French Lessons in Africa

by Peter Biddlecombe

Having travelled across West Africa for over 10 years, Peter Biddlecombe's often hilarious account is a highly readable, hugely entertaining introduction to French Africa. In countries such as Togo, Mali, and Burkina Faso, Biddlecome encounters old-fashioned camel butchers, modern witch doctors who run mail-order companies, gold smugglers, and counterfeiters who send their sons to Oxford. He also experiences eerie voodoo ceremonies in the old slave port of Ouidah and Italian ice-cream parlors in the middle of the Sahara desert. And Biddlecombe reveals not only Francophone Africa's politics, business traditions, and culture, but also provides a mass of practical advice on everything from how to eat a water-rat to talking your way through a road block in the middle of an attempted coup.

Genres: Travel, Africa, Nonfiction, Travelogue, Memoir

444 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1992

Reviews

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is another one of those books that my dad bought when we were kids.

I haven't read it in years, I should probably take another look.

Looking back it is clear that it was mostly directed at a white British audience, but I remember enjoying it a fair amount when I read it.

I wonder if the stereotypes would appear totally dated now?

[Darla Ebert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if out of date, this book is a wealth of information about the "essential" French Africa. Each chapter details a country and is entertaining and informative.

[Gordon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good quick read about the author's years of business travel in French-speaking Africa -- Senegal, the Congo, Burkina Faso, Mali and so on. Biddlecombe is very coy about what his business was, but I'm guessing he was either peddling women's underwear or guns. His style is that of a travel story-teller, with a small dash of analysis and history thrown in for good measure, along with some interesting insights into the French mode of relating to their former colonies. It would have been interesting to have heard more of his thoughts about why French Africa's problems are what they are and even a thought or two about how to solve them, but he indulges very little in that sort of thing. His focus is the funny, culturally quirky story, and he has an unending fund of them. The account of the bedlam unleashed in mid-flight by a man who panicked when he could not find his wife on board the plane they were both traveling on was a classic.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book during a phase of reading books, fiction and nonfiction, about Africa.
Togo sounded so great in this book written in 1993. I looked it up on line, only to find that it has suffered war and destruction since this book was written. Sadly it is no longer the "Pearl of Western Africa" although one hopes that this too shall pass....apparently things are improving..
The book is a fun, interesting, brief romp through French Africa of the early 90's

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book incredibly revealing: drinking champagne in Burkina Faso? This author has quite an "in" with African elite, but at the same time grounds some of his observations with those from nuns (he says they're the ones who really know what's going on at the ground-level). The book is also funny and entertaining at moments; a good travel companion.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a part of the world I know little or nothing about and, although this book was written over twenty years ago, before the disintegration of the Soviet Union and the political changes in South Africa, it was an interesting and entertaining tour through French speaking West Africa. A good read!

[Pangolin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, but not overly so. Kind of a slow read. It was an interlibrary loan and was due and I don't know that I'll get it back out. It's not often I don't finish a book, but this just wasn't that compelling.

[Jeannette · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hauled this book around West Africa with me, but I never could get into it. I think that's because Biddlecombe never managed to communicate to me who he was or what he was doing there, and that information is essential to caring about his impressions and experiences.

[Jrobertus · Rating 2 out of 5]

[close] a brit business man narrates his way across francophone africa. a modest admiration of the french, some distain for americans, but africa appears to be a hole no matter how you cut it.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm only a few pages in and its blowing my mind about the culture clash between Africa and the western world.

[Jane Routley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyed this because it was well written about countries not usually covered from a businessmans perpective which is unusual and rather more positive than normal. Refreshing.

[Lashelle Hill · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's a good book but very detailed. It gets a little bogged down with the geography. It read it on a long flight, was great for passing the time.

[Lars · Rating 3 out of 5]

informative/interesting but boring

[Patrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully entertaining travel writing, very valuably from the perspective of a businessman and NOT a tourist or travel professional. I laughed out frequently.