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Warriors Life and Death Among the Som...
Brief Summary
This superb portrait of one of the world's most desolate, sun-scorched lands, inhabited by fiercely independent tribesmen, is Rageh Omer's favorite book on his native land. A grueling description of a little-known aspect of WWII.
Warriors describes a group of British Army soldiers charged with preventing bloodshed between feuding tribes at a remote outstation in Somalia.
Hanley turns this period of his life, difficult time that drove seven officers to suicide, into a devastating critique of imperialism.
ISBN:9780907871835
Author:Gerald Hanley
The Girl Who Smiled Beads by Clemanti...
Brief Summary
The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After
A riveting story of dislocation, survival, and the power of stories to break or save us.
Clemantine Wamariya was six years old when her mother and father began to speak in whispers, when neighbors began to disappear, and when she heard the loud, ugly sounds her brother said were "thunder." In 1994, she and her fifteen-year-old sister, Claire, fled the Rwandan massacre and spent the next six years wandering through seven African countries, searching for safety--perpetually hungry, imprisoned and abused, enduring and escaping refugee camps, finding unexpected kindness, witnessing inhuman cruelty. They did not know whether their parents were dead or alive.
When Clemantine was twelve, she and her sister were granted asylum in the United States, where she embarked on another journey--to excavate her past and, after years of being made to feel less than human, claim her individuality.
Raw, urgent, and bracingly original, The Girl Who Smiled Beads captures the true costs and aftershocks of war: what is forever destroyed; what can be repaired; the fragility of memory; the disorientation that comes of other people seeing you only as broken--thinking you need, and want, to be saved.
But it is about more than the brutality of war. It is about owning your experiences, about the life we create: intricately detailed, painful, beautiful, a work in progress.
Kenyan Student Airlifts to America 19...
Brief Summary
Despite initial concern about bringing three young children to Kenya during the final days of the Mau Mau uprising, Dr Stephens formed a lasting attachment to Kenya and its people during his time here in the 1950s, and has been back many times since. His wife and children accompanied him on his assignments to both Kenya and Tanzania and share his love of East Africa. Dr Stephens currently lives in Massachusetts with his wife Dorothy.
... on engaging and insightful book about an important and ignored slice of history ... Robert Stephens takes us to another American-sponsored airlift that brought a generation of future African leaders to our shores for higher education.
This effort profoundly altered the lives of these men and women, the development of East African nations, and the perception of America. At a time when the world struggled to understand the value of 'soft' as opposed to military power, this book offers a valuable historical model.
ISBN:9789966259301
Author:Robert F Stephens
African Love Stories An Anthology by ...
African love stories? Is that not some kind of anomaly? This radical collection of short stories, most published in this edition for the first time, aims to debunk the myth about African women as impoverished helpless victims. With origins that span the content, it combines budding writers with award-winning authors; the result is a melting pot of narratives from intriguing and informed perspectives.
These twenty odd tales deal with challenging themes and represent some of the most complex of love stories. Many are at once heart breaking yet heartwarming and even courageous. In Badoe's hilarious 'The Rival', we encounter a 14 -year-old girl who is determined to capture her uncle's heart. His wife, she decided would just have to go. Mr. Mensah the uncle is all of sixty years old.
Crafted by a stellar cast of authors that includes El Saadawi, Ogundipe, Magona, Tadjo, Krog, Aboulela, Adichie, Oyeyemi, wa Goro, Atta, Manyika and Baingana, there is hardly any aspect of women's love life untouched. From labour pains to burials, teenagers to octogenarians, and not to mention race-fraught and same-sex relationships, the human heart is all out there: beleaguered and bleeding, or bold, and occasionally triumphant.
It is highly recommended that you the reader take the stories one at a time, so that you meet the women protagonists individually. So that you can listen to them and hear their hearts properly" whether Sudanese, Kenyan, Ghanaian, Nigerian or Zimbabwean. As for the tales as a whole, you might find them eye-opening, perhaps even inspirational, but above all, you will be entertained by them.
The Vendor
Brief Summary
Ngaruwe, a reserved, unapologetic and fiercely independent newspaper vendor is at home in the squalid conditions of a sprawling city slum. His childhood nemesis, Adrian Gachomo - a venal man who never saw a boot he did not want to lick- is a big shot with business interests that bestride the city economy like a colossus.
When the two cross swords, neither the blue chip companies in the city nor the shadowy organized criminal gangs can survive the whirlwind that ensues. The upshot is a deep story infused with big money, power, love and all that gratifies the materialistic soul.
Waithaka Waihenya is a journalist and prolific author of biographies, novels and children's books. He has also been a long-time essayist with the Sunday Standard and a columnist for the Guardian of the UK. He was an Associate Editor with the Standard Group, before joining the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) as Editor-in-Chief and later as the Managing Director.
ISBN:9780195736984
Author:Waithaka Waihenya
Maya Angelou The Complete Poetry
Brief Summary
Throughout her illustrious career in letters, Maya Angelou gifted, healed, and inspired the world with her words. Now the beauty and spirit of those words live on in this new and complete collection of poetry that reflects and honors the writer’s remarkable life.
