Botswana Time

by Randall Will

Will Randall travels with a purpose, as well as an outrageous sense of fortune. In INDIAN SUMMER he found himself, by chance, having the extraordinary experience of helping slum schoolchildren put on a play to help save their school. In Botswana he was taken up by a headmaster to teach a class of six year olds at The River of Life school. They are football crazy and one of Will's jobs is to take them to play neighbouring (sometimes as much as 100 miles away) schools. Camping enroute or staying in farms and rural villages, often travelling by foot or dug-out punts, thousands of antelope, elephant, buffalo and zebra follow their progress. The sound of lions, leopards and hyenas become the soundtrack of their dreams. Against all the odds they find themselves preparing for the Grand Final of the season - the titanic clash with arch rivals, Victoria Falls Primary school. Both an endearing personal story and a travel book about a little-known but highly successful country, BOTSWANA TIME will win new fans for both Will Randall and the extraordinary country of Botswana.

Genres: Travel, Africa, Nonfiction, Botswana, Biography, Memoir, Humor

274 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Robin Petty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Laid-back account of teaching in Botswana. For me it didn't hit it's stride until the author reached his destination - which was actually later in the book than I would have liked. The humour in the early chapters in South Africa and as a safari-guide, for me, seemed rather 'placed', as if the author felt an obligation to keep readers or perhaps publishers smiling. I would have personally been happier with a shorter, factual preamble describing how he got there. However the smiles flow naturally when he comes into contact the children - and that's where this book is at it's most charming.
If Randall had any hesitancy about getting serious or diverting deeply from the bonhomie, he needn't have been - there were some characters and moments in the book where I felt the tone could have got more reflective and personal feelings could have been bared. Particularly a slipped-in admission/confession on the final page I felt could have been expanded upon - the epilogue would have been the stronger for it. These were clearly good times for the writer and anyone with an interest in southern Africa will enjoy this gentle re-telling of them.

[Daniel Wright · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming, engaging, uplifting, at once tragic and comic, giving an optimistic glimpse into the life of a small developing country. 'It's not all ladies and their detective agencies, you know!'

[Janneke Aylward · Rating 4 out of 5]

Be prepared to develop a serious desire for a road trip.

[Tina Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect

Another excellent read from will Randall
Funny and a little sad in places but always entertaining.
Moving on to the next adventure

[Rik · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author clearly has some charisma, as people are obviously drawn to him, however that doesn't really come across in the writing. Somehow he didn't convey enough of himself, leaving the reader a little at arms length. The happenstance adventure was easy to read and quite compelling, with the authors love for the children warm and obvious. Not all the people he encountered were good, such as Dirk, a notable racist, who thankfully met with some form of justice. The book ended rather suddenly with Will's return to the UK, and this seemed to come without explanation or forewarning, and it is here where you find that he has not revealed enough of himself for this to make sense.

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book up at the Friends of the Library used book store because of the recommendation by Alexander McCall Smith on the cover, since it was through his books that I had become interested in Botswana. I am working on a 666 challenge and this is my first book in Africa for the year. At the conclusion of the book my interest in visiting Botswana is greater than before I started and my admiration for the country's government and development is even higher.

This book started off in South Africa and with the author getting drunk and staying that way. It was not what you call an auspicious beginning from my perspective, as I found his behavior rather immature and haphazard. I was a little envious of the ease with which he could float about the world without having to worry about where his next meal was coming from. The drive into the African bush with tourists - with whom assuming the role of assistant tour guide despite being highly unqualified -- was amusing. But it was Botswana I was most interested in and Botswana was the best of this book. At times I found myself worried because this book is nonfiction and that meant there were no guarantees of a good outcome for some of the more concerning situations like the predicament of Arthur's family and the revolting character of Dirk and his children. I fell in love with the Kasane Kudus and with Gabamukuni and with the animals and the overall character of the Batswana. I was able to enjoy the experience of living in Kasane and knowing these people and my desire to visit Botswana has greatly increased.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a joy from start to finish. It documents the author’s time teaching at a small school in Kasane, Botswana, and the characters he encountered there.

I love the lighthearted tone of the book, though it does touch on serious subjects such as the AIDS epidemic in Africa and racism. One thing I definitely appreciated was that the author did not shy away from calling out the racism he observed during his time in Botswana, whilst also admitting that he was not always sure how to deal with it. As we get to know the author, he shows us his incredible surroundings and the wildlife, but also the progress Botswana has made as a country since independence.

The highlight of this memoir are the Kasane Kudus, the football-mad children that he teaches, and the other characters that inhibit the town. As a reader you come to despise Dirk, the clear villain of this narrative.

This is the kind of non-fiction book that is fun to read and reads away really easily. I enjoyed it a lot and it made me want to go and visit Botswana! I will also be looking out for other books by the author.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I was lucky enough to hear Will Randall speak at my school I have loved his books. I started with Solomon Time a long time ago and am glad that I've finally got around to this one.

