Fabled Tribe

A short and readable book about a scientific expedition in the late 1960's into the Okavango swamps to search for a ‘fabled tribe' of Swamp Bushmen. The author is a member of the party, made up of scientists and researchers who are looking in the the depths of the swamps - not fully explored, although accessed by crocodile hunters.

The actual expedition occupies only around a third of the book, the other parts made up by the background to the expedition, the preparations for the expedition and a narrative history of all previous investigations in this area of the Okavango by numerous other explorers over the previous Decades (albeit around the edges rather, and not necessarily very scientific).

The author does a good job with the background, although it does repeat itself in some cases, although this is generally with the more important themes, so was probably purposeful. The writing is colourful, and comes across as accurate. The elements of the book are all interesting, and it is an easy read.

There are some conclusions to the book, which I will not spoil here, but appear from my brief look through Wikipedia to still be accepted and accurate. Some of the science contained however, sounds dated, and almost certainly would be only a simple basis for analysis of the people now.

Also an honourable mention for the dust jacket, which, as is almost always the case with the Travel Book Club Edition, is excellent.

4 stars for me.