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The Cobra's Heart
One of the most brilliant journalists of the postwar world, Kapuscinski (born 1932) spent decades criss-crossing Africa, witnessing the horrors of a continent ravaged by imperialism and its aftershocks. Humane, evocative and magical, The Cobra's Heart makes the case for Kapuscinski as a great writer as well as a great journalist.
112 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2007
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374 people want to read
About the author
Ryszard Kapuściński
112 books1,977 followersRyszard Kapuściński debuted as a poet in Dziś i jutro at the age of 17 and has been a journalist, writer, and publicist. In 1964 he was appointed to the Polish Press Agency and began traveling around the developing world and reporting on wars, coups and revolutions in Asia, the Americas, and Europe; he lived through twenty-seven revolutions and coups, was jailed forty times, and survived four death sentences. During some of this time he also worked for the Polish Secret Service, although little is known of his role.
See also Ryszard Kapuściński Prize
See also Ryszard Kapuściński Prize
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 34 reviews
September 30, 2015
This book in the Penguin Great Journeys series is an excerpt (or excerpts) from Kapuscinski's The Shadow of the Sun. It reads more like a number of separate essays rather than a cohesive narrative, but that is likely a result of the excerpt selection.
I was impressed with the writing which I found articulate and insightful - which credits the translation from Polish to English as well as the original writing.
Covering events in the 1950s and 60s in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Nigeria, it covers a topic in each chapter, although they all revolve around the end of colonialism and independence (of a sort) of the various countries.
Sections included the independence of Ghana, the districts and separations of Dar Es Salam, the story of the book title - involving an Egyptian cobra, contracting and surviving cerebral malaria, a description of being in Nigeria during the 1966 coup, Idi Amin's bloody rise to power, and a section of wizards (both types - the wizard-devil (or witch), and the sorcerer).
General themes of 'Africanism', such as the corruption of the typical politicians and leaders run through the stories.
Well recommended, and I must read the full book - which is sitting on the shelf waiting...
I was impressed with the writing which I found articulate and insightful - which credits the translation from Polish to English as well as the original writing.
Covering events in the 1950s and 60s in Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda and Nigeria, it covers a topic in each chapter, although they all revolve around the end of colonialism and independence (of a sort) of the various countries.
Sections included the independence of Ghana, the districts and separations of Dar Es Salam, the story of the book title - involving an Egyptian cobra, contracting and surviving cerebral malaria, a description of being in Nigeria during the 1966 coup, Idi Amin's bloody rise to power, and a section of wizards (both types - the wizard-devil (or witch), and the sorcerer).
General themes of 'Africanism', such as the corruption of the typical politicians and leaders run through the stories.
Well recommended, and I must read the full book - which is sitting on the shelf waiting...
January 22, 2018
Kapuscinski was so much more than an observant and intrepid international reporter, he was also clearly a very talented story teller with a great capacity to translate the reality of his perceptions into sublime words on a page.
His account of central Africa, at a time of great political upheaval and social unrest is exceptionally pertinent and moving. A transfixing read. It's one of the few African novels I have read that doesn't try too hard to describe the spellbinding "African experience" that so often seem intended to over impress the reader. Rather, it is a simple story, told exactly as the author lived it - neither embellishments nor nostalgic overtones needed.
Most impressive is his exceptional language "...in the tropics, however, the flora exists in a state of frenzy, in an ecstasy of the most untrammelled procreation. One is struck immediately by a cocky, pushy abundance, an endless eruption of an exuberant, panting mass of vegetation, all the elements of which - tree, bush, liana, vine, growing pressing, stimulating, inciting on another - have already become so interlocked, knotted, and clenched that only sharpened steel, wielded with a horrendous amount of physical force, can cut through it a passage, path or tunnel..." This passage, for me at least, truly captures the "strangling" and "eruptive", bold and real experience that is Africa.
His account of central Africa, at a time of great political upheaval and social unrest is exceptionally pertinent and moving. A transfixing read. It's one of the few African novels I have read that doesn't try too hard to describe the spellbinding "African experience" that so often seem intended to over impress the reader. Rather, it is a simple story, told exactly as the author lived it - neither embellishments nor nostalgic overtones needed.
