Shaping The African Savannah

A history of 150 years of social-ecological transformations in the arid savannah landscape of Namibia.

A non-hunter shares her eye-opening experiences on a hunting safari andinvites readers to reconsider what it will take to save Africa's wildlife. Waking to her husband's alarmed whisper, "Honey, get ready to run" was never in Sue Tidwell's vision of Africa. Nor was skulking through the Tanzanian bush or lying terror-stricken as the cries of lions and hyenas cut through the walls of her tent. Enchanted by African wildlife, she certainly never expected to find herself a sidekick on a hunting safari. Growing up in a deer hunting family, she understood hunting's role in American conservation. Still, the idea of hunting Africa's exotic animals was deeply troubling. Aren't many species endangered? Isn't photo-tourism a better way to protect lions and elephants? Her boots-on-the-ground view answered these questions and many more; it captured her soul and lit a fire in her gut, fueling a passion the opposite of what she expected. Through stories of laughter, tragedy, and wonder, readers will be immersed in adventure as Sue's curiosity sheds light on the struggles and complexities facing the people and wildlife of rural Africa. Whether an animal lover, conservationist, wanderer, adventurer, or human rights advocate, her unexpected odyssey will arm readers with the awareness necessary to sustainably protect Africa's spectacular animals. Only then will the beastly cries of the savanna forever remain a part of the wild.

Savannas form one of the largest and most important of the world's ecological zones. Covering one fifth of the Earth's land surface, they are home to some of the world's most iconic animals and form an extremely important global resource for plants and wildlife. However, increasing recognition of their land potential means that they are extremely vulnerable to accelerating pressures on usable land. This Very Short Introduction considers savannas as landscapes. Discussing their origin, topography, and global distribution, Peter A. Furley explores the dynamic nature of savannas and illustrates how they have shaped human evolution and movements. He goes on to discuss the unrelenting pressures that confront conservation and management and considers the future for savannas. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.

Environmental Infrastructure in African History offers a new approach for analyzing and narrating environmental change. Environmental change conventionally is understood as occurring in a linear fashion, moving from a state of more nature to a state of less nature and more culture. In this model, non-Western and premodern societies live off natural resources, whereas more modern societies rely on artifact, or nature that is transformed and domesticated through science and technology into culture. In contrast, Emmanuel Kreike argues that both non-Western and premodern societies inhabit a dynamic middle ground between nature and culture. He asserts that humans- in collaboration with plants, animals, and other animate and inanimate forces - create environmental infrastructure that constantly is remade and reimagined in the face of ongoing processes of change.

Examines a small portion of the African savannah and describes the life it supports

This series explores the similarities of and differences between different cultures around the world.

Demonstrates how Africa's physical features, savannas and abundant grazers enabled frugivorous apes to become savanna-living hunters.

A richly illustrated, accessibly written book with a variety of perspectives on slavery, emancipation, and black life in Savannah from the city's founding to the early twentieth century. Written by leading historians of Savannah, Georgia, and the South, it includes a mix of thematic essays focusing on individual people, events, and places.