quality performance in all light conditions, an ISO range expandable to 12,800 and continuous shooting at 8 frames per second – without the need for additional accessories.   Impressive technologies are matched by excellent build-quality designed with the photographer in mind – to create a whole new photographic experience.

During extensive development Canon went back to the drawing board, listening to photographers worldwide in order to design the EOS 7D to meet their specific needs.    Commenting on the creation of the EOS 7D, Mr. Shinbori, Deputy Group Executive of Photo Products Group & Senior General Manager of Camera Development Center, Canon Inc,said “We consulted over 5,000 photographers worldwide and asked them what they most wanted to see from a camera.  Matching this insight with cutting-edge technology, we were able to develop a camera that truly gives photographers the versatile tool they require to experiment with their images.”

Accurate Images – High performance AF and metering systems
The EOS 7D features a 19-point cross-type AF sensor, enabling photographers to achieve accurate shots and optimise composition options.  This improved AF system offers a range of manual and automatic settings including Zone and Spot AF to track and capture subjects quickly and accurately.  AF settings are highly customisable, allowing for rapid reaction to changes in the scene.  Different AF points can be set for vertical or horizontal orientation, so photographers can automatically switch between landscape and portrait shots without touching a button.

The EOS 7D also incorporates a new metering system.  The Focus Colour Luminance metering system (iFCL) intelligently measures focus, colour and luminance, across 63 zones.  Complementing the 19 AF points, the dual layer sensor is able to gather information from each distinct zone to obtain a more accurate and consistent exposure.

Capture images exactly as you see them
The Canon EOS 7D features an Intelligent Viewfinder that offers photographers 100 per cent frame coverage.  With 1.0x magnification* – a first for EOS – photographers see a large bright image that helps to fully immerse them within the shot.  A transmissive LCD incorporated in the viewfinder allows photographers to choose between various overlay features – such as AF points, the spot metering circle and composition grid – providing a range of tools that help when framing a shot.  The EOS 7D is also the first EOS to introduce a Dual-Axis Electronic Level – in the viewfinder and on the LCD – that indicates both pitch and roll angles.  This feature is particularly useful when shooting landscapes to ensure a level horizon, or when used in conjunction with a Tilt and Shift lens to level the camera.

The camera features a new 3 inch Clear View II LCD screen with a solid structure screen, designed to combat glare by removing the air-gap between the LCD’s protective cover and the liquid crystal. This new screen has a viewing angle of 160 degrees and is effective even in bright light.  As with the EOS 5D Mark II, an ambient light sensor on the side of the screen can set brightness automatically depending on the environment.

Experiment creatively with light
The Canon EOS 7D is equipped with an Integrated Speedlite Transmitter.  For the first time in an EOS, photographers can control external Speedlites with no additional accessories – ideal for those looking to experiment with creative lighting set-ups.  The EOS 7D also features an extensively upgraded, built-in flash including manual control, and wider flash coverage to cover focal lengths as wide as 15mm.

Customise your individual camera experience
The EOS 7D has been conceived and designed with the photographer’s needs in mind.  The look and feel of the camera has been aesthetically and ergonomically crafted to offer photographers the very best interaction.  To this end, the photographer can design their own experience – camera operations are customisable, allowing the user to assign frequently used functions and settings to convenient controls. This enables photographers to save time when shooting critical moments, by changing settings quickly.
Impressive Features, Impressive Images

The Canon EOS 7D is packed with new features:

• 18 MP APS–C CMOS Sensor
  Designed and manufactured by Canon, the sensor produces an outstanding image and offers fantastic performance at high and low conditions, thanks to a new photodiode and microlens construction.
• 8 fps image capture
  Enabled by the Dual “DIGIC 4” processors and improved electrical system, photographers can capture images at 8fps, without the need for additional accessories and in all file types.
• ISO Range
  The EOS 7D enables photographers to capture subjects in their natural light.  The ISO range (100 – 6,400) is expandable to 12,800.
• EOS Movie
  With improved operation, making it easy to switch directly to movie mode, it is now even simpler to shoot Full HD video.  Users can set exposure and frame rate – with options for 24 fps to create that cinematic feel.
• Dual “DIGIC 4” processors
  By utilising Dual “DIGIC 4” processors, users of the EOS 7D never have to compromise between shooting speed, image quality and ISO performance.
• Impressive Design
  Canon has listened to photographer feedback when designing the body, as well as the internal technologies.  A magnesium alloy body offers environmental protection – the tough, lightweight construction is designed to defend against moisture, and dust – equivalent to the legendary EOS–1N.