Most impressive is his exceptional language "...in the tropics, however, the flora exists in a state of frenzy, in an ecstasy of the most untrammelled procreation. One is struck immediately by a cocky, pushy abundance, an endless eruption of an exuberant, panting mass of vegetation, all the elements of which - tree, bush, liana, vine, growing pressing, stimulating, inciting on another - have already become so interlocked, knotted, and clenched that only sharpened steel, wielded with a horrendous amount of physical force, can cut through it a passage, path or tunnel..." This passage, for me at least, truly captures the "strangling" and "eruptive", bold and real experience that is Africa.
August 5, 2019
Everyone is aware how the African continent needs development ...or how underdeveloped it is. Ryszard Kapuscinski's foreword in the book states how much time he has spent in Africa - and continues to visit it when possible. He has spent a lot of time travelling around the continent as a journalist and traveller - and this book is a testimony of some of his experiences.
What struck me the most was how well his narration threw up very sharp images of the continent. An example is the the concept of time and how it is different for people in the developed world and in Africa. He attempt to board a bus to travel to Kumasi - and reaches on time. Only to find that it is going to be delayed. He asks the people around when will this depart - and he is told "Why ? When the bus is full?". I can relate to this in India - and this is similar in the smaller towns.
The way it is described is very poignant. Western Man is a slave to time and lives his life looking at the clock and how much time he /she will spend on different things - and also planning to spend time in the future as well. They are aware that fighting against time is futile and they will always lose. In Africa - see the above example - people will wait ( literally until Kingdom Come....and some more) as though time is not important. In the above instance when everyone boards the bus and it is full - the time has come and people come to life. Energy flows through them and they are engaged in animated conversation as the bus starts to move.
When malaria strikes - the author describes a time when he is afflicted by cerebral malaria - people in Africa are literally struck a very strong physical blow. After the pain disappears almost after 2 weeks ( mind numbing pain) the body is so weak...that it cannot move. The author describes Africa as having a "murderous climate" and Africans by definition are emaciated, underfed, hungry and weak...this potent combination of climate with poor physical condition makes the continent really dark - and a large appellation. 30 million square kilometers of vast lands in tough conditions have shaped the people. They live in groups to help improve probability of survival and deal with challenges.
When people have accidents while driving in the Western world hey investigate vehicular failure - and diagnose the remedy as increasing frequency of service station visits et al. In Africa people believe this accident was not caused by vehicle failure - when there are so many others plying on the road without failure why did this happen to the victim? It is because he/she was cursed by a wizard devil or wizard artist. Differing levels of curses come from these people and they decide fate of communities. Superstition, beliefs and tradition combine with a tough climatic condition to make development in Africa a big challenge.
There are many snippets of how Whites under Bismarck onwards steadily did not allow development of infrastructure in Africa - only because they way wanted to exploit the riches of the land for its wealth.
And the horrific story of Idi Amin and his murderous reign - until defeat against Nyerere's Tanzanian Army.
A short novel - 100 pages of riveting vignettes of Africa.
I loved it. Highly recommended. Kapuscinski writes very well indeed.
What struck me the most was how well his narration threw up very sharp images of the continent. An example is the the concept of time and how it is different for people in the developed world and in Africa. He attempt to board a bus to travel to Kumasi - and reaches on time. Only to find that it is going to be delayed. He asks the people around when will this depart - and he is told "Why ? When the bus is full?". I can relate to this in India - and this is similar in the smaller towns.
The way it is described is very poignant. Western Man is a slave to time and lives his life looking at the clock and how much time he /she will spend on different things - and also planning to spend time in the future as well. They are aware that fighting against time is futile and they will always lose. In Africa - see the above example - people will wait ( literally until Kingdom Come....and some more) as though time is not important. In the above instance when everyone boards the bus and it is full - the time has come and people come to life. Energy flows through them and they are engaged in animated conversation as the bus starts to move.
When malaria strikes - the author describes a time when he is afflicted by cerebral malaria - people in Africa are literally struck a very strong physical blow. After the pain disappears almost after 2 weeks ( mind numbing pain) the body is so weak...that it cannot move. The author describes Africa as having a "murderous climate" and Africans by definition are emaciated, underfed, hungry and weak...this potent combination of climate with poor physical condition makes the continent really dark - and a large appellation. 30 million square kilometers of vast lands in tough conditions have shaped the people. They live in groups to help improve probability of survival and deal with challenges.
