June 1, 2001
Writer and journalist Taylor, author of two other works with African themes, Shaka's Children and The Mighty Nimrod, provides here snippets of enthralling individual tales complemented with a thoughtful commentary. Recounting his travels from Lake Victoria to the Cape of Good Hope, Taylor explores what the future holds for the white citizens of the black continent in which he was raised. Although skilled at reporting and storytelling, Taylor is less successful as a social and political thinker. His subjects, an eclectic mix, are not missionaries or explorers and may even lack Livingstone's dignity and vision. That they are white and living in sub-Saharan Africa is all that makes them members of "Livingstone's tribe." The reader is therefore tempted to conclude that this unimpressive association is a mere outcome of a nostalgic indulgence. Yet Taylor deserves credit for openly addressing the precarious fate of many whites who still call post-independence Africa home. This blend of social history and travelog may be of interest to travel enthusiasts but is more suitable for social science collections. Edward K. Owusu-Ansah, Murray State Univ. Lib., KY
Copyright 2001 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.