Togo - by Philip Hecksher (Hardcover)
Similar Products
Products of same category from the store
All
Product info
<p/><br></br><p><b> About the Book </b></p></br></br>Ghana, West Africa, 1971. The author arrives from New York City to meet an old friend for a spectacular rock concert, "Soul to Soul" in Accra's Black Star Square. The social warmth, the good humor and the beauty of the people they meet is overwhelming, and the two friends soon find it again and again in Lomé, the capital of neighboring Togo; in the up-country villages of that tiny country, and in their far-flung travels through Nigeria and the cities of the Sahel: Kano, Mopti, Agadez, Djenné. Marvelous places are vividly described, and everywhere in this memoir there is a glad recognition of the deep humanity of African culture. The book is fully illustrated with photograph, illustration and reproduction of Togolese art and crafts. The book is illustrated with the author's sketches and collection of West African artifacts, and with brilliant full-page black-and-white photographs by Lucas Kiers.<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br>West Africa, 1971. Two old friends rendezvous in Black Star Square, the heart of Accra, the Ghanaian capital, to see Ike and Tina Turner, the Staples Singers, Roberta Flack, Wilson Picket, Santana and other black American performers at the mammoth Soul to Soul music festival-- the first time native African musicians join these super-stars, soul-to-soul, on the same stage. After a wild night of hugely amplified music, blinding stage lights and disco dancing with 100,000 delirious fellow-revelers, the two friends set out for Lomé, the capital of tiny neighboring Togo, to enjoy the quieter life of that laid-back, neighborly city. All the ethnicities of West Africa crowd Lomé's picturesque market, the Rex cinema and the endless beach. The pair soon, however, travel much further afield: into the countryside and villages of northern Togo, to a sprawling royal palace in Benin, on a steam-powered train through Nigeria and then into the desert cultures of the Sahel, where they visit the adobe splendors of Islamic cities like Kano and Djenné, and witness the intense traditional spirituality of the Dogon people.There are no game parks in this book; the two travelers are in search of the humanity, not the wildlife, of West Africa. They travel simply by local means, they eat with their hands at roadside stalls and family tables, their friends are variously farmers and students and cabinet ministers. They engage, participate and observe without judgment, finding common ground everywhere by putting aside their own cultural habits and expectations, and by being unafraid of intimacy. In their sympathetic, free-wheeling company, the reader takes tea with veiled Tuareg warriors, reclines among the roots of a gigantic tree to get a shave, watches fetish women in trance try to throw themselves into the sea, or just waits out a rainy-season downpour in a dismal hotel. Marvelous places are vividly described, and throughout this book, the author evinces respect and affection for the people he encounters.Many of the places visited are unsafe for travel now. Nigeria is fighting widespread gangs and kidnappings. The Sahel, tormented by climate change, is a battleground of ethnic militias, Islamic extremists and Western forces. Violence and displacement imperil the confident, dignified traditional people the author describes. This book is a valuable witness to their deeply human communal societies, where the travelers find that they, too, have African roots. TOGO Being Human is illustrated with brilliant black-and-white photographs by Lucas Kiers.<p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>A fascinating account of my country, one that brings back memories. Mr Heckscher observes my people and their customs with affection and accuracy. This book shows the true value of Togolese traditions and ways of life that we have managed to preserve from our ancestors, despite the difficulties we have encountered.--Yawo Frédéric Yévu, Assistant to the Ambassador, Mission of Togo to the United Nations<br><br>Togo, Being Human is a magic memoire. In Togo, being truly human is an everyday occurrence and Heckscher was its enchanted witness, and finally a participant himself. On a bridge at night, he tossed a soothsayer's charm into the river, uncertain of its outcome. For me, the charm worked: it is this book, a bridge to the human spirit.--William Kotzwinckle, Author of ET the Extraterrestrial<br><br>Thank you for bringing me to West Africa, a transformative experience! Your writing is so evocative and atmospheric that it reads as if these adventures had only just happened. Your mind was open to everything and the way you process your experiences is uniquely insightful, and brings us to a thoughtful and fulfilling conclusion.--Lisa Donovan, Editor, Simon & Schuster<br><br>This book is beautiful, truthful and well written, and brings us back deeply to West African traditions. Every page here is a hymn to life, love and friendship. From town to town, village to village, market to market, we discover that our best and ultimate resource is each other. All human beings, during this time of virtual relations, should read this book.--Idrissa Fall, Voice of America<br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br>Philip Heckscher was born in New York City in 1944 and grew up in the city and on a farm in the Finger Lakes. He spent vacations with his mother's family in France and is bilingual in French and English. Philip holds a BA degree (1966) from Harvard University. He was a teacher in public and private schools in New York and San Francisco, and became head of the Department of History and Geography at Grace Church School in Manhattan. He has traveled, often solo, through Europe, East and West Africa, East and Southeast Asia, Haiti and Brazil. From 1996-98, he taught English in Shanghai, where he also studied tai-qi and Chinese calligraphy. Philip presently lives with his spouse on Mt Desert Island, Maine, where he occasionally teaches Chinese calligraphy at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine.
Price History
Price Archive shows prices from various stores, lets you see history and find the cheapest. There is no actual sale on the website. For all support, inquiry and suggestion messagescommunication@pricearchive.us