Laurence Mackinreviews Traversa, Fran Sandham,Duckworth Overlook, £8.99 and First-Time Africa, Rough Guides, £10.99
The "traversa" is something of a hard-core explorer's rite of passage: the crossing of a continent on foot. Fran Sandham is somewhat less than hard-core when he decides to go from the Skeleton Coast of Namibia through Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania to Zanzibar.
He leaves behind a rain-sodden London to venture through the wilds of a continent with just his own bloody-mindedness and the advice of previous explorers, especially David Livingstone, for company.
Sandham is all too aware of his failings, and this, together with his daily battles with his punishingly heavy pack and a refusal to give up cigarettes and alcohol, makes for an authentic tale of self-discovery in the rawest of African surroundings.
His dogged determination is enormously impressive, and his encounters with people and animals (most prominent of which is the devil in donkey form) put this near the top of the pile of African travelogues - and make it one for walkers everywhere.
First-Time Africa, Rough Guides, £10.99
Following in Fran Sandham's footsteps might seem a marvellous idea, though perhaps not actually on foot.
This is a succinct guide to how a relative novice should prepare for an extended trip to the continent. It begins with a country by country guide, then moves on to planning a route, staying healthy, what to pack (plugs and tweezers are invaluable) and how to deal with the prodigious bureaucracy surrounding visas and permits. This is more about practicalities than what to see, but it does have some nice recommendations, too.