Books-Uganda

Philip Briggs’: Once again Philip Briggs’ has outdone himself here in the 6th Edition of this guide.  Somebody once said that if you planted a walking stick overnight in the soil of Uganda, it would take root before morning dawned. Of all Africa’s safari destinations, this is the most fertile. It’s also the best destination in Africa for seeing a variety of primate species – visitors can spot more than ten types of monkey including mountain gorillas and chimpanzees. And if primate enthusiasts are found wandering round with imbecile grins, Uganda’s birds have ornithologists doing cartwheels: more than 1,000 bird species have been recorded here making Uganda, in practical terms, the finest bird watching destination in Africa. Moreover, in Uganda’s premier savanna reserves, one can be almost certain of encountering lions, elephants and buffaloes.
Whether visitors want to climb to the snows of the fabled Mountains of the Moon, raft the headwaters of the mighty Nile, or marvel at the legendary tree-climbing lions of Ishasha, this sixth edition of Philip Briggs’ much-praised guide is the most comprehensive resource available.

Walter Baumgärtel: If you are coming to Uganda in order to track the Mountain Gorillas, this is a book to read. The account of German man who bought the still in existence “Travellers Rest Hotel” in Kisoro, Uganda.  As he lived in the shadows of the Virunga Volcanoes he became interested in the Mountain Gorillas and that  interest led him to develop modern day gorilla tourism in Uganda.

His inn hosted many notables including Dian Fossey, who called his hotel “a second home.”  More interesting is him what now would be called habituation of gorilla.  I personally enjoyed his book and found it inspiring to write a webpage regarding the “Father of Gorilla Tourism -

Bishop Festo Kivengere: Some called him the Billy Graham of Africa – a Church of Uganda Bishop (Anglican – whose influence is still felt in Uganda today.  At a time when often so called ministers in Uganda are participating in various scams and schemes, Festo Kivengere stands out as a beacon of living out in daily life what he preached.

He is called – “The Man who refused to hate.”  He could not be bought by Idi Amin, he stood firm in his faith, even when Bishop Luwum was killed by President Idi Amin.  If you are visiting Uganda on a short term missions trip – this is a wonderful read for you.

Having read all of Kapuscinki’s books, The Shadow of the Sun is my personal Favorite one.  Informative, Insightful, Entertaining, Captivating are just a few words to describe this book…he catches the soul of Africa – like no other Western writer.

Bat Katanga, a graduate of Cambridge, returns to his homeland and a job at the Ministry of Power and Communication.  Little does he realize that it is a setup for him to fail. The novel chronicles his daily struggles in the Amin system where the educated were despised – where the only rule was intimidation and raw power.
Snakepit draws a graphic picture of the rule of Idi Amin over Uganda and its people, most who were victims of a madman.

Delightful, giving you some Ugandan post-independence history, some insights into tribal and religious difference, opening  a window to Uganda that will give you insights into the Pearl of Africa

Highly recommended  – I have read it twice in Uganda and each time was delighted.

You will treasure this book before and after you visit Uganda

Cooking the East African Way is a great introduction to cooking food from East Africa. This cookbook contains recipes from Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania, Eritrea, and Somalia. The authors carefully explain the food culture of East Africa. For example, how many East Africans only eat once or twice a day and eat very fresh food due to the lack of electricity and refrigeration.
This book is geared to Americans who want to learn to make East African recipes so the recipes use American measurements, utensils, and methods. There are two sample dinner menus in this cookbook along with the shopping list for each dinner menu. Cooking the East African Way includes basic cooking instructions and explanations of cooking equipment, terms, safety, special ingredients, along with low-fat cooking tips and metric conversions.