Africa's Great Rift Valley [Hardcover]

Nigel Pavitt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2001

Spanning some 3500 miles of the African continent, from Ethiopia in the north to Mozambique in the south, the Great Rift Valley is home to an astounding array of flora and fauna, including a great concentration of glassland animals amd three of the world's four great apes: the chimpanzee, bonobo and gorilla. Nigel Pavitt has lived in the region for 45 years and has travelled this wild terrain many times, across salt flats and up ice-capped mountains. He tells the story of the Great Rift Valley's geological evolution, its tribal life, and its exploration and discovery by Europeans, including fascinating characters as Sir Richard Burton, Dr David Livingstone and Henry Stanley.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The Great Rift Valley encompasses eastern Africa from Ethiopia south to Mozambique and as far west as Rwanda and the borders of the Democratic Republic of Congo. A native of England, Pavitt has lived in Kenya for 45 years and has traveled through as much of the region as wartime conditions permitted. The more than 200 stunning color photographs presented here feature the region's dramatic volcanoes and valleys as well as its people. While he describes some of the surviving indigenous wildlife, his text emphasizes the history of Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, and Rwanda, including the great explorers who charted the unknown interior in the 19th century and the customs and traditions of the Maasai, Pokot, Konso, Batwa, and other tribes. The Rift Valley is an ancient land, a probable cradle of humankind, in many inaccessible areas still untouched, but it is also ever-changing owing to global warming, active volcanoes, war, and social disruptions. This is the only book in print on the valley for a general readership; an earlier book, Collin Willock's Africa's Rift Valley (o.p.), emphasized the region's natural history. Despite its price, this is an excellent choice for both public and academic libraries. Beth Clewis Crim, Prince William P.L., VA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Africa's Great Rift Valley stretches from the northern tips of Eritrea and Ethiopia down to Mozambique and as far east as the Democratic Republic of Congo. Filled with active volcanoes and vast lakes, the Great Rift Valley is populated by a wide variety of unique species and many different tribes of people, most of whom make their living off of the land. In the first chapter, Pavitt details the history of the formation of the rift that created the valley, and in the chapters that follow he discusses the geography and history of the different sections of the valley. Peoples as diverse as the proud Maasai of Kenya and the solitary Afar of Ethiopia populate the valley, and the liveliest and most interesting sections of the book focus on the different people who call the valley home and how they thrive even in the less hospitable areas. Filled with stunning photographs, this volume is an essential purchase for libraries. Kristine Huntley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (September 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810906023
• ISBN-13: 978-0810906020
• Product Dimensions: 11.5 x 9.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,191,267 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Africa's Great Rift Valley, March 24, 2003

By 

Joe Zika "Khemprof" (Cincinnati, Ohio) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Africa's Great Rift Valley (Hardcover)

Africa's Great Rift Valley written and photographed by Nigel Pavitt is a wonderfully illustrated book on the fauna and flora of Africa's Great Rift Valley. This valley is most unique in it's layout, as the largest, longest and most prominent feature of its kind on earth.

The Grerat Rift Valley spans over 3,400 miles and incorporates land from Ethiopia in the north to Mozambique in the south. Elevation range fron 500 feet below sea level to mountains over 16,000 feet. This part of Africa is presumed to be where mankind started and evolved, from the discovery by the Leakeys, Louis and Mary, Richard and Meave who found the oldest partial skeleton of mankinds ancesters. The fauna are noteable as well and includes chimpanzees, bonobos, and gorillas and there is the greatest concentration of grassland animals found on Earth.

The pictures are spectacular and they tell a fantastic story of the geological evolution of this area from salt brines to volcanic activity to some of the most spectacular vistas on Earth. This book is well-written and tells an engaging story of one of the most interesting features on planet Earth. Few books about places in the world contain what this book does you'll find it well worth the money for information about geological and evolutionary history, not to mention exploration and conquest, but most importantly there are stories of the peoples living close to nature that are very engrossing.

You'll go back and reread parts of this book as I have to view and understand what Dr. David Livingstone and Henry Morton Stanley found so captivating as they traveled the lenght and breadth of the Rift Valley.