The camera is compatible with a wide range of accessories so it can easily be integrated with a photographer’s workflow. The Wireless File Transmitter (WFT-E5) allows extensive camera control via a web browser – allowing photographers to control the camera using a web-enabled mobile device.

The EOS 7D is compatible with all EF and EF-S lenses as well as Canon EX Speedlites.  The Canon EOS 7D can also be used with Battery BG-E7, and remote controllers and switches such as the remote Controller RC-1/RC-5.

* with 50mm lens at infinity, -1(1/m) dpt

Canon CMOS sensor
The EOS 7D includes a new 18 megapixel CMOS sensor with a wide ISO range that delivers excellent results in both the low and high-speed ranges as well as improved image quality. The sensor is a standard APS-C size (22.4×14.9mm) and produces an effective field of view of 1.6x the lens focal length.

The EOS 7D sensor features condensed circuitry with improved sensitivity and increased capacity of the photodiodes, which enables shooting at high ISO and prevents overloading when shooting in bright conditions. The ISO range (100 – 6400) is expandable to 12800 enabling photographers to capture subjects in their natural light without the use of a flash.

The EOS 7D sensor includes gapless microlenses that have been moved closer to the photodiodes.  These technological advances, which were developed and manufactured by Canon, improve the signal to noise ratio creating very clean high ISO images.

19-point cross-type AF system including Spot AF
The AF system has been completely redesigned using the same architecture as the EOS-1 series and includes a separate processor to handle AF calculations. This, along with AI SERVO II AF, enables the EOS 7D to offer accurate, reliable and continuous shooting at 8fps. Uniquely at this level, all 19 points in the EOS 7D AF sensor are cross-type points with f/5.6 or faster lenses, which allows sophisticated tracking, accuracy and performance throughout the frame.

EOS 7D also includes Spot AF, a new mode that uses a smaller area of the sensor to determine focus. This is useful for small subjects where there is background detail that can distract the AF sensor. It also includes Zone AF which limits automatic selection to one of five zones. This allows photographers to ensure their subject is automatically selected.

iFCL metering system with 63-zone Dual-layer Sensor
The iFCL system uses Focus, Colour and Luminance information to determine consistently exposed shots. All focus points provide distance information to the metering system to determine proximity to the subject and allow the algorithm to weight the exposure accordingly.  EOS 7D has a completely new metering sensor with 63 zones compatible with 19 AF points.  Typically, metering sensors are more sensitive to red subjects which can lead to overexposure. EOS 7D combats this with the dual layer sensor, which has one layer sensitive to red and green light and one that is sensitive to blue and green light. The metering algorithm then compares the level of the two layers and adjusts the meter reading accordingly.

100% Viewfinder with 1.0x magnification and built in LCD overlay
The EOS 7D features a high quality viewfinder with 100% coverage and 1.0x magnification – a first for EOS – making it simple and ease to use. The viewfinder uses a prism, coating technologies and eyepiece lenses inspired by the EOS-1 series.

EOS 7D viewfinder does not have interchangeable focussing screens. In their place is a Transmissive LCD Screen – another first for EOS. Through technological advances Canon has been able to implement the screen whilst maintaining viewfinder image quality. This new feature, which can be illuminated in lowlight, enables grid, spot metering and AF points to be superimposed upon demand.

EOS Movie
The EOS 7D features an improved movie function allowing users to record Full HD movies with full manual control and selectable frame rates. The operation of the movie function has been improved to make it easier to use via direct access to settings with dedicated buttons. AF can now be started by either half pressing the shutter button or using the AF-ON button as before.

The exposure of the movie can be controlled in Manual mode allowing full control of shutter speeds and apertures.  It is possible to select frame rates from: 30 (29.97), 25, and 24 (23.976), with 60 (59.94) and 50 available at 720p.  ISO can be set automatically or manually in the range (100-6400) and is expandable to 12800.  EOS 7D also allows users to trim and cut their movies.