When people have accidents while driving in the Western world hey investigate vehicular failure - and diagnose the remedy as increasing frequency of service station visits et al. In Africa people believe this accident was not caused by vehicle failure - when there are so many others plying on the road without failure why did this happen to the victim? It is because he/she was cursed by a wizard devil or wizard artist. Differing levels of curses come from these people and they decide fate of communities. Superstition, beliefs and tradition combine with a tough climatic condition to make development in Africa a big challenge.
There are many snippets of how Whites under Bismarck onwards steadily did not allow development of infrastructure in Africa - only because they way wanted to exploit the riches of the land for its wealth.
And the horrific story of Idi Amin and his murderous reign - until defeat against Nyerere's Tanzanian Army.
A short novel - 100 pages of riveting vignettes of Africa.
I loved it. Highly recommended. Kapuscinski writes very well indeed.
December 5, 2007
Made me want to have the balls to explore Africa.
May 16, 2023
Surprise charity shop book 📖
🌸 A short insight into the state of the African continent (or, rather, some of it) in the 50s and 60s, as seen from an outsider. Fascinating, insightful and entertaining: I thoroughly enjoyed this tiny gem.
I especially appreciated that, for it's time, it recognised the divergence throughout Africa and that we can't talk about the continent as if it's one country.
A nice insight into cultures and history I don't know a lot about.
🌸 A short insight into the state of the African continent (or, rather, some of it) in the 50s and 60s, as seen from an outsider. Fascinating, insightful and entertaining: I thoroughly enjoyed this tiny gem.
I especially appreciated that, for it's time, it recognised the divergence throughout Africa and that we can't talk about the continent as if it's one country.
A nice insight into cultures and history I don't know a lot about.
October 13, 2022
What an unexpected little gem! And I picked it up cast off in a free book bin outside a charity thrift store! If you come across a copy take it up and devour it.
The translation by Klara Glowczewska is a pleasure to read and the author's quick tales and reminiscences are very insightful. I have another book by him and it just went to the top of the next-book pile.
The translation by Klara Glowczewska is a pleasure to read and the author's quick tales and reminiscences are very insightful. I have another book by him and it just went to the top of the next-book pile.
April 18, 2025
Only bought this one cause the cover looked cool (ik, ik), but it turned out to be really interesting! I’m glad I picked it up
June 28, 2025
Excellent small book. It is only after finishing it that I learned that this is a book of excerpts from Kapuscinski’s full book, The Shadow of the Sun. I will need to track that one down. Basically, this is a series of essays on this reporter’s experiences and adventures in Africa. It does not make the idea of traveling there too attractive.
February 11, 2019
The Cobra's Heart is a succinct yet expansive book about a Polish journalist's experiences and observations in 20th-century Africa. Just under 100 pages, it's merely an excerpt of Ryszard Kapuściński's full-length book, The Shadow of the Sun. Upon finishing it, I was happy to find the full version already on my to-read list (added, though forgotten apparently, in 2013) as well as pleasantly surprised that this miniature made me want to read the full book.
Though the titular chapter - in which the author has a close call with a deadly cobra - is interesting enough, it's the historical-political anecdotes that I found the most intriguing. In "I, a White Man," he talks about the feeling of apartheid in Dar es Salaam, a coastal city in Tanzania which encompasses neighborhoods from the comfortable, predominantly white Oyster Bay to the dry, dusty African suburbs away from the water. He explains how, upon the eventual departure of the Europeans, a new elite class emerged which continued to exploit the common people and led to events such as the 1966 military coup d'etat in Nigeria. In "Amin," Kapuściński paints a portrait of Idi Amin, the notoriously brutal dictator of Uganda in the 70s.
Kapuściński has a great writing style, descriptive but not too wordy or overly "clever." Some reviewers have described his full-length book as too bleak or negative. I can't speak to that (yet), but I think these excerpts show someone with real interest in the subject and empathy with the people he is describing.
Though the titular chapter - in which the author has a close call with a deadly cobra - is interesting enough, it's the historical-political anecdotes that I found the most intriguing. In "I, a White Man," he talks about the feeling of apartheid in Dar es Salaam, a coastal city in Tanzania which encompasses neighborhoods from the comfortable, predominantly white Oyster Bay to the dry, dusty African suburbs away from the water. He explains how, upon the eventual departure of the Europeans, a new elite class emerged which continued to exploit the common people and led to events such as the 1966 military coup d'etat in Nigeria. In "Amin," Kapuściński paints a portrait of Idi Amin, the notoriously brutal dictator of Uganda in the 70s.
