Book recom­men­da­tions for your ranger adventure in Africa

Preparation for your safari trip or ranger adventure

Have you already booked a safari and can hardly wait to discover the endless expanses of the African Wilderness and walk in the footsteps of Karen Blixen and Ernest Hemingway over the green hills of Africa? Or are you still considering, like the German dropout Gesa Neitzel, traveling across southern Africa to have breakfast with elephants?

To get you in the mood for your new adventure, we have put together some book recommendations for you. These will make you eagerly await your flight to explore the breathtaking wilderness of Africa.

"There is something about safari life that makes you forget all your sorrows and feels as if you had drunk half a bottle of champagne - bubbling over with heartfelt gratitude for being alive.” - Karen Blixen

#1 Books for Central Africa

Out of Africa - Karen Blixen

In perhaps the most famous story about Africa, Karen Blixen recounts her life as a coffee plantation owner. She vividly describes the wild animals, breathtaking landscapes, and the unknown traditions of the people who captivated her in Kenya. At the same time, she tells of the challenges the wilderness brings.

I Dreamed of Africa - Kuki Gallmann

Kuki Gallmann leaves her home in Italy and builds a new life in her adopted home of Kenya. Despite the many hardships she faces, she never gives up on her dream of wild and free Africa. Travel with Kuki through the fascinating landscape of Kenya and experience the highs and lows of life with her.

The Sun Sister - Lucinda Riley

In the sixth book of the series, Lucinda Riley takes her readers on a journey between two eras. She moves between the new century and Kenya's colonial period to show that sometimes it’s good to leave your past behind without forgetting it.

#2 Book recommendations for Southern Africa

Whatever you do, don’t run - Peter Allison

Peter Allison shares his daily life as a safari guide: from a transient visitor who became a lodge manager and humorously recounts life as a ranger in the wilderness of Botswana. From guest management to grand sightings and daily frustrations like getting the vehicle stuck in the mud, his stories showcase the wonderful yet sometimes challenging sides of working in the guiding industry and demonstrate that the dream of becoming a ranger can be achieved with hard work and perseverance.

An Elephant in My Kitchen - Francoise Malby-Anthony

Francoise takes care of the famous elephant herd of her late husband Lawrence Anthony in her Thula Thula game reserve in South Africa while also setting up an orphanage for rhino calves that lost their mothers to poaching. This book offers glimpses into the lives of these majestic animals and highlights the importance of protecting endangered species.

Heart of a Lioness: Two Hearts in Africa - Gesa Neitzel (only available in German)

Gesa Neitzel embarks on a road trip safari with her boyfriend Frank after her ranger training, traveling through Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia. With their off-road vehicle and rooftop tent, they journey through Southern Africa, camping in some of the last wild places on Earth. They sleep under millions of stars in the Namib Desert, drive through the salt pans of the Makgadikgadi Pans, camp in Africa’s unspoiled wilderness, paddle a mokoro through the Okavango Delta, and visit an elephant orphanage in Kafue National Park. This book invites you to dream of adventure and freedom.

#3 Recommendations for Guiding Courses (only available in German)

Have you decided on participating in a guide course or are you still looking at the course syllabus to find the right course for you? In addition to our blog articles about the course training and camps, here are some book recommendations from people who have completed the course. This will show you that it doesn’t take much courage and that everyone starts their journey with their own worries - but the decision will be life-changing.

Breakfast with Elephants (Frühstück mit Elefanten) - Gesa Neitzel

Gesa Neitzel had enough of the endless routine of waking up, scrolling through social media or phone, working, maybe seeing family and friends, sleeping. She wanted to explore the world with the open curiosity of a child again and decided to attend a course as a safari guide. In her book, she describes how she learned to change tires on an off-road vehicle, navigate by the stars, track animals, and identify birds by their calls. In addition to her ranger training as an Apprentice Field Guide in the Lowveld in South Africa, she went to Namibia’s Damaraland to observe desert elephants with an international team and slept under the open starry sky until she returned to the Tuli Block in Botswana to complete her Backup Trails Guide training.

Next Stop: Wilderness - Stefanie Vetter

Does your everyday life revolve more around completing to-do lists and meeting the expectations of others? Do you sometimes wonder if your life really revolves only around work? Stefanie Vetter felt the same way! She took a year off, embarked on a sabbatical in Southern Africa, and traveled to South America. Within this year she completed her training as an Apprentice Field Guide (formerly Field Guide Level 1) in South Africa. She shares her daily experiences with other course participants, the study load for theoretical and practical exams, the exam phases, as well as the wonderful sightings and encounters with the Big 5 and other inhabitants of the African wilderness.

