|
Books/Video
This is a short list of books to enrich your experience. Not all
of these are not related to West Africa per se. Some were
simply great books we read during our trip. I've also included
recent publications that are essential reading.
|
|
Palace
Sculptures of Abomey: History Told on Walls
Francesca Piqué and Leslie Rainer
Learn more about the significance of the brilliant narrative bas-reliefs
of Abomey.
|
|
Video:
History Told on Walls
Getty Conservation Institute
A video companion to the book, Palace Sculptures of Abomey.
The Benin government and the Getty Conservation Institute worked
together to preserve this essential part of Beninoise history.
Available
in French!
|
|
Kinship:
A Family's Journey in Africa and America
Philippe Wamba
The author is the son of an African-American mother and Congolese
father. Raised on both continents, Wamba examines myths and truths
that Africans and African-Americans have about each other.
|
|
Lonely
Planet: West Africa
David Else et al.
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana,
Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, Nigeria,
Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.
|
|
Rough
Guide: West Africa
Jim Hudgens + Richard Trillo
Sadly, this book is currently out of print. We loved its irreverant
humor and straight talk. Great maps and detailed histories.
|
|
Amazons
of Black Sparta: The Women Warriors of Dahomey
Stanley B. Alpern
This is the first English book about the Dahomey Kingdom's most
fierce and loyal warriors: the Amazons.
|
|
Asafo!
African Flags of the Fanti
Peter Adler + Nicolas Barnard
This book was my first inspiration to collect West African appliqué.
It is essential reading for lovers of color and anyone serious
about textile arts
|
|
Why
Goats Smell Bad and Other stories from Benin
Raouf Mama + Imna Arroyo
Folk tales for children.
|
|
We
wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families
Philip Gourevitch
This book is a devastating account of genocide in Rwanda, and
an indictment of the outside world's refusal to take action. We
left the book in Togo because our friends insisted on reading
it.
|