Africa Audiobooks | Travel

MAKOKO es la breve historia de Elf, un muchacho criado en un suburbio de Lagos (Nigeria) que huye de la miseria y la violencia de su entorno en busca de una vida mejor. La existencia de Elf es una odisea desde el mismo día de su nacimiento, abandonado por su madre adolescente y acogido por una viuda en Makoko. Los primeros años de su vida transcurren en un barrio edificado sobre una ciénaga, gobernado por la mafia local y maltratado por unas instituciones corruptas. Las circunstancias obligarán al muchacho a emprender un viaje sin retorno. El relato está construido como una odisea épica, salpicada de elementos propios de la novela negra, donde los mafiosos, la policía, los traficantes de seres humanos y la violencia institucional proporcionan a la historia un carácter distinto que la separa de lo que a priori podría parecer una novela de aventuras. Durante la narración se hacen pequeños saltos en el espacio, en los que además del propio viaje a través de África, se vuelve a Makoko y se relatan acontecimientos acaecidos en el suburbio, especialmente la lucha entre el Ayuntamiento de Lagos y las cuadrillas de vigilantes que gobiernan el barrio a través de un régimen de terror. Las tribulaciones sufridas por Elf, protagonista absoluto de la novela, nos sirven de excusa para retratar, o al menos apuntar, algunos de los muchos sufrimientos padecidos por los miles de personas que cada día luchan por alcanzar Europa. En la novela no se deja lugar a la esperanza, ni tampoco tiene moralina. Intenta relatar, con la dosis necesaria de crudeza y violencia, algo que algún día quedará escrito en la historia negra de la humanidad, como lo fue la Inquisición, la esclavitud o el nazismo. Mientras esto ocurre, nosotros disfrutamos en nuestro sillón frente al televisor de la mejor liga del mundo.

Jose Maria Garcia Sanchez (Author), Silvia G. Lasil (Narrator)

Audiobook

[Spanish] - El regreso

El autor de Solo en el mundo e Historia de una desaparición emprende en este relato autobiográfico una infatigable búsqueda de la verdad y nos invita a compartir sus emociones más íntimas, desde las luminosas estampas de una infancia mediterránea en Trípoli y Bengasi hasta un áspero presente donde se mezclan la ilusión, la rabia y la impotencia. En marzo de 2012, treinta y tres años después de haber pisado por última vez la tierra de sus orígenes, el autor de este libro regresó a Libia junto a su madre y su mujer. El derrocamiento de Gadafi había abierto un tiempo nuevo en el que cabía la esperanza de refundar una sociedad devastada por los abominables crímenes de la dictadura, recuperando un sistema de valores basado en la justicia y el respeto por la vida humana. Sin embargo, más allá de soñar con un país en libertad y progreso, en la mente de Hisham bullía el deseo de cerrar una herida profunda y dolorosa que había marcado su vida y la de su familia. En 1990, su padre, Jaballa Matar, un próspero y culto empresario, amante de la poesía y líder de la disidencia en el exilio, había sido secuestrado en El Cairo y confinado en una prisión libia. Seis años más tarde, las escasas noticias que llegaban se interrumpieron: el rastro de Jaballa se perdió definitivamente. Transitando con maestría entre las convulsiones personales y los acontecimientos históricos, este sincero y poliédrico relato autobiográfico no se limita a tratar de comprender las aflicciones del pasado, sino que señala una y otra vez el consuelo reparador que ofrecen el amor y la amistad, la literatura y el arte. La crítica ha dicho... «¡Brillante! [...] El relato de la búsqueda de su padre es meticuloso, incluso frío, pero su rabia es destemplada e irreconciliable. Con gran destreza, Hisham Matar da forma a la pérdida y dota de universalidad esta particular experiencia de la desolación.» Hilary Mantel «Un libro fascinante sobre el amor y la esperanza, y al mismo tiempo una conmovedora reflexión sobre el dolor y la pérdida. Hisham Matar traza un retrato memorable de una familia en el exilio y, al mismo tiempo, analiza con sutileza e inteligencia la política de Libia. [...] Seguramente se convertirá en un clásico.» Colm Tóibín «Matar escribe con el ojo de un novelista para los detalles físicos y emocionales, y el tacto de un periodista para describir instantes y lugares. Laprosa es concisa, económica, está tallada con precisión; la estructura narrativa es elíptica, casi musical.» Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times «Sabio, aterrador y emocionante.» Zadie Smith «El autor posee una mirada y un oído de enorme sutileza y sensibilidad [...]. Una impactante historia de amor, lealtad y coraje. Sin duda, hay que leerla.» The Spectator

