Customer Reviews

Kalashnikovs and Zombie Cucumbers: Travels in Mozambique

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I am planning a trip to Mozambique this fall. I generally enjoy the travel book genre. And as there are not a lot of books about Mozambique and this one has a catchy title, I checked it out from my local library. I read it, and I am glad that I read it. But I found the book ok at best.

These are my criticisms. First, the events of the book took place in 1992. This is a long time ago and is now outdated. I keep wondering how Moz has changed. Second, the author's travels around Moz seem aimless. There seems to be little overriding objective or mission. Third, the author's recounts of history are amateurish at times. For example, at one point, he refers to "elephant murderers," a reference to people that profited in the 18th century from the ivory trade. He is obviously judging these people by today's standards, an act of folly in my view. To state the obvious, today's moral standards are much different than those in the past, and very few historical figures would hold up to today's standards. To refer to these people in this manner, is, as I said, amateurish, at best.

So, if you really like the travel book genre and plan to go to Moz, this book is ok, especially if you read it with knowledge of the above limitations.