Reviews

The Africa House: The True Story of an English Gentleman and His African Dream by Christina Lamb

phumlani's review

3.0

The lifestory of a mediocre, under achieving, socially awkward Englishman who moved to Zambia and deluded himself into thinking he was the saviour of a small section of the Bemba people. The author uses clever language to try and hide how this colonialist had this entitlement and felt that he was Gods gift to "savages". He physically beat grown men as a means of punishment. I suppose my gripe isnt with the author because she did a well enough job of piecing this mans life story through diary entries and letters, but i did more often than not, get the impression that she was going out of her way to justify this megalomaniacs actions.After all is said and done, my gripe is with colonialists and their arrogance.

sarahlogan's review

3.0

Underwhelming and strange. A whole book on a (pretty deluded) white Englishman who built an enormous English country house in then Northern Rhodesia ... while he continued to be financially supported by his aunt well into his 60s and gradually became less racist?! Unclear what was supposed to be so compelling/impressive.