Hisham Matar (Author), Diego Rousselon (Narrator)

Audiobook

Zulu War and Boer War, The: The History and Legacy of the Conflicts that Cemented British Control of

The modern history of Africa was, until very recently, written on behalf of the indigenous races by the white man, who had forcefully entered the continent during a particularly hubristic and dynamic phase of European history. In 1884, Prince Otto von Bismarck, the German chancellor, brought the plenipotentiaries of all major powers of Europe together, to deal with Africa's colonization in such a manner as to avoid provocation of war. This event—known as the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885—galvanized a phenomenon that came to be known as the Scramble for Africa. The conference established two fundamental rules for European seizure of Africa. The first of these was that no recognition of annexation would granted without evidence of a practical occupation, and the second, that a practical occupation would be deemed unlawful without a formal appeal for protection made on behalf of a territory by its leader, a plea that must be committed to paper in the form of a legal treaty. This began a rush, spearheaded mainly by European commercial interests in the form of Chartered Companies, to penetrate the African interior and woo its leadership with guns, trinkets and alcohol, and having thus obtained their marks or seals upon spurious treaties, begin establishing boundaries of future European African colonies. The ease with which this was achieved was due to the fact that, at that point, traditional African leadership was disunited, and the people had just staggered back from centuries of concussion inflicted by the slave trade. Thus, to usurp authority, to intimidate an already broken society, and to play one leader against the other was a diplomatic task so childishly simple, the matter was wrapped up, for the most part, in less than a decade.

Charles River Editors (Author), Colin Fluxman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Zimbabwe under the British Empire: The History of Great Britain’s Colonization and Decolonization Be

The modern history of Africa was, until very recently, written on behalf of the indigenous races by the white man, who had forcefully entered the continent during a particularly hubristic and dynamic phase of European history. In 1884, Prince Otto von Bismark, the German chancellor, brought the plenipotentiaries of all major powers of Europe together, to deal with Africa's colonization in such a manner as to avoid provocation of war. This event—known as the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885—galvanized a phenomenon that came to be known as the Scramble for Africa. The conference established two fundamental rules for European seizure of Africa. The first of these was that no recognition of annexation would granted without evidence of a practical occupation, and the second, that a practical occupation would be deemed unlawful without a formal appeal for protection made on behalf of a territory by its leader, a plea that must be committed to paper in the form of a legal treaty. This began a rush, spearheaded mainly by European commercial interests in the form of Chartered Companies, to penetrate the African interior and woo its leadership with guns, trinkets and alcohol, and having thus obtained their marks or seals upon spurious treaties, begin establishing boundaries of future European African colonies. The ease with which this was achieved was due to the fact that, at that point, traditional African leadership was disunited, and the people had just staggered back from centuries of concussion inflicted by the slave trade. Thus, to usurp authority, to intimidate an already broken society, and to play one leader against the other was a diplomatic task so childishly simple, the matter was wrapped up, for the most part, in less than a decade.