The fishermen threw their catch onto a table, and when the onlookers saw it, they grew still and silent. The fish was fat, enormous . . . Everyone knew that for a long time now Amin’s henchmen had been dumping the bodies of their victims in the lake, and that crocodiles and meat-eating fish must have been feasting on them. The crowd remained quiet.
Kapuściński has a great writing style, descriptive but not too wordy or overly "clever." Some reviewers have described his full-length book as too bleak or negative. I can't speak to that (yet), but I think these excerpts show someone with real interest in the subject and empathy with the people he is describing.
January 6, 2026
4 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Cobra's Heart really impressed me. This book is a collection of excerpts from Kapuściński’s The Shadow of the Sun, which I now definitely plan to read in full because of how strong this collection was.
Kapuściński reported on Africa for over 40 years for a Polish newspaper, and he was there at incredibly pivotal moments from independence movements, coups, political upheaval and social unrest. What stood out immediately was how he wrote about the events he witnessed. You can tell he's an amazing reporter and gifted storyteller too, with the ability to turn lived experiences into meaningful prose.
His accounts of Central Africa during times of instability are moving and still feel relevant even today. You can tell how much time he spent on the continent, not just passing through, but observing and listening to the people and cultures around him.
I’m always cautious with non-African writers trying to capture African cultures, but Kapuściński approaches what’s “foreign” to him with curiosity rather than judgment. One of the most fascinating sections explores different concepts of time, especially the contrast between Western time and African time. His story about trying to board a bus to Kumasi, arriving on time, only to be told it will leave when it’s full, was a wonderful example.
He then describes in one of my favorite paragraphs of the book, how Western life is ruled by schedules and the constant pressure of running out of time, while in many parts of Africa, time feels more flexible and up to the people.
Despite the dense subject matter, this was a surprisingly quick read. Kapuściński’s writing is descriptive enough that it proves great journalism doesn’t need photographs to leave an impact.
“Meantime, the unschooled European mind, inclined to rational reduction, to pigeonholing and simplification, readily pushes everything African into a single bag and is content with facile stereotypes.”
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12/31
honestly this wasn't bad, full review tomorrow lmao
“People are not hungry because there is no food in the world… between those who want to eat and the bursting warehouses stands a tall obstacle indeed: politics.”
The Cobra's Heart really impressed me. This book is a collection of excerpts from Kapuściński’s The Shadow of the Sun, which I now definitely plan to read in full because of how strong this collection was.
Kapuściński reported on Africa for over 40 years for a Polish newspaper, and he was there at incredibly pivotal moments from independence movements, coups, political upheaval and social unrest. What stood out immediately was how he wrote about the events he witnessed. You can tell he's an amazing reporter and gifted storyteller too, with the ability to turn lived experiences into meaningful prose.
His accounts of Central Africa during times of instability are moving and still feel relevant even today. You can tell how much time he spent on the continent, not just passing through, but observing and listening to the people and cultures around him.
I’m always cautious with non-African writers trying to capture African cultures, but Kapuściński approaches what’s “foreign” to him with curiosity rather than judgment. One of the most fascinating sections explores different concepts of time, especially the contrast between Western time and African time. His story about trying to board a bus to Kumasi, arriving on time, only to be told it will leave when it’s full, was a wonderful example.
He then describes in one of my favorite paragraphs of the book, how Western life is ruled by schedules and the constant pressure of running out of time, while in many parts of Africa, time feels more flexible and up to the people.
Despite the dense subject matter, this was a surprisingly quick read. Kapuściński’s writing is descriptive enough that it proves great journalism doesn’t need photographs to leave an impact.
“Meantime, the unschooled European mind, inclined to rational reduction, to pigeonholing and simplification, readily pushes everything African into a single bag and is content with facile stereotypes.”