Dual “DIGIC 4”
EOS 7D is fitted with Dual “DIGIC 4” processors; the power of the processors enables more advanced processing algorithms allowing the camera to achieve a high performance 8fps at 18 megapixels.

DIGIC 4 removes the highly noticeable colour noise as well as reducing luminance noise without loss in detail, allowing for very clean high ISO images. Even at ISO 6400 noise levels are similar to those of ISO 1600 from DIGIC III.  Auto Lighting Optimiser is now also available during manual exposure, without any drop in performance.

DIGIC 4 also allows UDMA cards (mode 6) to be used at their full speed, which allows the EOS 7D to take advantage of the fastest cards available.

Clear View II
EOS 7D’s 3 inch LCD monitor has 920,000 dots (VGA resolution) with a viewing angle of 160°. Clear View II has been designed to combat glare by removing the air-gap between the LCD’s protective cover and the liquid crystal.  The air-gap is filled with an elastic optical material. This has the affect of suppressing the reflections from the surface of the liquid crystal, caused by the sharp change in refractive index, as light travels through the air-gap. In order to protect the liquid crystal from scratches the Clear View II LCD features a hardened glass cover material. As with the EOS 5D Mark II, an ambient light sensor on the side of the screen can set brightness automatically depending on the environment.

Canon EOS 7D specifications

I guess the first discussion is on whether you actually need binoculars.  In other articles at this site, it is discussed how close one can get to game and how plentiful the game is at Chobe National Park.  The truth is that while one can get by without, the entire experience is enhanced with binocular. They allow one to:

• spot game in the distance that may be of high interest for viewing or photography.
• see details on an animal they may have been missed.
• Better appreciate birdlife in the park
• Note things in low light that many have gone unnoticed (with the right binoculars, objects will actually appear brighter in low light conditions through these glasses than to the naked eye!).
• Spot animals in bushes that would have gone unnoticed.

In summary, you can get by without binoculars, but, you’ve been planning this trip for a long time.  Your spending a lot of money to be on this safari.  It would be a shame to miss out on the full experience of the game drive by not having this one basic piece of equipment. Once it is decided that a pair is needed, other key questions include how much does one need to spend and how powerful should the binoculars be.  The following discussions will hopefully answer these questions as well as help one in understanding features of binoculars.

Please note: most safari companies and guides on game drives often supply one pair of binoculars to the group but they are often of low quality and a little battered from regular use and you will have to share them.  Since you never know when action will occur at Chobe National Park, missing something exciting because someone else has the binoculars can be frustrating. Further, binoculars should be adjusted to your eyes.  If sharing a pair, precious time is lost fumbling with controls one is unfamiliar with.

How To Select Binoculars

If you have read this far, you are probably interested in getting the right pair.  You will also note very quickly that the selection process will include compromise.  I know you want it all in this purchase, but, sorry, it can’t be done.  For example high magnification means less of a field of view or aA compact body design will probably result in less light gathering ability.  This limitation on ‘having it all’ is why one needs to have a primer. It can be quite confusing. In the following discussion we will review some of the key terminology and, maybe more basically, what the numbers mean.

The numbers:

When you begin looking at binoculars, you are going to see numbers such as 8×42, 10×50, 7×35, etc., so lets begin by helping you understand what numbers mean. This is standard nomenclature, so let’s discuss one of these.  First, an 8×42 would be pronounced eight by forty two. The number before the “x” is the binoculars magnification and the number after the “x” is the binoculars objective lens (outside lens) size in millimeters. Once would call an 8×42 binocular has 8 times magnification and a 42mm objective lens.

Okay, we have explained what these first two numbers mean, now let’s discuss how to use this information

Magnification

Above, I have used the examples of 8×42, 10×50 and 7×35.  You now know that the first pair has eight times magnification (8x), the second has ten times (10x) and the third has seven times (7x), but these numbers are merely relative without some more reference information. A first, fairly useless point of reference: binoculars on a giant battleship are 40×178 and must be supported by a stand.  What you needs to have a high power of magnification to be able to see the spots on a leopard but not too high because there is no place for a tripod in a safari vehicle and a handheld binocular with a very high magnification power is difficult to keep still.  Typically, the larger the magnification the larger the size and weight and safari travel is about compact packing and travel weight restrictions. In theory the higher this number the ‘closer’ your target appears to be. BUT above 10 and you get shake and so the image moves around too much. Limit yourself to 8 or 10 for Safari.