Charles River Editors (Author), Colin Fluxman (Narrator)

Audiobook

Yoruba: La guía definitiva de la espiritualidad Ifá, Ìṣẹ̀ṣẹ, Odu, Orisha, Santería y más

Descubra la cultura yoruba, ¡uno de los sistemas de creencias más antiguos del continente africano! ¿Ha oído hablar de la antigua cultura yoruba y quiere saber más? ¿Sabía que el yoruba ha dado forma a varias religiones del Nuevo Mundo? ¿Sabía que el yoruba puede ayudarle a conocer su destino? Más allá de si la respuesta a estas preguntas es afirmativa o negativa, este audio libro ampliará sus conocimientos sobre esta maravillosa, vibrante y fascinante cultura. Abordando de forma profunda las tradiciones yorubas, este audio libro le permitirá: - Descubrir cómo se creó el mundo y todos los seres vivos según los yorubas. - Comprender el papel de los orishas y los irunmoles en el panteón yoruba. - Familiarizarse con los orishas femeninos y masculinos a los que puede recurrir en diferentes momentos. - Dar un vistazo a su futuro mediante la antigua práctica de adivinación de Ifá y ver las posibles consecuencias de sus acciones. - Comprender la importancia de venerar a los antepasados en la religión yoruba. - Conocer las fechas de los acontecimientos más destacados del calendario tradicional yoruba. - Conocer algunos hechizos, rituales y baños yorubas que pueden ser útiles para mejorar su práctica. - Ver la influencia yoruba en la santería, el vudú y otras religiones contemporáneas. Ya sea que quiera honrar a sus ancestros yoruba, aprender adivinación Ifá u otras ceremonias tradicionales yoruba, este audio libro le ayudará a alcanzar sus objetivos. ¡Obtenga este audio libro ahora para aprender más sobre la cultura yoruba!

Mari Silva (Author), Fabio Persa (Narrator)

Audiobook

Yoruba Mythology: Captivating Myths and Legends of the Yoruba and Other West African Peoples

Do you like stories about kings and queens, spirits and monsters, or tricksters and villains? If so, this book is for you. Containing delightful stories from the Yoruba and other West African peoples, this book presents tales of courage and cunning, virtue and vice, and fortunes found and lost. Some of these stories draw upon actual historical persons and events, while others are purely fictional, but each story has something to delight any reader. Here are just a few of the stories you will find inside this book: - How Queen Moremi saved her people from their enemies - Why King Oranyan’s staff still stands in its place today - How Gassire gave up dreams of a kingdom to become a singer of tales - How a king wanted to know what it was like to be poor and found out the hard way - How clever commoners outwitted the kings who wanted to kill them - How the Ashanti came to farm yams - How a baby who was not yet ready to be born defeated the monster Sasabonsam - How the wise and clever Kumba saved her village from a man-eating lion - How Kigbo the farmer learned the hard way that it is not wise to play around with spirits - And much, much more! Scroll up and click the “add to cart” button to enjoy each of these captivating West African stories!

Matt Clayton (Author), Michael Reaves (Narrator)

Audiobook

White Malice: The CIA and the Covert Recolonization of Africa

A revelatory history of how post-colonial African Independence movements were systematically undermined by one nation above all: the US. In 1958 in Accra, Ghana, the Hands Off Africa conference brought together the leading figures of African independence in a public show of political strength and purpose. Led by the charismatic Kwame Nkrumah, who had just won Ghana's independence, his determined call for Pan-Africanism was heeded by young, idealistic leaders across the continent and by African Americans seeking civil rights at home. Yet, a moment that signified a new era of African freedom simultaneously marked a new era of foreign intervention and control. In White Malice, Susan Williams unearths the covert operations pursued by the CIA from Ghana to the Congo to the UN in an effort to frustrate and deny Africa's new generation of nationalist leaders. This dramatically upends the conventional belief that the African nations failed to establish effective, democratic states on their own accord. As the old European powers moved out, the US moved in. Drawing on original research and recently declassified documents, and told through an engaging narrative, Williams introduces readers to idealistic African leaders and to the secret agents, ambassadors, and even presidents who deliberately worked against them, forever altering the future of a continent.

