Compiled from four decades of reporting, this is celebrated journalistRyszard Kapuscinski's most complete portrait of the Africa that he hasmade of the focus of his great career. Kapuscinski does more than recordthe political and social upheavals that have followed the end of colonialrule; he immerses us in the culture as he hitchhikes with caravans,wanders the deserts with nomads and spends time as the guest of farmers,villagers, and missionaries. What emerges is a remarkable depiction ofAfrica — not as a group of nations — but as a vast montage ofpeoples, cultures, and encounters. Kapuscinski's unorthodox approach andhis profound respect for the people he meets challenge conventionalunderstandings of modern Africa.