Dark Star Safari

Dark Star Safari is a rich, deeply personal account of Paul Theroux’s most ambitious journey — overland from Cairo to Cape Town through the heart of Africa. Having spent years teaching in Africa as a young man, Theroux returned as an older, sharper, more sceptical traveller to find a continent struggling with political corruption, dependency, and the well-meaning but often damaging interventions of foreign aid. His journey takes him through Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa — and into contact with an unforgettable cast of characters. A magnificent travel book, and an essential portrait of Africa.