Recommendation: For viewing wildlife, I personally like a larger magnification, around 8x to 10x, which is pretty big, but to get this I am giving up some field of view (discussed below), which I feel is not as important on safari. Powers of 7x or 8x are by far the most popular among regular binocular users. Binoculars with magnifications above about 12x are generally not recommended for use without a tripod.

Note: A binoculars magnification also has an effect on the brightness of the image – if the objective lens size stays the same , the more you magnify, the dimmer the image will be. With this additional understanding, let’s review objective lens diameter:

Objective Lens diameter

The second number (for example, the “42” in an 8×42 binocular) is the diameter of the Objective Lens in millimeters (mm).  The objective lens is the front lens on the binoculars. This governs the amount of light that can get through to your eye and thus the brighter clearer the magnified image you see.

While higher magnification powers can be useful, power by itself does NOT increase the level of observable detail; image resolution is a function of objective lens diameter, not of binocular power. Higher powers result in images that are less bright and in a binocular that is more difficult to hold steady in the user’s hands. A binoculars objective lens size determines how much light the binocular can gather. The larger the lens the more light the binocular can take in, giving you brighter images.

A binoculars physical size is determined by its objective lens. An 8×25 binocular and an 8×40 binocular both will see the same 8x magnified view, however the 8×25 will have smaller 25mm objective lenses and this means a smaller, compact body design. The 8×40 binocular will have larger 40mm objective lenses, giving the binocular a larger body design.

You will be out spotting wildlife in the early morning and at dusk; therefore you need a binocular with a large outer diameter . The bigger the number the better works here too. The only drawback is that bigger also means heavier and bulkier. Your neck will be very tired if you carry around a pair of 12×60 binoculars all day!

The larger 40mm-50mm objective lens sizes will collect a lot of light for viewing in lower light conditions and are desired for safari. As noted before, binocular selection is full of compromise. Recommendation: Recognizing the need for compromise on size and weight yet needing to have good low light viewing, I selected a 42mm objective lens.

Exit Pupil Size

You also want a decent exit pupil size to collect a lot of light in these low light conditions.   Actually, in determining the magnification and the objective lens size, you will indirectly determine the exit pupil size for a pair of binoculars. The exit pupil is the magnified image in the eyepiece as it leaves the binocular to enter your eye and its diameter, measured in millimeters, is determined by dividing the aperture by the magnification. Exit pupil diameters will generally vary from 2.5mm to 7.1mm and, as an example, a 7 X 35 binocular will have an exit pupil of 5mm.

The main importance of the exit pupil is how it relates to the pupil size of your eye. The eye pupil is controlled by the iris, which acts like a variable aperture for the retina and will allow the pupil to change in size from about 2mm up to 8mm, depending on the brightness of the available light. When the exit pupil of the binocular is larger than the eye pupil, some of the light coming from the binocular will fall on the iris and is undetected by the observer. When the exit pupil is smaller than the eye pupil, then the amount of light falling on the retina will be less than that collected with your normal vision at that particular time, and so the object observed will appear dim.  It should also be noted that resolution and contrast are affected adversely, resulting in loss of clarity of the observed image.

The discussion needs to get a little technical here, but this is an important understanding. On a bright day, an observed image through a compact 8 X 20 binocular (exit pupil 2.5mm) will appear just as bright as a 7 X 50 (exit pupil 7.1mm) since one’s daylight-adapted pupil (2 to 3mm diameter) is the limiting factor in observed brightness under these conditions. However, at dusk or very early morning light on safari, the eye pupil size will vary between 4 and 5mm. For the best performance under these conditions, a minimum exit pupil of 4mm is essential, such as that provided by a 8 X 32 or a 10 X 40. From the above discussion, one can see that it’s important to consider the exit pupil of a binocular in the context of eye pupil size and the viewing time or conditions of the observer.

The ocular, or eyepiece, design included with a binocular has important performance implications. While the most basic function of an eyepiece is to magnify the image formed by the objective lens, in fact the eyepiece also largely determines the binocular’s field of view and edge-of-field image resolution.

