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Title: The Shadow of Kilimanjaro by Rick Ridgeway ISBN: 0-8050-5390-5 Publisher: Henry Holt & Company, Inc. Pub. Date: 01 October, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 5 (15 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: A unique perspective on the history of Kenya's wildlife.
Comment: Rick Ridgeway brings a unigue perspective to the history and the present problems which face the country of Kenya and its wildlfe. Although the authors thoughts and comments occur during his "hike" through Keyna from the top of Kilimanjaro, Tsavo east & west n.p., to the Indian Ocean, this is more than just a travel book. We are introduced to many of the historic persons who shaped what is currently the national park system in Kenya. We are also introduced to those who presently hold important positions within this system. The book provided an excellent discussion of the important issues in regards to the balance of nature/wildlife, economic concerns, and the local peoples. I found the discussions of the Waliangulu (elephant people) an excellent example of the problem which not only faces Kenya but other parts of Africa as well. For those with interest in this part of the world, this book provides a refreshing point of view.
Rating: 5
Summary: A great introduction to the issues facing Kenya today
Comment: Rick Ridgeway's account of his trek from the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro to the Indian Ocean is interesting enough on its own. But it is the frequent sidetrips along the way -- into Kenya's colourful colonial history, it's wildlife management and parks policies, and it's current political climate -- that make this book such a compelling read. What is the best way to ensure the long term survival of Africa's wildlife? Who owns the elephants? Should hunting be permitted? How big do reserves need to be? Is there a future for tribes whose traditional way of life included hunting? How can the Kenyan people share in the revenue generated by tourism? Ridgeway touches on these and many other questions, taking care to let the reader see the personalities and the politics lurking behind the strongly-held views of the main proponents in the debates. Anyone looking for a good introduction to the challenges and opportunities facing Kenya today could do worse than starting here. I read this book before visiting the country and found it an excellent preparation for the trip and a great jumping-off point for further reading.
Rating: 5
Summary: Not at all patronizing
Comment: Rick Ridgeway has written a very informative and entertaining account of his 300 mile hike West to East across southern Kenya in 1997. The walk was metaphorically in THE SHADOW OF KILIMANJARO beginning on the summit of that great mountain and spanning the different ecological zones of mountain moraine, foothills, savannah, scrub, desert, and finally tropical white sand beaches of the Indian Ocean coast near Malindi. More significantly Ridgeway writes about his journey in the shadow of others who have written famously on Kenya, most significantly Hemingway, Dinesen, and Blixen. At yet another level this story is set in the shadow of Kenya's colonial history and its current struggles as a developing nation trying to make its way in the modern world.
Ridgeway deals with all the relevant issues - ecology and the environment, conservation, domestic politics, the economy, tourism, the romantic literary images, the colonial legacy, the Mau Mau uprisings, cultural, ethnic, and social issues. And he deals with them in the way good travel writing should. Simply present the facts as you get them and let others speak their truths. No moralizing and very little contextualizing and therefore very refreshing.
The image of Kenya that emerges is that of a real country. Not too much of the fantasy and gloss of a romantic wilderness nor the equally unreal vision of warring tribes at THE ENDS OF THE EARTH. Just reality. Strengths, weaknesses, beauty, blemishes, issues, agendas, and concerns. All the things that face a people making their way on a rapidly globalizing planet. Although Ridgeway's Kenya is a very different place than the country I knew in the 1960's when I lived there in my youth, it's still as rich and as alive as I remember it and Ridgeway has done an excellent job of bringing it home.
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Title: Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro by Stephen Carmichael, Susan Stoddard, Rick Ridgeway, Neville Shulman, Robert M. Moore ISBN: 0936741163 Publisher: Medi-Ed Pr Pub. Date: October, 2002 List Price(USD): $12.95 |
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Title:Kilimanjaro: To the Roof of Africa ASIN: B00006IUK4 Publisher: Ventura Distribution Pub. Date: 08 October, 2002 List Price(USD): $19.99 Comparison N/A, buy it from Amazon for $17.99 |
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Title: Kilimanjaro: Mountain at the Crossroads by David Breashears, Audrey Salkeld ISBN: 0792264665 Publisher: National Geographic Pub. Date: 01 March, 2002 List Price(USD): $40.00 |
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Title: Kilimanjaro: A Guide to Climbing Africa's Highest Mountain, Includes City Guides to Arusha, Moshi, Marangu, Nairobi and Dar Es Salaam by Henry Stedman ISBN: 1873756658 Publisher: Globe Pequot Pr Pub. Date: 01 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $17.95 |
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Title: SNOWS OF KILIMANJARO by Ernest Hemingway ISBN: 0684804441 Publisher: Scribner Pub. Date: 03 October, 1995 List Price(USD): $11.00 |
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