Reading List
FIELD GUIDES
The Wildlife of Southern Africa
Vincent Carruthers & Kenneth Newman
With 1,200 color illustrations by a range of experts, this compact field guide includes all the birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, insects, fish and plants that a traveler is likely to encounter in southern Africa.
The Safari Companion
Richard Estes
An invaluable encyclopedic guide to Africa's mammals by a noted scientist, this perennial bestseller includes black-and-white drawings, an overview of each animal group and in-depth information. Written with the typical safari-goer in mind.
500 Common Bird Calls in Southern Africa
Doug Newman
Accounting for each species of southern African songbird, their songs, similar-sounding species, favored habitats and ranges, this reference is ideal for the voyaging birder. Includes a CD of bird calls.
Kingdon Pocket Guide to African Mammals
Jonathan Kingdon
A conveniently compact edition of Kingdon's gloriously illustrated Field Guide to African Mammals. The guide includes abbreviated information on identification, distribution, ecology and conservation status and 480 outstanding color illustrations and maps.
Photo Guide to Birds of Namibia
Ian Sinclair
A convenient, pocket-sized guide with color photos, maps and short descriptions.
The Kingdon Field Guide to African Mammals
Jonathan Kingdon
This stunningly-illustrated, comprehensive field guide by a leading authority includes over 500 of Kingdon's exquisite color paintings. Fully revised and updated with more than 1,100 species.
The Larger Illustrated Guide to Birds of Southern Africa
Ian Sinclair
Featuring beautiful illustrations, calendar bars and distribution maps, the newly revised Struik guide to Southern African birds is a local bestseller.
MAPS
Namibia Map
Reise Know How
A folded, indexed road map of Namibia, showing all major and many minor roads, cities and towns, at a scale of 1:1,200,000.
Safari Planning Map, East & Southern Africa
The Africa Adventure Company
This large-scale colorful map covers the top safari countries and important wildlife reserves of East and Southern Africa. With enlargements of key regions like Northern Tanzania, Southern Kenya and Northern Botswana to Victoria Falls, the map includes information on planning your safari and climate graphs.
GUIDEBOOKS
Bradt Guide Namibia
Chris McIntyre
From the desolate Skeleton Coast to the lush Kavango and Caprivi Strip to the picturesque capital of Windhoek, Bradt has it covered.
Culture Smart! Namibia
Sharri Whiting
A concise and practical guide to local customs, etiquette and culture with a short overview of the land and people along with practical travel advice.
Insight Guides Namibia
Insight Guides
This illustrated, surprisingly informative guide includes excellent color maps and thoughtful short essays on history, culture and attractions.
Lonely Planet Botswana & Namibia
Lonely Planet
An informative practical guide to Botswana and its attractions, including nearby Victoria Falls.
NATURAL HISTORY
Horn of Darkness, Rhinos on the Edge
Carol Cunningham & Joel Berger
A lively account of field work, combining adventure, natural history and thoughtful commentary on the plight of the severely endangered black rhinoceros in Namibia.
Skeleton Coast
Amy Schoeman
This revised edition of Shoenman's classic, first published in 1971, shows the magnificent landscapes, wildlife and nature of the Namib desert, Skeleton Coast and northwest Namibia in 160 color essays and accompanying essays on geology, climate, nature and history.
Soul of a Lion, One Woman's Quest to Rescue Africa's Wildlife Refugees
Barbara Bennett
Bennett recounts with affection and humor her volunteer sabbatical at Namibia's Harnas Wildlife Foundation, where she worked with orphaned, injured and abandoned wild animals alongside Harnas' inspiring founder, Marieta van der Merwe.
The Black Rhinos of Namibia, Searching for Survivors in the African Desert
Rick Bass
Bass' lifelong search for rare and iconic animals takes him into the harsh terrain of the Namib desert on the trail of the rare black rhino. With insightful prose, Bass tells the story of the rhinos -- brought back from near-extinction thanks to cutting edge conservation.
The Elephant's Secret Sense, The Hidden Life of the Wild Herds of Africa
Caitlin O'Connell
O'Connell chronicles the extraordinary social lives of elephants in Etosha National Park with this powerful account of a 14-year study.
HISTORY & CULTURE
Africa, a Biography of the Continent
John Reader
With the ease of a practiced journalist, Reader weaves a masterful and lively tale of the continent, from ancient cultures to modern times. Both authoritative and informal, this is a splendid introduction to all of Africa.
Picturing Bushmen, The Denver African Expedition of 1925
Robert James Gordon
Serious-minded, wonderfully illustrated and informative, this book not only documents the 1925 expedition to Etosha in search of the "Bushman," it also cleverly shows the key role of the expedition in romanticizing the Heikum.
The Scramble for Africa
Thomas Pakenham
Absorbing and meticulously researched, this in-depth history of the Victorian land grab in 19th century Africa includes excellent portraits of the egomaniacal personalities who overran the continent.
This Is Namibia
Peter Joyce
A useful primer to Namibia, this visual essay on the up-and-coming African country surveys its cultures, wildlife and diverse landscapes. Peter Joyce takes readers from Namibia's icy Atlantic shores to the arid Kalahari Desert, revealing a land of towering sand dunes, ancient civilizations and enigmatic beauty.