Synopsis

Bill Bryson goes to Kenya at the invitation of CARE International, the charity dedicated to working with local communities to eradicate poverty around the world. Kenya, generally regarded as the cradle of mankind, is a land of contrasts, with famous game reserves, stunning landscapes, and a vibrant cultural tradition. It also provides plenty to worry a traveller like Bill Bryson, fixated as he is on the dangers posed by snakes, insects and large predators. But on a more sober note, it is a country that shares many serious human and environmental problems with the rest of Africa: refugees, AIDS, drought and grinding poverty. Travelling around the country, Bryson casts his inimitable eye on a continent new to him, and the resultant diary, though short in length, contains the trademark Bryson stamp of wry observation and curious insight. All the author’s royalties from “Bill Bryson’s African Diary”, as well as all profits, will go to CARE International.

Bill Bryson, brings his trademark wit and humour to this book wonderful little book and managing to pack in an impressively dense number of insights into such a compact work.

Even though he once slated my home town in one of his books (observations I found hard to disagree with! ) I’ve always enjoyed his travel books, and for wit, style and information, this book really doesn’t let you down, the only thing that could be said against it, is that it is very short, just as you are settling in to it, your done. But that is hardly the point, everybody involved in the book from Bryson to his publishers, Transword, have produced it for free, more pages would simply mean less money for CARE International.

And as Bryson himself says in his last diary entry, you’re not so much buying a book, but making a donation and getting a free book in return.

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