------------
12/31
honestly this wasn't bad, full review tomorrow lmao
July 31, 2017
A quick read despite its dense text, I basically ate this book for breakfast. Kapuscinski's lush description is both an example of excellent journalism and a lesson on how prose dispenses with the need for photographs entirely. Anyone keen on military history would also have found his analysis of Idi Amin's rule fascinating. In his description of rule by absolute, random and constant terror, and the cynical employment of tribal loyalties to a dark end, I see Kapuscinski's description reflecting the methods used by Saddam Hussein (as recorded by Kanan Makiya.) The final description of what Kapuscinski tries to present as a dysfunctional culture, a people he encounters (shunned by other Africans) who locate the dangerous and malevolent 'Other' as being among themselves, should give any reader pause for thought. Whether Kapuscinski was correct in how he viewed these people from outside is slightly less important for the reader than what he was alluding to. He describes people who live in a constant state of suspicion of one another. Is this a microcosm of the world? Could entire countries be this way, for example? And would that lead to humanity's end? Heavy stuff, but because Kapuscinski doesn't labour the point, the book doesn't come across as nihilistic or depressing. A good little read that made my mind feel expanded.
October 25, 2025
I always feel deeply conflicted with Kapuściński's writing. He has a flair with language, and an eye for detail. He travelled across Africa, reporting on events during decolonization and the initial era of independence. The things he sees and reports on are fascinating, and unmatched by any other writer during that time. His willingness to report from the periphery, and to take into account the perspectives of dictators and street urchins, is also unmatched. The problems come with his generalizations about Africa, and his desire to try to encapsulate the 'African spirit', or the 'African view' of things like time or space, generalizing about the entire continent will openly admitting that its impossible to do so. There have long been questions about the accuracy of his writing, and whether it ought to be considered fiction or non-fiction. Through this all though, is a unique talent for writing paired with the curiosity of Herodotus, providing some of the most in-depth reporting from across the continent at the time.
August 14, 2022
I've read nonfiction books running for over two/three hundred pages with the driest, most heavy-going, textbook-toned writing I ever set eyes on (which I ended up merely scanning and skipping through to the end or not even bothering finishing). But now I've discovered this slim journalistic/travel book centered on central, western and eastern Africa (a Penguin Great Journeys extract from THE SHADOW OF THE SUN by an author whose name I've learnt to pronounce with relish) that offers, in just under a hundred pages, the most gorgeous, tantalising, translated from Polish prose I've read in my recent nonfiction reading.
The writing reminded me of Camus' lyrical essays and Greene's two African journals, IN SEARCH OF A CHARACTER. I adore Albert Camus and Graham Greene! I now adore Ryszard Kapuściński!
The writing reminded me of Camus' lyrical essays and Greene's two African journals, IN SEARCH OF A CHARACTER. I adore Albert Camus and Graham Greene! I now adore Ryszard Kapuściński!
June 14, 2024
This is an abbreviated version of ‘The Shadow of the Sun’, Kapuściński’s collection of essays/reportage/journalism about his experience of Africa.
It was the only one of the Penguin ‘Great Journeys’ taster series that I really liked as it is not hamstrung by trying to fulfil an obligation to be botanically exact or make a show of European superiority or ensure the sponsor gets his money’s worth of information etc etc. It is an account of one man’s encounters with the people, places and events of Africa that take place while he is there. It is intended as a readable as well as informative travelogue.
Or maybe because it’s written in a more modern style.
However, I point people towards Jeannette’s Goodreads review of the full length book. She has an interesting take on the extent to which we can regard Kapuściński’s record as entirely truthful.
It was the only one of the Penguin ‘Great Journeys’ taster series that I really liked as it is not hamstrung by trying to fulfil an obligation to be botanically exact or make a show of European superiority or ensure the sponsor gets his money’s worth of information etc etc. It is an account of one man’s encounters with the people, places and events of Africa that take place while he is there. It is intended as a readable as well as informative travelogue.
Or maybe because it’s written in a more modern style.
However, I point people towards Jeannette’s Goodreads review of the full length book. She has an interesting take on the extent to which we can regard Kapuściński’s record as entirely truthful.
Read
June 21, 2022αναμφίβολα σας έχει τύχει να μην μπορείτε να περιγράψετε κάτι. η μυρωδιά, για παράδειγμα, που σας υποδέχεται όταν φτάνεται με αεροπλάνο στην αφρική. ε, ο kapuściński το κάνει για εσάς στις πρώτες σελίδες.
June 28, 2024
Beautifully lyrical and descriptive writing which fully brings to life the political backdrop of the African world in which he is travelling.
