Africa: A Continent of Contrasts By Philip Briggs
Africa: A Continent of Contrasts
A Lavish Panoramic Exploration of the Natural Landscapes, Diverse Cultures, and Architectural Wealth of the African Continent
A Lavish Panoramic Exploration of the Natural Landscapes, Diverse Cultures, and Architectural Wealth of the African Continent
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: Africa: A Continent of Contrasts
- Author: Philip Briggs
- Photographers: Martin Harvey and Ariadne van Zandbergen
- Publisher: Struik Publishers Ltd, Cape Town
- Publication Date: 2005 (First Edition Release)
- ISBN-13: 9781770070875 (ISBN-10: 1770070877)
- Edition Details: First Edition, First Printing. Inscribed on the first page.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium cloth boards with decorative gilt-stamped typography to the spine; complete with original high-gloss pictorial dust jacket.
- Physical Format: Oversized Coffee-Table Folio (4to), 296 pages. Magnificently enhanced with a vast visual archive of full-colour ecological, cultural, and landscape master photography printed on heavy-gauge gloss art stock. Dimensions: 32.5 x 25.4 cm. Weight: 2.2 kg.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Near Fine (NF) / Mint
- Exterior / Boards: The oversized cloth boards are in exceptional, mint condition—completely flat, rigid, and square. Corners are razor-sharp and entirely free of edge friction or storage bumping. The spine is completely uncreased, firm, and undamaged.
- Interior: The substantial text block is robustly bound, clean, and tight. Internal pages, expansive regional text matrices, and full-bleed photographic plates are completely crisp, bright white, and immaculate. Free of standard user highlighting, reader margin notes, or dog-ears.
- Provenance: Features a contemporary handwritten presentation inscription neatly executed on the preliminary first page, which remains clean and does not impact the main title layout.
- Protection: Carefully preserved and safely encased within a protective archival-grade cellophane overwrap.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Condition: Exceptionally bright, complete, and unclipped. Exhibits only very limited, superficial signs of handling and micro-storage friction on the outer margins, entirely consistent with careful collection management. Completely free of chips, deep tears, or sun fading.
Synopsis & Historical Value
Published by Struik in 2005, Africa: A Continent of Contrasts is a monumental pictorial and narrative tribute to the grand diversity of the second-largest continent. Written by premier travel writer Philip Briggs and featuring world-class imagery from acclaimed wildlife and cultural photographers Martin Harvey and Ariadne van Zandbergen, this lavish work serves as an extensive visual feast mapping out Africa's natural, historical, and architectural wealth.
The volume is seamlessly structured into four primary geographical sectors: North, West, East, and Southern Africa. Across these regions, Briggs goes beyond standard tourist overviews to illuminate the complex interactions between characteristic wildlife, dramatic geographical landmarks, pre-colonial monuments, and traditional ethnic ceremonies. This copy, elevated by its pristine collector state, serves as an essential visual archive and a timeless volume for enthusiasts of global anthropology, natural history, and African geography.
Author Profile: Philip Briggs
Philip Briggs is internationally recognized as one of the world's most experienced and pioneering travel writers and guides specializing in the African continent. Born in Britain and raised in South Africa, he has spent decades exploring Africa's highways and backwaters since 1986. In 1991, he authored the very first international travel guide to South Africa following the release of Nelson Mandela. He has written dozens of definitive, highly praised monographs and Bradt travel guides for uncharted destinations like Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, and Rwanda, blending deep environmental accuracy with engaging cultural prose.
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