Every poetic phrase, every poignant verse can be found within the pages of this sure-to-be-treasured volume—from her reflections on African American life and hardship in the compilation Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water ’fore I Diiie ("Though there’s one thing that I cry for / I believe enough to die for / That is every man’s responsibility to man”) to her revolutionary celebrations of womanhood in the poem "Still I Rise” ("Out of the huts of history’s shame / I rise / Up from a past that’s rooted in pain / I rise”) to her "On the Pulse of Morning” tribute at President William Jefferson Clinton’s inauguration ("Lift up your eyes upon / The day breaking for you. / Give birth again / To the dream.”).
Maya Angelou: The Complete Poetry also features her final long-form poems, including "A Brave and Startling Truth,” "Amazing Peace,” "His Day Is Done,” and the honest and endearing Mother:
"I feared if I let you go
You would leave me eternally.
You smiled at my fears, saying
I could not stay in your lap forever”
This collection also includes the never-before-published poem "Amazement Awaits,” commissioned for the 2008 Olympic Games:
"We are here at the portal of the world we had wished for
at the lintel of the world we most need.
We are here roaring and singing.
We prove that we can not only make peace, we can bring it with us.”
Timeless and prescient, this definitive compendium will warm the hearts of Maya Angelou’s most ardent admirers as it introduces new readers to the legendary poet, activist, and teacher—a phenomenal woman for the ages.
ISBN:9780812997873
Author:Maya Angelou
Sowing the Mustard Seed by Yoweri Mus...
Sowing the Mustard Seed is a story of unflinching bravery. It is the story of unwavering search for a true, revolutionary and development-oriented leadership. The author takes the reader on a tell-all journey of the sacrifice that he and other young Ugandans decided to take in order to liberate their country from the jaws of helplessness to which the first post-independence governments had conspired to consign it.
In this spell-binding tale, told in the first-person voice, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni traces the journey of his life from his first few months on earth, through his education, after which he and other patriots embarked on a journey of seeking empowerment to overthrow the despotic regime of Idi Amin Dada.
It also delves into other wars, such as the long-drawn-out bid to neutralize Joseph Kony’s ragtag Lord’s Resistance Army and professionalizing the Ugandan army, after many years of sectarianism. Besides illuminating the struggles of the past, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni shares his vision for Uganda and the pillars he has over the years put in place as President to ensure Uganda’s future is secure both economically and socially.
Written in easily accessible but highly Africanized language, it is a tale of unstinting focus and commitment that will both inform and inspire the reader.
Dukawalla and Other Stories by Pheroz...
In this collection of stories, Pheroze Nowrojee takes his readers on journeys into varied Kenyan, East African, and other landscapes, delving into lives and personalities equally diverse.
Whether actively transforming their surroundings or being transformed by what is around them, his complex characters reflect our common humanity in sometimes ordinary and sometimes surprising—but always compelling—ways.
Exquisitely told, laden with humor and beauty and poignancy, these stories are a vital addition to the East African anthology.
Questions for Ada by Ijeoma Umebinyuo
Brief summary
The artistry of QUESTIONS FOR ADA defies words, embodying the pain, the passion, and the power of love rising from the depths of our souls.
Ijeoma Umebinyuo’s poetry is a flower that will blossom in the spirit of every reader as she shares her heart with raw candor.
From lyrical lushness to smoky sensuality to raw truths, this tome of transforming verse is the book every woman wants to write but can’t until the broken mirrors of their lives have healed. In this gifted author’s own words—"I am too full of life to be half-loved.” A bold celebration of womanhood.
Soaring Like An Eagle by George Wachiuri
Brief Summary
Your success depend on your attitude towards life. You are able to be what you want. You have the capacity within you to be the best. You can be a person of great influence.
You are the best God ever created. Read this book and your life will never be the same again. You will be extremely encouraged. It will make you change your perception about your own life.
Meet with Mr. George in his early life and the struggles he faced and how he was able to overcome all odds to be the person he is today.
ISBN:2147483647
Author:George Wachiuri
Journey to Academic Success and Beyon...
Every student wants to be a high achiever, to flourish academically.
Earning top grades requires one to develop good study habits: setting goals, being a master of one's time, overcoming fear, and embracing a positive attitude.
This book gives tips on how to get to the top through good study habits.
Operation Linda Nchi
The book does not cover all aspects of Operational Art as pertains to Operation "Linda Nchi" [ swahili for safeguard or protect the Country ], as some of the details are still classified and the overall operation against Al Shabaab is still a work in progress., ie. it covers the Operational Art aspects of macroscopic maneuver, operational approach and operational objectives. But little information is revealed as pertains to Operational Logistics and the extent of disruption that is still required against Al Shabaab Operations in the Horn of Africa and beyond.
Indeed the foreward by His Excellency Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, C.G.H, the President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander in Chief of the Kenya Defence Forces, appreciates the fact that the war against Al Shabaab is still ongoing – in other instances he has stated "...for as long as it takes....”
