The first book this year was Across the Caspian, a story about crossing the Caspian Sea, Europe's lowest point at 28 metres (that is 92 feet below sea level), exploring through the Caucasus and finally an attempt to reach the summit of Mount Elbrus, Europe's tallest mountain at 5,642 metres (or 18,510 feet for those who have not yet embraced the metric system). Did I get to the top? I obviously survived but did I reach the top?
The second book was Gold, Ivory and Slaves, a story of the history of gold, the hunting of elephants for ivory and trading slaves in West Africa and across the Atlantic. And a peep into the history of colonialism and exploitation by European nations. And then when the former colonies gained gained independence in the decades after the Second World War, the native population were exploited by their own native born leaders and is it any better today?
Condors over Chile is a journey down the length of the Andes looking for Condors, the second largest bird in the world (after the Albatross) and the interaction with the local populations and ancient civilisations that existed a long time before the Spanish conquistadors colonised most of the continent and the history of the oppressive exploitation of the local population. And of course a little interaction with gold, my favourite mineral of which I can not get enough!
An as an encouragement, for the writers of the first five reviews of the above three titles on Amazon, irrespective of the star rating, I am offering a signed copy of their choice of any of my other titles.
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