You would think that he would have learnt not to get drunk in social gatherings and then agree to things, but yet again, he does. What ensues is something that sounds like it should be from a sitcom but is actually real life! What starts as a trip to Cape Town for a friend's wedding turns into a stint as a chef/tour guide/entertainer for a German-French tourist group on an overland trip to Namibia and ends with him teaching at a small primary school in Kensane, Botswana.

The story is so well written and it's so easy to get caught up in the story that it makes you instantly want to hop on a flight and go and visit Botswana. I'm really curious as to what's happened to all the little children that he wrote about who will now be in their early 20s!

Such a great book and one that I would read again.

[SMcD · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book Review: Botswana Time by Will Randall

This is a lighthearted read that follows a teacher who through a strange twist of events ends up in Botswana working in a small school in Kasane. Randall provides a humorous take on his misadventures and the various characters that he meets on his travels. There is a lot of love shown to the people of Kasane and the wonder of nature that is part of everyday life in Botswana. At times I found the bumbling Englishman in Africa character a bit forced and tge story was turning into a poor 90s Hugh Grant moviescript.

3/5 Stars

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[Casey Talastas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This isn’t something I would have normally picked up for myself, but a friend recommended it so I gave it a go. I’m glad I did because I really enjoyed it.

I really enjoyed Will Randall’s writing style. It was open, honest, genuine, and funny. I feel like a lot of “I went Africa” books end up sounding like the author has a hero complex, telling all the great things they did for the poor people of Africa. That is not the case with this book at all. Randall is thoughtful and open. I love how he admits his prejudices and tells you when he was wrong. You can tell he truly travels for the experience and to learn.

I’m definitely looking forward to reading more about Will Randall’s travels.

[Edward · Rating 3 out of 5]

To think I'd read a book set in Botswana outside Smith's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series after reading it last sometime over a year ago.

Randall's perspective of Botswana is straight out colorful. Reading him embark on his adventures (and misadventures) from accompanying a group of tourists to taking over a school felt like a breeze. Although his time at Botswana wasn't for long term, his eventful stay made things worth while.

[Azamat · Rating 3 out of 5]

Больше всего напоминает документальный фильм о Ботсване. Есть еще хорошая книга из моего детства про Замбию — «Приметы медного пояса». Эта про Ботсвану немного слабее, потому что носит характер записок, а не пытается познакомить читателя со страной. Здесь скорее о людях, которых встретил автор.

Если вам нравится эта книга, то понравится еще и «Зеленые холмы Африки» — более тягучая, но и более романтичная книга.

В общем, если нравятся такие заморские истории, то разок прочитать будет найс, но на два раза она не тянет.

[Nina Tweddle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I almost gave up after 50 pages but persevered. It's not really a bad book, just not my type of book. Probably if you were told these anecdotes over a pint in the pub, they would be entertaining.

But I really found little of interest. Will Randall found life boring, went on his travels, drank a lot, met some amusing characters and ended up working in a school in Botswana. He didn't even do that for long but chose to return to the UK.

[Amanda Harry · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really easy read which makes you want to hop on a plane to Botswana and explore.
A bit of a sudden ending which was a shame as it didn’t feel that the book was fully finished and left me wanting more.

[Chris Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A totally charming, gentle read with lots of interesting details about life in small town Botswana, brought to life by a wonderful cast of characters.

[Merlyna Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

After ladies first detective agency will read anything on Botswana! Entertaining

[Dauren Kaliyev · Rating 1 out of 5]

Пока только единственная книга, которой я поставил 1 звезду

[Liz Owen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really my sort of thing; it was written in a slightly colonial style, which spoiled it for me.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one even more than Solomon Time!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read soon after my return from a trip to Botswana, so interesting observing the development between time of writing and now.
Humorous and inciteful, an easy enjoyable read

[Kylie Lyneham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful story told by a great wordsmith

[Claudio Noguera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Botswana time is a book by Will Randall describing his time in Botswana. It is a real story, autobiographical. The book is a nice read and gives you an idea of what Botswana is like. It is a very good read [1][if you are about to visit Botswana, like I am].

The story starts in Cape Town, where Will is attending a wedding. Will is a school teacher from England who has recently been teaching in India and is currently not working. He got a one way ticket to Cape Town, not knowing what he would do in the future.

In the wedding, he sits in the table with a professor of the Cape Town university, who tells him about a school in Kasane, Namibia. Another friend, who organizes safari trips for foreigners, suddenly finds himself without a guide for his next trip (he is the driver), so he tells Will that he should be the guide. Even though Will has never been a guide before, he accepts seduced by the fact that the trip will take him to Kasane.

From the trip: the Fish river canyon is a must see, Swakopmund is a very nice german city and the wildlife in the Chove river is amazing.

Once in Kasane, Will stays there. The rest of the book describes how it is the life at the school and the society in Botswana: the AIDS, the illusion the kids have for the future, animal trafficking, colonialism, racism… Him being part of a school he gets to meet a lot of people (basically the kids’ parents) and to travel quite extensively because of the football league the kids are part of.

Will had a lot of adventures. He was twice in jail during his time in Botswana. However his biggest fear are still elephants.