The book is described as the "idea” of the former Chief of Kenya Defence Forces (CDF), General (Dr.) Julius Karangi, who at the time of his active service felt that the campaign against Al Shabaab should be documented in form of a publicly available book.
This was a unique idea for an African Military Force at the present time, but there are significant past conflicts documented in books especially around the colonial era, struggles for independence and post-independence episodes of guerilla warfare. An example of past documentation and appreciation of history that is declining, is that in the 1950s to 1960s, students in Kenyan schools learnt about General Paul Emil von Lettow Voerbeck and "The Great War".
This is despite the fact that Kenya was a British colony. Given the number of Kenya Defence Forces troops that have fallen to "water hole" ambushes near or inside Somalia, and the nature of the conflict in Somalia, Northern Nigeria [ Boko Haram ] and Central African Republic [ Lords Resistance Army ], it may be helpful if the Kenyan military was to dig deeper into history and reclaim the many lost lessons.
ISBN:2147483647
Author:Professor Peter Kagwanja Dr. Monica Juma Colonel Pius T. Migue Lieutenant Colonel Charles O. Imbiakha Major Daniel Mugoro Major David Anachoni Major Johannes Kimwele
Black Mamba Boy by Nadifa Mohamed
Longlisted for the Orange Prize and winner of the Betty Trask Award. For fans of Half of a Yellow Sun, a stunning novel set in 1930s Somalia spanning a decade of war and upheaval, all seen through the eyes of a small boy alone in the world. Aden, Yemen, 1935; a city vibrant, alive, and full of hidden dangers.
And home to Jama, a ten year-old boy. But then his mother dies unexpectedly and he finds himself alone in the world.
Jama is forced home to his native Somalia, the land of his nomadic ancestors. War is on the horizon and the fascist Italian forces who control parts of East Africa are preparing for battle. Yet Jama cannot rest until he discovers whether his father, who has been absent from his life since he was a baby, is alive somewhere. And so begins an epic journey which will take Jama north through Djibouti, war-torn Eritrea and Sudan, to Egypt.
And from there, aboard a ship transporting Jewish refugees just released from German concentration camps, across the seas to Britain and freedom. This story of one boy's long walk to freedom is also the story of how the Second World War affected Africa and its people; a story of displacement and family
Kokwet: From tradition to modern soci...
The guide examines questions of God, creation, ancestry, memory, morality, and the place of spirituality in human society. It also discusses government, education, culture, leadership, and the challenges facing communities in the modern world.
Above all, this work seeks to provide an intellectual framework through which Kalenjin heritage can be studied, taught, preserved, and developed. It is intended as a teaching resource for cultural education, historical reflection, spiritual inquiry, and constructive engagement in contemporary society.
The purpose of Kipgaa is not merely to remember the past, but to help present a way of knowing who we are, where we came from, and what we can contribute to the world.
Seventeen Trips Through Somaliland Ex...
As the title states, this is a book in which Captain HGC Swayne describes his travels through what came to be known as British Somaliland. Swayne was a British officer tasked with survey work in the protectorate that had just been established after the British government signed treaties with various Somali clans.
The book is primarily targeted at a home audience, particularly those who were drawn to accounts of travel through what was then called the 'uncivilized world,' and serves as a guide for those who dreamed of crossing the territory themselves. Beyond understanding the target audience, it is also important to note that the book was written at a time when racial hierarchy was accepted as respectable social science, with Europeans placed at the apex. As a result, you will encounter frequent racial connotations throughout.
Despite this, the book is essential reading for Africans, and especially Somalis. It provides important context for understanding the beginnings of colonization in the Horn of Africa, including the mindset of its agents. It also documents significant historical realities such as the extensive trade networks connecting the Horn of Africa to the wider world, the rich flora and fauna of the region, including species found nowhere else, and the culture, daily lives, and inter-communal relations of the people, particularly with their Abyssinian and Oromo neighbors.
Among the more striking passages are accounts of intimate but historically significant encounters, notably Swayne's meeting with Ras Makonnen, Governor of Harar and father of the future Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie. Swayne documents the meeting in detail, including the Ethiopians' ambitions to extend their borders to either the Red Sea or the Indian Ocean.
This is an important document for anyone from East Africa, and especially the Horn, who needs a historical backdrop to understand what is happening in the region today.
Managing Ethnicity In a Democracy: Th...
Kenya's democratic credentials among them freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of the press, strong civil society and a very vibrant opposition, remain coveted within the region. The country is however still grappling with the challenge of its highly ethnicised politics.
The aim of this book is to shed light on how and why ethnicity is highly entrenched in Kenyan politics. It also delves into how it has held back Kenya's democratisation process and its negative impact on a just, inclusive and unified nation.
The book proposes constitutional, legal and institutional reforms to mitigate the challenge of ethnicity in order to build a more solid democratic nation. This will help put the country on the trajectory of building a more prosperous nation state, where integrity, transparency and accountability are valued.