Into Africa: A Journey Through The Ancient Empires (Phoenix Giants S.) - Softcover

A brilliant picture of a rich, exotic, complex and fascinating continent in the style of Bruce Chatwin. Verbal snapshots, images, anecdotes, legends, tales, gossip, illustrations, photographs, art and maps lend insight and depth to this multi-layered portrait of a continent. Into Africa uses the ancient empires and trading patterns of prehistory as the primary framework, to explain how Africa was and is today. The book does not ignore the calamities, the collapse of civil authority, the wars, the famines, the human misery, the environmental degradation. But it does record the triumphs, small and large. More important, Into Africa goes beyond politics and tourism, into history and legend, art and culture, both popular and profound.

Marq de Villiers has worked as a foreign correspondent in London, Paris and Moscow. He is the author of six books on travel, exploration and history, including Into Africa: A Journey Through the Ancient Empires. He grew up in Africa and has travelled widely while researching this book, from the flood-plains of China to the deserts of Africa, from the icebergs off Newfoundland to the rainforests of Brazil. He now lives in Nova Scotia, on the eastern Canadian seaboard.