Here is Travel Blog editor Joy-Anne Goodenough's suggestion list of seven wonderful local books to help you draw up that gift list.
(Disclaimer: The reviews are taken from the websites listed and are not ours)
Top 7 SA Books for 2011/12
For birders
Sasol Birds of Southern Africa - http://www.sasolbirds.co.za/
“Sasol Birds of Southern Africa remains the region's most comprehensively illustrated and trusted field guide. This fourth edition has been greatly improved by the addition of group introductions and thoroughly revised text, calendar bars showing species' occurrence and breeding periods, a section on ‘how to use this book', as well as sonograms depicting the calls of tricky bird groups. The newly designed plates are meticulously illustrated, with labels pinpointing key differentiating features. Distribution maps show the relative abundance of a species in the region and also indicate resident or migrant status. Written by a team of highly respected authorities, this comprehensive identification guide will be invaluable to all birders, aspirant and experienced.”
For armchair travelers
Evocative Africa by Gerald Cubitt - http://www.nhbs.com/evocative_africa_bkfno_194932.html
“The book is a visual journey, taking the reader through Gerald Cubitt's selection of the "unmissable" in sub-Saharan Africa. This extensive collection of images juxtaposes the scale and grandeur of the continent with an intimate attention to smaller, less obvious wonders. The informative commentary reveals the social, ecological, and geographic context of the images. The reader will be immersed in South Africa, will visit Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique, Tanzania, Kenya, Botswana, and Namibia. Just offshore, no lifetime's safari on the east coast of Africa can ignore Madagascar, perhaps the most compelling hotspot of biodiversity in the world.”
For wine lovers
2011 Platter’s Wine Guide - http://www.wineonaplatter.com/
The hardcopy version of Platter's Guide is South Africa's best-selling wine annual, with over 1.4 million copies sold to date.
For foodies
South Africa Eats with Phillippa Cheifitz - http://wordsworth.co.za/book/south-africa-eats
“A superb collection of South African recipes that will take you on a culinary journey to drool over. It’s not a food history as such, but there are loads of interesting facts scattered throughout that make this a great read as well as a great cook book. The production is exquisite, making this one of the must have cook books of the season.”
For golfers
South Africa’s Greatest Golf Destinations - http://wordsworth.co.za/book/south-africas-greatest-golf-destinations
“A lavishly illustrated coffee-table book featuring images from specialist golf course photographer Jamie Thom and Golf Digest South Africa editor Stuart McLean, both passionate golfers, showcasing the top thirty courses in SA and another twenty-eight quality and scenic courses that hold particular delight for golfers and visitors. The text explores why these courses are so exciting to play, what prestigious tournaments they have hosted and which illustrious players have competed there. It also records some of the most dramatic and memorable moments in tournament golf.”
For sports fans
More than Rugby by Pierre Spies - http://pierrespies.co.za/
“In More than Rugby, Spies, one of the most imposing and explosive loose forwards that South Africa has ever produced, shares his own story for the first time: his family life, his numerous sporting triumphs, and his faith. Much more than a sports biography, this is the moving, personal story behind the well-loved 'No. 8' of South African rugby. With a Foreword by Victor Matfield and contributions from Morne Steyn, Bryan Habana and Juan Smith.”
For kids
Nicole in The Surf is My Turf - http://www.africanpenguin.co.za/sharksamples.html
“This book was commissioned by the Save Our Seas Foundation to educate children about the Great White Shark, a truly magnificent creature, and dispel the myth that we are part of their diet. Follow the adventures of cross-Indian Ocean swimmer Nicole, a great white shark who narrowly escapes being caught by fishermen.
