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

by Christina Lamb

Book Overview

A bestseller in Britain, The Africa House vividly details the life of an English officer and gentleman and his remarkable house and colony in deepest Africa. In the ides of the British Empire, Stewart Gore Browne built himself a feudal paradise in northern Rhodesia, a sprawling country estate modeled on the finest homes in England, complete with uniformed servants, daily muster parades, rose gardens and lavish dinners finished off with vintage port...

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060735872
• ISBN13: 9780060735876
• Release Date: December 2004
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 400 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 5.3" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

a must in every Africana collection

Ms Lamb is a pleasure to read. From the very 1st page, I was already in love with Shiwa House and the mysterious Lake of the Royal Crocodiles. Ive never imagined such a magical place could exist!!! Gore Brown's love for Africa, its lands and peoples, is clearly evident, but I found his sometimes patronizing attitude annoying: he despaired that his servants would never appreciate opera like the white man etc. In spite of this, I highly recommend this to everyone ... not just architects and travellers. Some day I must see Shiwa Ngandu for myself!!!

Read it!

If this had been a novel, publishers would reject it as implausible. It astounds me that I had not heard of Stewart Gore-Brown while growing up in Zambia. He comes across as a fascinating, complex person, whose life story boggles the mind.

Absolutely Captivating!!

Wow! What a fascinating story. I have never been to Northern Rhodesia but I felt I was at "Shiwa Ngandu" having tea with the "Chipembele" and watching this place turn into a grand estate. Ms Lamb did an excellent job in her descriptions of events as they develop at Shiwa. I was totally captivated!!Ishmael B Laryea

A book you can't put down.

I started reading this book last night at 8:15pm and couldn't put it down until I finished it at 4:20 this morning. I am bleary-eyed but absolutely happy that I found this gem in a bookstore in South Africa last week. It is an absolutley capitvating book and very well researched. Ms Lamb has a fascinating way of writing...you can almost see the wild animals, smell the scents, enjoy the beauty....in short, this book will mersmerize you. I was born in post-colonial Zambia and lived there for a while, that was the reason I bought the book, but I can assure you even if you haven't been out of your hometown (wherever that may be), you will love this book!!

most enjoyable book

For all who are interested in africa of around 1900-1950 this is a great book. I have read quite a lot of books on the subject and this one is absolutely in my top 5.I recommend it 100%. Well written,the story is a true one and so incredible that one just cannot put it aside.You can contact me if you are looking for more old autobiographies from africa. David