Sir Seretse Khama, the first President of Botswana and heir apparent to the kingship of the Bangwato people, brought independence and great prosperity to his nation after colonial rule. But for six long years from 1950, Seretse had been forced into exile in England, banned from his own country. His crime? To fall in love and marry a young, white English girl, Ruth Williams. Delving into newly released records, Susan Williams tells Seretse and Ruth's story - a shocking account of how the British Government conspired with apartheid South Africa to prevent the mixed-race royal couple returning home. But it is also an inspiring, triumphant tale of hope, courage and true love as with tenacity and great dignity Seretse and Ruth and the Bangwato people ovecome prejudice in their fight for justice. Read more

Conditioned by local ways of knowing and doing, Great Zimbabwe develops a new interpretation of the famous World Heritage site of Great Zimbabwe. It combines archaeological knowledge, including recent material from the author’s excavations, with native concepts and philosophies. Working from a large data set has made it possible, for the first time, to develop an archaeology of Great Zimbabwe that is informed by finds and observations from the entire site and wider landscape. In so doing, the book strongly contributes towards decolonising African and world archaeology. Written in an accessible manner, the book is aimed at undergraduate students, graduate students, and practicing archaeologists both in Africa and across the globe. The book will also make contributions to the broader field such as African Studies, African History, and World Archaeology through its emphasis on developing synergies between local ways of knowing and the archaeology. Read more

Across the face of southern Africa are more than 460 remarkable stone palaces – some small, others rambling, but many are astonishing. All are the legacy of kingdoms past. Some, such as Great Zimbabwe, Khami in Botswana and Mapungubwe in South Africa, are famous world heritage sites, but the majority are unknown to the general public, unsung and unappreciated. Palaces of Stone brings to life the history of various early African societies, from AD 900 to approximately 1850. By exploring a selection of known and unknown sites, the authors uncover the emergence of ancient civilisations and reconstruct the meaning of the ruins they left behind. Woven into the narrative are stories of powerful political states; ¬ ourishing local economies; long-distance trade; and the destruction wrought by colonialism and modern-day treasure hunters. This book will appeal to anyone interested in Africa’s ancient heritage. Sales points: Uncovers a little-known but rich period in the history and heritage of Africa. Covers sites in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. Features photographs, maps and diagrams of archaeological sites. Would appeal to anyone interested in the history and culture of Africa. Read more

Think you know your history? This bumper collection of 51 fun, fiendish crossword puzzles will challenge your knowledge of everything from Ancient Rome to the Arab Spring, from the Aztecs to the internet, from the Stone Age to the Jazz Age, and from Timbuktu to outer space.Spanning centuries and ranging across continents, each crossword has something for everyone – whether you’re a keen quizzer, fancy yourself as a history expert, or are just fascinated by our shared past. Test yourself on historic battles, ancient cultures, earth-shaking revolutions and amazing inventions; play against the clock, or just against yourself. Open up a whole world of historical discovery. Let’s get puzzling!Absorbing puzzles on a large 17x17 gridA wide variety of questions across 14 history themesOver 860 quiz-style cluesClues and crossword grid are conveniently on the same page for each puzzleSolutions provided at the back of the bookFun facts every 2 puzzles to teach you something interesting you didn't know before!The perfect gift for adult history fansAll puzzles are in British EnglishGet 19 FREE bonus crosswords with this book! As a thank you for purchasing this book, we are giving away 19 FREE crosswords in a printable format for you test your history knowledge on hundreds more clues. The download link is provided in the book. Read more

Based on a three-part television series, this book examines how, despite the Kalahari's immense wilderness of sands and sun-dried grasses, nature has adapted to the scarcity of water. It looks at the ecology of the Okavango Delta and at what is being done to conserve the environment of Botswana. Read more

This fifth edition of Historical Dictionary of Botswana contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary has over 500 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. Read more

The true story of a love which defied family, Apartheid, and empire - the inspiration for the major new feature film A United Kingdom, starring David Oyelowo and Rosamund PikeLondon, 1947. He was the heir to an African kingdom. She was a white English insurance clerk. When they met and fell in love, it would change the world.This is the inspiring true story of Seretse Khama and Ruth Williams, whose marriage sent shockwaves through the establishment, defied an empire - and, finally, triumphed over the prejudices of their age. 'Reading the book, I realised that I had never seen an African love story of this cinematic scope. It spoke to me as an African, as a man, as a romantic' David Oyelowo'A story of forgiveness and healing ... as relevant today as when the whole drama was being played out' Alexander McCall Smith'Unmissable ... A love story for the ages ... One of the best films of the year' Daily Mail'Irresistible storytelling' Guardian'Genuinely moving ... Fascinating and timely' Time Out Read more

"A remarkable story beautifully told...Among such classics as Goodall's In the Shadow of Man and Fossey's Gorillas in the Mist."--Chicago Tribune Carrying little more than a change of clothes and a pair of binoculars, two young Americans, Mark and Delia Owens, caught a plane to Africa, bought a thirdhand Land Rover, and drove deep into the Kalahari Desert. There they lived for seven years, in an unexplored area with no roads, no people, and no source of water for thousands of square miles. In this vast wilderness the Owenses began their zoology research, working along animals that had never before been exposed to humans. An international bestseller, Cry of the Kalahari is the story of the Owenses's life with lions, brown hyenas, jackals, giraffes, and the many other creatures they came to know. It is also a gripping account of how they survived the dangers of living in one of the last and largest pristine areas on Earth. Read more