I love the way he puts his observations down on paper.
A short, but highly recommended read.
I love the way he puts his observations down on paper.
A short, but highly recommended read.
September 20, 2018
Reading this is like gargling honey; you want the sweetness to last so much the only feeling of terror is that the book will end. Stunning.
Read
November 15, 2020Engaging ruminations on Africa by a Polish emigre.
October 3, 2021
The snapshots of life as a journalist in mid 2oth century Africa were enjoyable to read, and an interesting view of the era.
January 11, 2026
very different to the books I normally read so it wasn't my cup of tea and I felt like there were a lot of names to get my head around.
May 22, 2013
This is the extract of the full book under Penguin's Great Journeys series.
Kapuscinski has described his experiences in Africa and his experiences are authentic and his information about the place and people is very insightful , something which has come by actually going in various inhospitable african terrains and facing extremely harsh conditions. It covers Ghana, Tanjania, Nigeria, Uganda.
It covers the events of late 50's and 60's when many african nations were getting independence from the european colonial powers.
It starts with Ghana's independence in 1958 and pride of the new nation and its attempts to increase education.
Then he comes to Dar-es-Salam. Author describes how Dar-es-salam is neatly divided into 3 sections. The coastal Oyster Bay which is White ruler's area. Then a middle-class business district of traders of indian community. and lastly the inland part for poor black populations.
From Dar-es-Salam author and another person Leo drive towards Kampala, Uganda. There is clear road , instead there is several trails forking into all directions making it impossible to find the right road. On the way they are lost. When they retire in an unoccupied hut author notices a semi-sleep Cobra.
Later on it covers events of Uganda during Idi Amin's totalitarian regime and it also covers Coup in Nigeria.
Along the way author comes thru several near-fatal diseases and troubles including cobra, Lions, Crebreal Malaria etc.
Recommended for anyone interested in africa OR in a good travel narrative of Africa.
Kapuscinski has described his experiences in Africa and his experiences are authentic and his information about the place and people is very insightful , something which has come by actually going in various inhospitable african terrains and facing extremely harsh conditions. It covers Ghana, Tanjania, Nigeria, Uganda.
It covers the events of late 50's and 60's when many african nations were getting independence from the european colonial powers.
It starts with Ghana's independence in 1958 and pride of the new nation and its attempts to increase education.
Then he comes to Dar-es-Salam. Author describes how Dar-es-salam is neatly divided into 3 sections. The coastal Oyster Bay which is White ruler's area. Then a middle-class business district of traders of indian community. and lastly the inland part for poor black populations.
From Dar-es-Salam author and another person Leo drive towards Kampala, Uganda. There is clear road , instead there is several trails forking into all directions making it impossible to find the right road. On the way they are lost. When they retire in an unoccupied hut author notices a semi-sleep Cobra.
Later on it covers events of Uganda during Idi Amin's totalitarian regime and it also covers Coup in Nigeria.
Along the way author comes thru several near-fatal diseases and troubles including cobra, Lions, Crebreal Malaria etc.
Recommended for anyone interested in africa OR in a good travel narrative of Africa.
November 3, 2022
Years ago, before I had lived and travelled in Africa, I read Kapuscinski and was enamoured. It made me want to travel there. I now live and work in Kenya. His writing is great at evoking a wild and rich experience, but now I realise it’s not the experience of the people he writes about, it’s the experience of a white man, a foreigner on the continent. More a travel journal than reportage. Which is fine, and fascinating for the time in which it was written. He is great at capturing the experience of an inquisitive outsider. Sometimes, he paints all African people with the same brush, claiming knowledge about how a whole continent of countless languages, environments, cultures think about time, identity, travel. It can feel a little reminiscent of Conrad. It must feel a little frustrating to read if you are a Ghanaian, or Uganda. I don’t know if they would see themselves in these pages and be angered by these broad strokes. I assume they would.
Now that we are spoilt for choice with incredible African writers I don’t think I’ll be revisiting him again. Or recommending him to friends as I once did. Kapuscinski is an important writer, but like all writers, he is of his time, and in that time he was groundbreaking.
Now that we are spoilt for choice with incredible African writers I don’t think I’ll be revisiting him again. Or recommending him to friends as I once did. Kapuscinski is an important writer, but like all writers, he is of his time, and in that time he was groundbreaking.
