African Lives: White Lies, Tropical Truth, Darkest Gossip, and Rumblings of Rumor from Chinese Gordon to Beryl Markham, and Beyond

by Denis Boyles

“A fast-paced look at white personalities in Africa, a few well-knowns from the past and a few collected by the author in recent years . . . Denis Boyles knows the territory well.”— The New York Times Book Review
 
In a series of ebullient and evocative portraits, journalist Denis Boyles chronicles the white men and women who journeyed to Africa in the twentieth century, seeking things they couldn’t find at home.
 
Daredevil flyers and dedicated missionaries, intrepid explorers, and charming con men—they all turn up in African Lives . You’ll meet General Charles George “Chinese” Gordon, who, as governor of Equatoria in the 1870s, mapped the region, drove out slave traders, and made the area safe for travelers. There is gossip about Beryl Markham and Isak Dinesen, who were legendary rivals in literature and in love. There are also sketches of such colorful figures as Patrick Shaw, the 300-pound “Clint Eastwood” of Kenya, and George Pappas, a self-made millionaire pilot.
 
Vivid, provocative, and insightful, African Lives is a testimony to the continent’s hold on the popular imagination.
 
“Entertaining . . . jazzy . . . Boyles’ prose has a certain cheeky charm, and he spins some good yarns.”— The Washington Post

Genres: Africa, Nonfiction, History, Biography

225 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

"African Lives" is a really good, offbeat find. I'm interested in most things to do with the Raj, and fascinated by certain aspects of Africa and its spiral interrealtionships with the white folks who went there. Part expose, part apologia, part gossipy fun read, this book rehabilitates Gordon of Khartoum, gives Isak Dineson one in the eye (in addition to a not-nice little word portrait, there are two photos of her in old age...she looks like Gloria Swanson in "Sunset Boulevard"), and reveals a great deal about how African politices works, or doesn't A msot intriguing and amusing read. However, the last two chapters are very disturbing, almost surreal, interviews with AIan Smith. They give the book a very dark finish. (Gad, sounds like a wine review.)

[D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read another Denis Boyles book on Africa that had a wonderful retelling of the lunatic express so I was really looking forward to this one. It is a very mixed bag and clearly a collection of magazine pieces turned into a book. You also have to swallow a heavy dose of nostalgia for colonialism at times. The first section on Kenya is so quick, jumbled and trivial that I would recommend skipping it. The sections on the colonization of Uganda, Gordon in Sundan and Stanley's expedition to rescue Amin Pasha are fun and interesting even if you already know the story. He could have fleshed them out more and combined them with the stories from contemporary (1980s-90s) Sudan to make a much better book. There is one part about a feud between UN administrators that turns out to be even more interesting because one of the main instigators became UN envoy to Syria during the civil war there. The sections about cargo pilots in Zaire and civil war Angola are all great and I would have read a book just about that. Bizarrely the book ends with an extended interview with Ian Smith which mostly just quotes Smith directly. It was strange and something I never would have read otherwise but doesn't fit with the rest of the book and should only have been included if there was an extended section on Zimbabwe. In the end, I'm glad I tracked this book down even if I don't know anyone I could wholeheartedly recommend it to.

[Kay · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thoroughly cynical (and rather delicious) romp through the continent, mostly taking pot-shots at well-known explorers and other sundry whites drawn to Africa. Here are tales of Cecil Rhodes, "Chinese" Gordon, Karen Blixen, Emin Pasha and several modern-day adventurers trying to come to grips with the frustrations and seizing various opportunities. Lots of dirt on Henry Stanley and the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, which I've read about elsewhere.

[Marilyn Matheny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shallow and gossipy. Little depth to any of the stories. Perhaps good for introducing you to stories and people to explore elsewhere in greater extent.

[Hannah]

The writing style of this author didn't agree with me at all :(

[Tia Gonzales · Rating 5 out of 5]

an insane book, full of wild totally believable stories about Africa..a must read for an Africa traveler