Product Description
Alive in Africa chronicles author and photographer William F. Wheeler's exceptional journeys on foot through a continent of great extremes—from the Sahara desert to the grasslands of the Great Rift Valley, to the Congo rainforest. Illustrated with his stunning images, this elegantly written book takes us back to a bygone age when explorers traveled without GPS or satellite phones.
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Product Details
Amazon Sales Rank: #161074 in Books
Published on: 2008-09-02
Original language: English
Number of items: 1
Binding: Hardcover
288 pages
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Editorial Reviews
From the Inside Flap
One day while at his office desk, William Wheeler asked himself, “If anything was possible, what would I do, regardless of the risk?” He picked up a Post-it and, with hardly a thought, wrote, “Cross the Sahara desert by camel, travel on horseback among the wild animals of East Africa, and live in the rain forest with pygmies.”
And that is just what he did. Alive in Africa chronicles Wheeler’s exceptional journeys through three regions of a “continent of great extremes”—the Sahara desert, the Rift Valley, and the Congo rain forest. Lavishly illustrated with the author’s stunning color photos of the landscape and desert nomads, Maasai warriors, and Efe pygmies, this beautifully written book transports us back to the nineteenth century, when the explorers Wheeler emulated on his own excursions had no contact with the “civilized” world.
These journeys left Wheeler with a deep sense of humility and an enlightened awe for the beauty of the world all around. The tribes and cultures he encountered imparted a greater compassion for our common human condition. Finally, alone in the vast wilderness of deserts, forests, and grasslands, Wheeler came closer to
his spiritual center and the feeling of being truly, unequivocally alive. And that, he discovered, was what he was searching for all along.
From the Back Cover
"Africa was a natural choice for me. A continent of great extremes, it contained the world’s largest desert, vast untouched rain forests, hunter-gatherers who lived nearly uninfluenced by the outside world, and exotic wild animals left over from the Pleistocene found nowhere else on earth. Human life began in Africa, and only in Africa was it possible to sense what life was like for the first people, living on foot among lions, elephants, and other dangerous creatures.
In the Sahara I was beaten into submission by the wind and sun. Nights brought an end to the suffering, and in the crystalline depths of the dark universe it seemed possible to reach out and touch God. It was the hidden evil in my guide’s agenda that tested me to the limit, in an escalating battle of two indomitable wills.
The tropical rain forest was an immense sea of sweltering vegetation, a riotous explosion in which life was constantly being created, mutated, and destroyed. In the deep silence of the forest, giant trees and tannic streams seemed alive with spirits, as if time had been rolled back ten thousand years.
Walking with only a spear across the grasslands of East Africa’s Great Rift Valley quickened my wits and refined my adrenaline; life became an intense game of Russian roulette in the bush.” — from the Prologue
About the Author
William F. Wheeler, MD, is the author and photographer of Efe Pygmies: Archers of the African Rain Forest. His photos have appeared in Conde Nast Traveler, Outside, and Sierra, and more than 5,000 are on permanent display in the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. He lives in Solana Beach, California.
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Customer Reviews
A definite don't miss...
I was ecstatic to receive this book to review. On camel through the Sahara, on horseback through the Rift Valley and on foot into the rainforest. What a perfect book for the armchair adventurer/traveler! Like another reviewer I have to start by commenting on the appearance of the book first. I cannot remember ever having read an adult book where so much care was invested in the books appearance. The photographs were incomparable, my only complaint in that regard being that I wish they were printed on glossier paper, that being said I understand why a consistent paper type was maintained through the book. The pencil sketches were exquisite and the faint design included on all the pages gave me a feeling of reading an actual journal more than a book. I only wish more publishers recognized the need for "atmosphere" in a book.
The actual writing was a bit more varied. I felt that the 3 stories, and each was a very separate event, had a very different quality. The second was better than the first and the third better than the second. Sadly, as the quality of the stories improved, they grew shorter. The book begins with his journey on camel through the Sahara. In fact, it begins with a tragedy that unfortunately, colored my perception of that first journey. In addition, the author seemed to focus much of his writing in the first tale on the bad experiences he suffered with his guide. It was as if much of the journey was sacrificed in telling the reader in painful detail just how rotten a bad guide could make a trip rather than focusing on the more positive aspects. The second tale, his trip through the Rift Valley, also ended on a sad note but did include more information on what taking the trip was actually like. I was somewhat discouraged by the time I reached his story of traveling through the rainforest but was instead pleasantly surprised to discover that he finally hit his stride and was bringing the reader along this time. His descriptions were well-written and detailed enough that I could easily imagine myself there. Again though, as this was the shortest of the tales, I felt a bit cheated.
Overall it is a definite keeper and no lover of travel stories should miss it. The good outweighs the bad. I will say though that some of what was written by the author regarding the author, the constant amusement at his native guides fear of animals he had never seen before, the cavalier exposure of his animals to known fatal diseases fully understanding what would likely happen, and several other small incidents left me with the inkling suspicion that perhaps, the author wasn't a very nice guy. Likely, better editing would have avoided that, I'm not sure. My hope is that I am wrong. Regardless though, I do encourage everyone to read this book if for no other reason than to better understand what we are losing.
A Last Great Adventurer!
This book is a masterpiece showing how the human spirit can be unleashed when someone has the courage to strike out on an untrodden path to realize their life's dream. It is sure to become a classic!
Bill Green
A story within a story
I met William's wife Linda on a flight in July '08 and I learned about William passing in June '08. Linda was so proof of him and his journeys, I couldn't wait to get this book in September. Amazing person with such an amazing life. My best to Linda.