August 4, 2021
Obviously not just a well travelled, talented traveller and journalist but a creative story- teller to boot. What better a testimony to the author's experiences in 20th-century Africa than this 100 pages of engaging vignettes taken from the author's The Shadow of the Sun.
His writing articulate, free of nostalgic embellishment and, at times, surprisingly humorous, as with all of the twenty books in the Great Journeys series The Cobra's Heart reads as a small collection of separate small essays; the beauty being that given this glimpse the reader is offered an insight into the works of an author they may well have otherwise passed by as being not for them.
Copyright ... Felicity Grace Terry @ Pen and Paper
His writing articulate, free of nostalgic embellishment and, at times, surprisingly humorous, as with all of the twenty books in the Great Journeys series The Cobra's Heart reads as a small collection of separate small essays; the beauty being that given this glimpse the reader is offered an insight into the works of an author they may well have otherwise passed by as being not for them.
Copyright ... Felicity Grace Terry @ Pen and Paper
May 18, 2013
Bookcrossing review:
I really enjoyed this book, so it was quite frustrating that it is so short. I've added the book that these extracts are from to my wishlist to remind me to keep my eyes open for the full book.
This one is by a Polish writer, and is about some of his experiences in central Africa - mainly Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania during the 60s. This was a time when a lot of these countries were getting their independance, so there's quite a bit about that. Amin comes up in his own chapter - kind of a character hard to miss really for this period. Also stuff about life in this region, people's beliefs in witches and socerors and their fear of the dark. Interesting reading.
I really enjoyed this book, so it was quite frustrating that it is so short. I've added the book that these extracts are from to my wishlist to remind me to keep my eyes open for the full book.
This one is by a Polish writer, and is about some of his experiences in central Africa - mainly Ghana, Uganda and Tanzania during the 60s. This was a time when a lot of these countries were getting their independance, so there's quite a bit about that. Amin comes up in his own chapter - kind of a character hard to miss really for this period. Also stuff about life in this region, people's beliefs in witches and socerors and their fear of the dark. Interesting reading.
September 3, 2008
Loved this book. It is a little disjointed, due to the author writing for newspapers in his native Poland, but is provides a fascinating insight into the culture and experiences of African Nations going through the liberating, and for many ultimately failed, process of freedom from the colonial yoke in the 1960's. Its interesting to compare your own views and attitudes (ignorant though mine are) of these countries to that of the author, and the time he lived in. Great for those who like adventure/travel books, and also political analysis of different cultures.
February 20, 2011
The Third World is Kapusciniski's personal "beat". No one writes more effectively of the brutal contingencies, the hilarious and terrifying randomness of events, of the blithe, cruel anarchy of African countries in chaos. But at the same time no one conveys better that seductive allure of the fauna and flora of the continent, the captivating, tenacious fascination for the place that is always present despite the irritation and dismay.
February 26, 2013
This book is so descriptive, almost paints a picture as you read. I did find the stories/essays seemed unrelated but enjoyed it, despite finding it quite disturbing. I have read little about Africa before and the book was definitely an eye opener. As a Brit I particularly found the essay on Uganda interesting as I remember many Ugandans arriving in the UK at that time. I was a child then and had no idea of what they had endured having to leave the homes, work and loved ones.
December 26, 2014
A short extract from The shadow of the sun, it reminded me again how absolutely wonderful Kapuściński's writing is. How he can make everything come alive and put you right in there so that you feel the oppressive heat of the Saharan towns and shiver in the eerie darkness of the African nights.
He is one of my favourite ("The favourite", perhaps) non-fiction writer. And I promise myself that I will reread some of his books in the new year.
He is one of my favourite ("The favourite", perhaps) non-fiction writer. And I promise myself that I will reread some of his books in the new year.
August 29, 2007
more dark madness from the heart of africa - hard to believe he lived through all this.
I'd still recommend "Travels with Heroditus" unless you're really interested in Africa particularly. Much more entertaining.
I'd still recommend "Travels with Heroditus" unless you're really interested in Africa particularly. Much more entertaining.
August 16, 2010
Small book of essays on Africa from the vantage point of a much-travelled European (Polish) writer. Can't say I encountered any challenging new insights into the 'African' - but a please to read small, well-crafted little pieces. The title essay, The Cobra's Hearet particularly exiciting....
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