Overall, the impression one gets about Botswana is that is a country that is growing, a country with illusion. However, AIDS is a massive problem and a taboo theme.

And about the book, although not a master piece, a nice read.

[Julian Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a delightfully told tale, Will Randall haphazardly arrives as a school teacher in Kasane, Botswana, via an accidental stint as a cook on an overland travel trip through Namibia and a drunken conversation and a wedding in South Africa.

Learning the ropes of the school, having first repainted it, he brings to life the colourful characters amongst his pupils and their parents and paints an idyllic picture of life in a country, where travelling six hours across the bush through bureaucratic border controls to play a football match, or dealing with the impact of AIDS on family life, are part of his new daily spectrum.

He deals with wildlife, the officious school inspector and the local villain, in the same affable writing style and consistently produces some wry observations on his new surroundings.

This book has the same gentle take on Botswana life that Alexander McCall Smith fictionalises in his No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series and will be liked by fans of these novels and by travel readers alike.

[Gill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've put this book on my AMS shelf, not because of the author (Will Randall) but because of the link with Botswana. AMS is quoted on the cover, and one can see the connection between the two depictions of the country, although there are also great differences - Randall is writing about his own experience of Botswana as an incoming teacher, and someone ignorant of the entire culture and history of the country. This gives him the opportunity to inform the reader by recounting the 'lectures' on history and so on that other people (mainly his head-teacher) give him.
He also does not shy away from describing certain elements of the society which he found uncomfortable or bad.
He does paint a very vivid picture of the place, even though his main thrust is what happened to him rather than deliberately setting out to describe the landscape.
I shall certainly look out for more of his books, and recommend them to others.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is really a 3.5 rating. An enjoyable adventure with a guy who's willing to go along with a few crazy suggestions (and a little "lubrication") and ends up teaching grade school children in the northern corner of Botswana. His experiences with the children, their haphazard football team, the local bush life, and the many faces and personalities of Botswana make for a lot of fun, a few laughs and a wonderful picture of life...when you take it as it comes.

My only hitch, keeping it from 4-stars, is a peculiar habit in his writing that about 90% of the time I could live with, but once in awhile it just got annoying. I won't point it out because it may not bother other readers...and I'd hate to ruin the fun with a little nit-picky foible of my own.

I gather Will Randall has a few more similar adventures in print--I'll be hunting them out, I'm sure!

[Ape · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bookcrossing 2006:

This was such a great book to read for so many reasons. I've marked it down as travel, but I think it could come under so many headings. It's a great story, it's a story of school life with some funny six year olds, and you learn a lot about Botswana. Really makes you want to travel there.

There are some laugh out loud funny bits - that mistranslation with the joke about the two statues, the tale of Mr Mango to name a couple.

Also some sad parts. The AIDs problem in Africa is touched upon, all the more real because you get to know some of the victims and their families in this book. Also some of the awful racism on the part of some white Africans (giving everyone a bad name). But overall the book is positive, and has such a warm feeling of humanity. Really enjoyed it.

[Denise Kruse · Rating 4 out of 5]

Traveling vast stretches of Africa with Will Randall is a bumpy, exhilarating, delightful ride. Filled with dry humor and much heart, the reader encounters wild animals, reptiles, and exotic birds along with many obstacles that are overcome by the author and the people who have reclaimed their own country. One wonders how the author survived some of the predicaments in which he found himself adventuring as a teacher/football coach in this far-flung corner of Africa. Thankfully for me, football was only an incidental part of the story. I suspect that the author is less reckless, more purposeful, than he lets on because I think he actually did some good when he was there. Certainly his stint enriched him. It is very well written and a pleasurable way to explore from a safe distance.

[Marie Knock · Rating 4 out of 5]

I long for the timing, luck and sheer wanderlust of Will Randall (or Mr Mango as he becomes known). This is a tale of how a wedding in cape town led to a job as a teacher in a school in Kasane, Botswana. The tale is told with good humour and stunning detail. As a lover of all things African, this story even challenged my perceptions and thoughts.

As for any teachers out there - I defy you not to be green eyed at the tales he has of how schools are run, the discipline and delight of the children and the incredible attitude and respect towards education. Heck - this made me want to become a teacher in Africa.

A great book - heartwarming and fun to read. It'll certainly make you question the office job!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just a sweet recounting of one man's adventure and life in kasane in botswana. This book is easy and light - it really is just his story.

Will Randall, Mr Mango, lands up a teacher in Kasane in Botswana almost by accident and throws himslef into the adventure whole-heartedly. He displays a childlike wonder at the beauty of Africa - something so few adult tourists are willing to do.

It's a delightful book, esepcially so for me as I had been to many of the places he describes, and have seen many of the things.

Lovely!

[Marte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series has made me want to learn more about Botswana, so when I spotted this on Amazon I had to get it. Botswana Time is the wonderfully random story of how Will Randall became a primary school teacher in a small town in Botswana, about his school's football team's journeys around southern Africa, and about Botswana itself. Recommended.