Recommendation: As noted, the exit pupil size will be driven by magnification and objective lens diameter, but keep in mind the ration and shoot for 5.25 mm or more

Field of View

A binocular’s field of view is pretty much what the name implies.  It is the width of real estate one can see at a specific distance.  Technically, it is measured in degrees of arc or as field-width (in feet) at 1000 yards distance. A great way to visualize this is with an example.  Consider binoculars with a field of view of 310 feet at 1000 yards.  Now imagine a fence that is 1000 yards away from you and is infinitely wide from left to right. When you look at that fence in your binoculars, you will see 310 feet of that fence.

The field of view of the binocular is generally determined by its magnification. Binoculars with smaller magnifications have larger fields of view. The more you magnify, the field of view is decreased. Once more, we are talking about the compromise during binocular selection. The Field of view is probably more important in bird watching binoculars because many birds are fast moving and erratic so a wide field of view makes them easier to locate through the binoculars.

Recommendation: I am soft on this recommendation as I don’t think it is as critical on safari as it would be for something viewing a football game.  A target would be at least 330 feet at 1000 yards.

Eye Relief

Eye relief is actually a term that describes how far away from the eyepiece your eye can be and still see the whole field of view. While this can affect comfort for all uses, it is most important for eyeglass wearers, because glasses hold the eyes back from the eyepieces. If the distance to your eyes is greater than the binoculars’ eye relief, you will see only the center part of the image. It’s like paying for a box seat but watching the game through a hole in the fence.

Normal eye relief for binoculars ranges from 9 to 13 mm. Even though the eyecups of most binoculars adjust to let one wearing glasses get closer to the back of the binoculars, in many cases, it’s not close enough.

Recommendation:  This seems most critical when using your binoculars with sunglasses or prescription eyewear. If you wear glasses, shoot for an eye relief of 15 or more.

Lens material

As I have noted before, you have waited a long time and are paying a lot for this trip, so you are going to be want to see the animals very clearly.  It all starts with the glass. This is also where binocular cost really starts to go up. Better optics come from better quality glass.  Quality glass can be expensive.  Ultra-High Quality glass can be really expensive.  The better the glass, the less imperfections in it that can scatter or keep light from moving through it correctly.  This is ultimately what you are paying for – the quality of the glass.

Coatings are applied to the glass to help with light transmission.  But not all coatings are the same quality, and not all binoculars apply coatings to all surfaces.  Be careful to look at the manufacturers wording. “Coated optics” generally that means they have applied coatings to the outside lenses. Better binoculars have lenses that are listed as “fully coated”.

Recommendation: Look for “fully coated” to be sure the glass has been coated on both sides for even better light transmission.  You will even find “multi-coated” and “fully multi-coated” when more than one coating is applied to the lenses.

Binocular Types
Mini Binoculars generally include objective lenses not larger than about 26mm (1″) in diameter, are of a straight-line roof prism design, and are designed for compactness and ease of transport.

Mini binoculars are small, lightweight and highly versatile in their range of applications. For example, as a moderately priced gift, it is a rare person who will not enjoy, and find many uses for, a mini binocular. Because of their relatively small objective lenses, however, mini binoculars are not intended for safari.

Compact Binoculars utilize Porro prisms to invert the image and usually are styled to form-fit comfortably in the observer’s hands; objective lenses are typically 26mm in diameter or less. As their name implies, compact binoculars, while larger than mini binoculars, are relatively small and easy to carry.

Compact binoculars are extremely popular for sporting events, as a gift item, or as a general-purpose travel binocular because, again, for all but the most advanced applications, compacts provide a good trade-off between weight, performance and cost; however, I do not recommend these for a safari.

Standard Porro Prism Binoculars: Most binoculars referred to as general-purpose are standard Porro prism models. They  typically have large objective lens apertures, 35mm or more, which enables bright, high-contrast images on the entire range of viewing subjects, from sporting events, to long-range animal observation in the wild, to high-resolution study of a bird’s feather structure.

A moderately priced, high-quality, standard Porro prism model is a binocular for almost any observing application. Standard Porro prism binoculars are available in a wide range of specifications and price points.