Susan Williams (Author), Chanté Mccormick (Narrator)

Audiobook

White Hunters: The Golden Age of African Safaris

A little over 100 years ago, East Africa was terra incognita to most whites: a land largely unmapped, sparsely settled by Europeans, and teeming with wildlife. It was the hunter-adventurer's paradise, and by the early twentieth century a small, lionhearted clan of explorers and big-game hunters began leading safaris there for money. They became the legendary White Hunters, men who led manifold adventurers in pursuit of the world's biggest, most dangerous, and most sought-after game. 'White Hunters' is a nostalgic and densely-packed history of these men and their adventures, from the turn of the century until the 1970s, when politics, a growing population, civil strife, and concern about species destruction intervened. "Stunningly recreates that lost Eden of gallantry, endurance, and sudden death....Teddy Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and the Prince of Wales all have cameos, but true nobility here lies with the big five: Elephant, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, and Rhinoceros."-AudioFile

Brian Herne (Author), Simon Vance (Narrator)

Audiobook

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families: Picador Classic

With an introduction by Rory Stewart Winner of the Guardian First Book award, a first-hand account one of the defining outrages of modern history. All at once, as it seemed, something we could have only imagined was upon us - and we could still only imagine it. This is what fascinates me most in existence: the peculiar necessity of imagining what is, in fact, real. In 1994, the Rwandan government orchestrated a campaign of extermination, in which everyone in the Hutu majority was called upon to murder everyone in the Tutsi minority. Close to a million people were slaughtered in a hundred days, and the rest of the world did nothing to stop it. A year later, Philip Gourevitch went to Rwanda to investigate the most unambiguous genocide since Hitler's war against the Jews. Hailed by the Guardian as one of the hundred greatest nonfiction books of all time, We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families is a first-hand account one of the defining outrages of modern history, an unforgettable anatomy of Rwanda's decimation. As riveting as it is moving, it is a profound reckoning with humanity's betrayal and its perseverance.

Philip Gourevitch (Author), Philip Gourevitch (Narrator)

Audiobook

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families

Philip Gourevitch (Author), David Hilder (Narrator)

Audiobook

We Dared to Win: The SAS in Rhodesia

Andre Scheepers grew up on a farm in Rhodesia, learning about the bush from his African childhood friends, before joining the army. A quiet, introspective thinker, Andre started out as a trooper in the SAS before being commissioned into the Rhodesian Light Infantry Commandos, where he was engaged in fireforce combat operations. He then rejoined the SAS. Wounded thirteen times, his operational record is exceptional even by the tough standards that existed at the time. He emerged as the SAS officer par excellence; beloved by his men, displaying extraordinary calmness, courage, and audacious cunning during a host of extremely dangerous operations. Andre writes vividly about his experiences, his emotions, and his state of mind during the war, and reflects candidly on what he learned and how war has shaped his life since. In addition to Andre's personal story, this book reveals more about some of the other men who were distinguished operators in SAS operations during the Rhodesian War.

Hannes Wessels (Author), Roger Clark (Narrator)

Audiobook

We Blacks

Frank Talk with Biko: We Blacks. A collection of publicly available writings, speeches and interviews by Steve Bantu Biko in the seminal time of the Black Consciousness Movement in the 1970s. These are collated into audio to give Biko a voice in these modern times that so desperately needs to listen to him. Biko's words are not only prophetic but also show the importance of deep socio-philosophical thought that is rooted in actual praxis to solve lived realities. Born in Tylden, Eastern Cape, in South Africa on 18 December 1946. As a medical student Biko was the first president of the South African Student Organization (SASO) which culminated into the renowned black consciousness movement. Biko was assassinated by the apartheid government on 12 September 1977 at the age of 30. Let his voice remind you of the profound mind that was lost to the world by the atrocities of racism. Listen to your imagination.

Bantu Stephen Biko (Author), Asi Liphadzi, Hangwi Liphadzi (Narrator)

Audiobook

Africa Audiobooks in Travel