Wisdom of the Elephants (die Weisheit der Elefanten) - Kerstin Plehwe

Kerstin Plehwe is a leadership expert who left her managerial life behind to fulfill a long-awaited dream. In addition to her experiences during ranger training, her book shows what one can learn about oneself during the training away from civilization and how personal boundaries can be pushed. The book encourages you to pursue and live your dreams.

(Out) Dreamed? My Year in Africa - Sebastian Homann

Sebastian Homann tells the story of his adventurous year in southern Africa. He describes his time during the training as a professional Field Guide in various training camps around the Kruger National Park, the content of the training, his new friendships, and the adventure opportunities available during the breaks between the different modules of the ranger courses.

#4 Book tips for building knowledge about African nature

These "Field Guides" will prepare you well for your ranger training in southern Africa. Some of these books are also available as eBooks or apps.

Game Ranger in your Backpack - Megan Emmet and Sean Pattrick

The two authors write in simple language and with many pictures about the most important facts of the fauna and flora of southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana), suitable for the Field Guide course or any safari traveler.

Beat about the Bush: Exploring the wild - Trevor Carnaby

Trevor Carnaby answers many questions from the basic safari guide training, such as: Why do certain birds have long tail feathers? What are those scratch marks found along the path? Does a rhino’s horn grow throughout its life? Why do dung beetles roll dung? And many more. Many of these questions will be encountered while filling out workbooks for the FGASA exam, and the answers are described in detail.

Pathfinder - Janesta Pullela

A book for all Field Guide levels. Janesta Pullela uses various detailed and self-drawn illustrations to explain the African fauna and flora of southern Africa indluding trees, flowers, insects, reptiles, mammals and fish. She delves into the different modules that are part of the field guide and trails guide, such as astronomy, geology, and climate. But also shares her knowledge about birds and tracking.

Trees of Southern Africa - Brüder van Wyk

This book describes the trees in southern Africa based on their leaves, flowers, bark, and size, and explains how to identify them correctly.

Roberts Bird Guide - Greg Davies, Hugh Chittenden, and Ingrid Weiersbye

This book (or app) describes all the birds of southern Africa, including distribution maps of their occurrences. It explains how to recognize different species, young and old birds, their breeding plumage, and how to distinguish males from females using various images.

Tracker manual - Alex van den Heever

Using images of animal tracks on different surfaces and size comparisons, this book helps identify and determine various animal tracks.

A guides guide to guiding - Garth Thompson

As a former safari guide, Garth Thompson shares his knowledge on ethical guest management, proper vehicle positioning, and other tips and tricks for a successful safari.

#5 Adventure tales from Guides, Rangers, and Researchers

Cry of the Kalahari and Eye of the Elephant - Mark and Delia Owen

Mark and Delia Owen have made it their mission to conduct research on lions and elephants in the remotest corners of Africa. Accompany them on their adventures in the Kalahari desert and northern Zambia, where they live in harmony with nature and learn much from it. Delia Owen is now a bestselling author and has captivated hundreds of thousands of readers with her book "Where the crawdads sing."

A game ranger remembers - Bruce Bryden

Bruce Bryden takes you on his experiences in the African wilderness as a park ranger in the world-famous Kruger National Park. In his stories, he shares daring rescue attempts, reminisces about various sightings, and gives a behind-the-scenes look at the famous National park.

The Elephant Whisperer and the last Rhino - Lawrence Anthony

Lawrence Anthony dedicated his life to the conservation aspects of the grey gentle giants naming the African Savannah Elephant and the White Rhino. In his book “Elephant Whisperer” he tells his story of saving a herd of elephants and the ups and downs of bringing them to his private game reserve. The last rhino tells his story about doing his best by trying to save one of Africa's most poached animals - the rhino.

My life with leopards - Graham Cooke

Graham Cook has dedicated his life to the African bush. After spending several years living with a group of baboons, raising leopards, and gaining extensive experience in guiding, he now offers his knowledge as a course instructor, among other things.

#6 Book recommendations for your return

Have you also found a second home and left a part of yourself behind? Do you miss the wild expanses, the learnt birdsong and the hyena calls of the night? Perhaps this book will help you to understand that other travellers, adventurers and returnees have also felt homesick and melancholy.

All things wild and wonderful - Kobie Krüger

Kobie Kruger felt the same when she had to leave her beloved camp in the northern Kruger National Park because her husband was being transferred to the much more lively southern area. At first, her doctor thought the persistent headaches might be from tickbite fever, but she knew better. It was melancholy. However, she soon learns to appreciate the new area and finds new natural wonders that inspire her. A great book that shows you not to give up and that you can find little adventures everywhere.

We hope you thoroughly enjoy your reading journey and feel inspired and excited for your upcoming adventure. May these stories and insights fuel your wanderlust and prepare you for the unforgettable experiences that await you. You can find the full overview about all our Natucate Guide courses here.