24-year-old Caitlin Davies was studying in America when she met and fell in love with the enigmatic Ron. When Ron returned to his home in Botswana, Caitlin joined him in Maun, the 'Place of Reeds', and the two began their lives together. Eager to absorb all that Setswana culture had to offer, Caitlin found herself becoming part of Ron's extended family, falling in love with both the country and its people. Eventually, with the birth of their daughter, Caitlin's happiness seemed complete. But the Botswana of the 1990s was changing. AIDS and urbanization had taken their toll, violence was on the increase. When, with her child in her arms, Caitlin was brutally attacked, Ron's family closed ranks and Caitlin found herself ostracized by the very people she had grown to love. Passionate, hilarious, dramatic and heartbreaking in turn, PLACE OF REEDS is a story of the clash of cultures, the inflexibility of belief and traditions. It's a story about women - about Caitlin and her daughter, about Eliah and Madintwa, Ron's formidable mother and grandmother. Most of all, it's a story about one woman's courage, resilience - and ultimately, survival. Read more

From the moment Tim Collins's speech to his men in Iraq was made public, he became more than an army colonel. He spoke to a world that was confused, at best, as to the motives for war, and gave some explanation - at last - for the need for this war and gave counsel on how it should be approached. Full of drama, thought and humour, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT describes in graphic and thrilling detail not only Tim Collins's time in Iraq in the lead up to war and during the war itself, but looks back on a life's experience in the army. He talks for the first time about the accusations of war crimes levelled against him and reveals the truth about US behaviour during the conflict. A snap shot of history, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT is an absorbing tale that will stand the test of time and is a moving lesson in the humanity that lies behind a country at war. Read more

A brilliantly written exploration – part travel writing, part personal quest – of the Bushmen of the Kalahari, Africa’s oldest and most famous populationThe Bushmen have long been mythologised and are firmly entrenched in the Western mind. But what is it about hunter-gatherers that is so attractive to us, and why do we need these myths? Fascinated by this disappearing population, Rupert Isaacson has been venturing into the Kalahari since he was a child and his book is a search for this truth about the Bushmen through Namibia, Botswana and South Africa. Part travel writing, part history of the Bushmen, part personal quest, it will record what he finds there, the landscapes he travels through, the wildlife he has hunted and eaten, the characters, corruption and confusion of a people who have wrenched themselves out of the Stone Age (it wasn’t until 1948 that it became illegal to kill Bushmen) into a cash economy over the past ten years. Read more

Under capitalism, economic growth is seen as the key to collective well-being. In Self-Devouring Growth Julie Livingston upends this notion, showing that while consumption-driven growth may seem to benefit a particular locale, it produces a number of unacknowledged, negative consequences that ripple throughout the wider world. Structuring the book as a parable in which the example of Botswana has lessons for the rest of the globe, Livingston shows how fundamental needs for water, food, and transportation become harnessed to what she calls self-devouring growth: an unchecked and unsustainable global pursuit of economic growth that threatens catastrophic environmental destruction. As Livingston notes, improved technology alone cannot stave off such destruction; what is required is a greater accounting of the web of relationships between humans, nonhuman beings, plants, and minerals that growth entails.  Livingston contends that by failing to understand these relationships and the consequences of self-devouring growth, we may be unknowingly consuming our future. Read more

London 1945: the heir apparent to the largest tribe of Bechuanaland (later Botswana) arrives in Britain to complete his legal studies. Seretse Khama, an urbane 24 year old, educated like Mandela at Fort Hare, was welcomed into the elite world of Oxford. But when he fell in love with Englishwoman Ruth Williams the full force of colonial power was brought to bear to prevent their marriage. Using newly released records Colour Bar recounts a shameful period in British history, of overt racism on the streets of London and the corridors of Whitehall, of appeasement to apartheid South Africa and triumphantly the determination of the Bangwato people whose loyalty finally brought Seretse and Ruth back to their rightful home where together they created the foundations for what has become a uniquely successful African state. Read more

Africa: A Guide for Teachers and Families is a carefully organized resource for teaching children and adolescents about African culture. This book is divided into geographical regions so each can be highlighted and contrasted. The songs, fairy tales, mythologies, biographies, art, and recipes are highlighted with practical activities for each grade including kindergarten. This is an invaluable book for teachers in elementary and high school as well as for home school parents. Based on this extensive, well-researched book, Waldorf teachers have created a full unit on Africa. Teachers and parents will welcome this updated and expanded 2022 edition of the successful book, Hear the Voice of the Griot!.This new and exciting edition makes the music, history, animals, and people of Africa come alive – as well as offering things you can make and do. Check out the interactive connections to YouTube videos, bringing Africa into your home and classroom. Read more

In 1966 the Republic of Botswana came into existence, and this is the tale of how one family played a central role in the countrys development. This biography focuses on the Khama family, and in particular, Seretse Khama: a statesman, chief, husband, and father. Dwelling on the last two aspects of this important figure, this account demonstrates how, in the face of great difficulties and opposition, Sereste and Ruth―a black man and a white woman―were united in a fruitful marriage that showed the world how people from different traditions might live happily. In many respects, their personal story, so movingly recounted here, mirrors the beliefs of the country itself, for Botswana has always stressed the importance of social harmony. Read more

A textual and photographic account of the landscape and animal inhabitants of the wetland at the heart of The Kalahari desert in Africa. Read more