Standard Roof Prism Binoculars: provide professional-level binocular resolution and performance. Designed usually for advanced applications, such as for serious birders and safari, standard roof prism binoculars are typically of 35mm objective lens aperture or larger; include sleek, straight-line roof prism styling; and incorporate the finest optical glasses, multicoatings, and multi-element eyepieces. The result is bright, extremely sharp, high-resolution images throughout the field of view, and with a level of image fidelity unobtainable in lesser binoculars. Although premium-grade standard roof prism binoculars are not inexpensive, they are usually treasured for a lifetime.

Porro vs. Roof prism: From the above, you can see that both roof prism and porro prism binoculars may be a fit so I am sure you are wondering what are the advantages of roof prism and Porro prism binoculars. Roof prism binoculars are lighter and have a closer focus distance. Roof prism binoculars also have a more stream-lined design. Porro prism binoculars often cost less than roof prism binoculars and can provide better depth perception.

Recommendation: Both will work – it is partially a style issue and partially an issue of how often one plans to use the binoculars.  I hope to go on safari or birdwatch often, so I have personally chosen porro prism binoculars.

Other factors: Size/ Construction

• It needs to be light and compact because you will be packing a lot of other things for your safari and there are weight limitation considerations. If possible, you want a pari that ways no more than 32 ounces.
• The roads in Africa can get rough and might cause you to drop your safari binoculars so they need to be tough to withstand accidental bumps and bashes.
• Water protected if not waterproof (will help to keep out dust)
• You’re using these for travel in a remote place.  You want the best pair that you can afford to loose! Don’t go crazy on this decision.

Price

The last factor to discuss is price.  I have noted several times that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for many, so you want really good binoculars, but that said, it mustn’t cost too much because a safari is often a once in a lifetime experience and even though you might use it on occasion back home it probably will not justify spending the thousands which some of the best binoculars cost.

A common question that comes up is “what makes that 2000 dollar 10×42 binocular better than the $200 10×42 binocular? If they are both 10×42, what could possibly make them have so many different price ranges?

From the discussions above, you can guess that its optical quality.  But what does that even mean?  Really?  Two-thousand dollars for a binocular? So who buys $2000 binoculars? People with a lot of money!  But seriously, this isn’t always the case.  Why do golfers buy $600 drivers?  Are all golfers wealthy?

A binocular is an important tool in three very popular hobbies.  Birding, hunting and wildlife viewing.  Birders will spend top-dollar on high end optics because they look out of those binoculars for hours at a time, the quality of the image is very important in their enjoyment of their favorite hobby.  Hunters rely on high quality optics to mean the difference of not getting that trophy buck or not even seeing it. For the avid wildlife viewer, every detail on the animal is important.

In the discussions above, we have provided the ammunition for a good decision. Think about what you are using your binoculars to view and how often you will use them.  Many of the best selling binoculars are priced under 150 dollars because this is the budget for average binocular use.  If your only use is to get a quick check out the back field to observe any activity on your property, a simple inexpensive binocular will do the job just fine, but we are talking safari – low light use on the trip of a lifetime.

You can take a 100 dollar binocular and a 500 dollar binocular out on a sunny day and both will perform very well.  They will do their job, bring objects in closer for your viewing enjoyment.   But if you were told to look at this problem in low light of ask to comment on the quality of the image from the edge of the field to the other edge of the field, you would start to see some differences.  If you also were told to look at the color difference between them, you would begin to see even more differences.  As you get up to the highest quality binoculars, you immediately notice how “perfect” things look.

Recommendation:  I love the great glass, but I think you can get a decent pair for safari between $200 and $400.  Considering the cost of camera bodies, lenses, etc.  this isn’t a bad price for good glass.

Bottom Line Summary: Best Safari Binoculars

Magnification: 8x to 10x

Objective Lens Diameter: between 40mm and 44mm

Resulting exit pupil size: between 4 and 5.8

Field of View: At least 330 ft at 1000 yards.

Eye relief: 15 or more

Prism and Coating: BAK-4 prism and Fully Multi-Coated surfaces

Weight: Not more than 32 oz. lbs.

