Book Pick - ORI

The life and times of Ngamiland : the story of Maun by Malgorzata Dziewiecka

Maun is an African village popular among hunters, photographers, nature lovers, adventurers, travelers, ecologists, geologists, and zoologists. It is also a popular place for safaris and it has a renowned reputation in the world of writers and film makers. Situated in the Okavango, it was discovered for the outside world by David Livingstone and ever since has been known as "the last Eden on Earth." Although the village is popular among visitors, only a person living in Maun can fully appreciate its beauty and value. The uniqueness of Maun lies in its remoteness from the modern world, in it being situated in the heart of the wilderness. Because of this, the villagers live in a highly diverse cultural environment, which combines elements of all historical periods, with the prehistoric and the modern existing side by side. The book features a number of historic photographs, documents, maps, and reports of the adventures of early travelers such as Livingstone and Selous. It also includes the history of the Ghanzi settlement, and even the story of the Batawana's first settlement in Kwebe, from which the recorded history of Ngamiland begins, as reported by Major Lugard to the British West Charterland Co.