Target Price: $200 to $400

For more information

The above information is an amalgamation of my experience and information from the following company and organization links:

www.african-safari-journals.com

www.binoculars.org

www.birding.com

www.cabelas.com

www.eagleoptics.com

www.meade.com

www.promaster.com

www.swarovskioptik.us

Cover of "Whatever you do don't run"

This is a little different post than most you will see here.  It is a review of a book of short, autobiographical stories which I read prior to my 2009 trip to Chobe.  The book chronicles events that occurred while Allison was a guide, with most of this time spent at Mombo Camp in the Moremi/Linyanti area just west of Chobe.

I found the book entertaining, but a little hard to believe at all times.  I also found the book to be dangerous in suggesting behavior while in the bush.  Specifically he relates stories of being on foot away from his vehicle and also related to wading in water pools and also in waterways.  While in each case he gives reason for the exploits, I am not sure this is wise behavior even for a seasoned guide.  Within the book Mr. Allison also discusses pranks which leads to injury for fellow guides, slightly excessive drinking events and snake handling that led to injury of the guide.

Let me be clear, I recommend reading the book.  I just don’t recommend anyone trying to copy the behavior noted in the book.

The book is easy to read.  Peter clearly isn’t a great novelist, but someone writing about what he has seen or done.  The simple writing style allows one to feel the experience.  Also within the book are tips that help the safari experience to be better with your next trip.  One element I really liked about the book is that it is written as a series of very short, virtually independent tales.  Some stories are one page, some are several pages long.  This format allows one to stop the book on short notice and begin again without much thought.  This is particularly handy if one is reading the book while traveling on a plane or reading while on breaks during safari.

Within the book, you will learn of behavior of both wildlife and safari visitors.  You will learn the life of the guide.  You will learn of interactions with cape buffalo, lions, warthogs, hippos, crocs, and many other Chobe animals.

I noted that 43 of 54 reviewers to date have given this 5 starts at Amazon, so I am clearly not the only one recommending this as a read. The following information is pasted right out of the  www.amazon.com

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly
At age 19, Australian-born Allison headed to Africa for challenge and adventure, planning to stay no more than a year; having found work as a safari guide, he’s still there some 13 years later. In this fun, fearless memoir, Allison shares his experiences taking “guests” through the African wilderness, trips that often don’t go quite as planned-due especially to the unpredictability of the animals around them. Allison is a skilled, funny and vibrant storyteller, dishing arcane bits of wisdom like an expatriate Alligator Hunter: “I understand a little bit of monkey language, and ‘kwe’ is a sound I listened for. It was an alarm… full blown monkey conniptions were reserved for leopards.” A hilarious chapter recounting a troubled thousand mile trek through the Kalahari Desert finds Allison trying to wave down a passing truck in the middle of the night: “I realized that the driver would have seen what looked like a very animated sage bush with pasty white hands growing from it… he’d probably go straight to a witch doctor… and ask if there was a curse on him.” Along the way, Allison examines his fellow guides, the struggle with exhaustion, getting lost and the temptation to make frequently visiting animals into pets, as well as some poignant asides on love and death.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From the Back Cover

Whatever You Do, Don’t Run is a hilarious collection of true tales from top ­safari guide Peter Allison. In a place where the wrong behavior could get you eaten, Allison has survived face-to-face encounters with big cats, angry ­elephants, and the world’s most unpredictable animals—herds of untamed tourists and foolhardy guides whose outrageous antics sometimes make them even more dangerous than a pride of hungry lions!
Join Allison as he faces down charging lions—twice; searches for a drunk, half-naked tourist who happens to be a member of the British royal family; drives a Land Rover full of tourists into a lagoon full of hippos; and adopts the most ­vicious animal in Africa as his “pet.” Full of lively humor and a genuine love and respect for Botswana and its rich wildlife, Whatever You Do, Don’t Run takes you to where the wild things are and introduces you to a place where every day is a new adventure!

In 1994 Peter Allison set off for a year-long stay in Africa. More than a dozen years and hundreds of adventures later, he’s still leading safaris and collecting stories. Allison’s safaris have been ­featured in National Geographic, Condé Nast Traveler, and on television programs such as Jack Hanna’s Animal Adventures.

The direct link to the Amazon page is:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0762745657?ie=UTF8&tag=agaboo-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0762745657