Steve Braker Blogs
Fort Jesus Mombasa history
Fort Jesus Mombasa: The Fortress That Changed Hands Nine Times By Steve Braker — Mombasa, Kenya I walk past Fort Jesus Mombasa most weeks. From the waterfront road it dominates the old harbour entrance the way it has always done — immense, low, and coral-coloured,...
Best Books to Read on an African safari
Best Books to Read on an African Safari Recommendations from Steve Braker — thriller writer, 25-year Mombasa resident, and a man who has read most of them under a mosquito net People ask me all the time: what are the best books to read on an African safari? Usually...
The Swahili Coast: The Ancient World Hidden in Plain Sight
The Swahili Coast: The Ancient World Hidden in Plain Sight A Living Guide to the Culture, History and People of East Africa's Greatest Civilisation — by Steve Braker, Mombasa I have lived on the Swahili Coast for over twenty-five years, and the Swahili Coast...
Nakuru: Kenya’s Hidden Gem
Welcome to Nakuru—Kenya’s hidden gem of intrigue, revolution, and forsaken love. Nakuru City, steeped in ancient history and surrounded by wild landscapes, is a beacon of hope in Kenya’s green power revolution. As the fourth largest city in Kenya, Nakuru stands...
Ol Pejeta Conservancy Rhino
I came to Africa to enjoy the tropical heat, but now the immortal words of the Geographical Society are ringing in my ears: “Snow on the Equator! Impossible!” I slept in a cold bed with two hot water bottles, and now I am jumping on the spot, trying to get some...
A Matter of Time | Alex Capus
I love this story; it is about a period in history that I am very interested in. The First World War and the shenanigans in East Africa are truly unbelievable. Alex Campus takes us on a wonderful journey from Papenburg in Germany and The Admiralty in Britain...
Old Town Mombasa
I’m sitting in my living room, watching the rain pour down as the heavy clouds creep in from the ocean. We have had no power in Mombasa for the last twenty-four hours, which is usually not a problem as we have a backup generator. However, on this occasion, the...
Wilbur Smith | Shout At The Devil
I am a Wilbur Smith fan, so consider that when reading this probably biased review of Shout at the Devil. This was Wilbur Smith's second book, first published in 1968. The movie of the same name, with Lee Marvin and Roger Moore, was released in 1976 and can be...
On Leopard Rock | Wilbur Smith
Wilbur Smith | On Leopard Rock It is now a few years since Wilbur Smith left us at the grand old age of 88. During his lengthy career, he wrote 49 books that have sold to date over 140 million copies worldwide; what would I do for that kind of legacy? Wilbur’s...
The Battle of Lake Tanganyika
Princip, a man in despair, sits in a café, his black coffee untouched. His friends, their plan in ruins, are either dead or captured. Gripping his coffee with a white-knuckled hand, he frantically contemplates his escape from Sarajevo. Suddenly, cheering erupts...
Lake Tanganyika: Africa’s Hidden Gem
Lake Tanganyika: Africa's Hidden Gem is an ancient African Great Lake, one of only twenty lakes in the world over a million years old. It is a marvel of nature. It emerged during the violent volcanic age when the earth was young and tearing itself apart, creating...
Kenya Lake Victoria Interesting Facts
Lake Victoria is such an excellent geological site, and I thought I would finish my visit to Kisumu and its environs with a few interesting facts. Before John Hanning Speke visited the lake in 1858 and peered at it through unfocused, sick eyes, it had been a wonder...
The Nazi Skull | E. Chris Ambrose
The Nazi Skull: A Bone Guard Adventure Author: E. Chris AmbroseA vandal breaks into the local tribal center on the reservation and beats an old Indian Chief. He seems hell-bent on destroying the past age's culture and relics. A man is found in the desert...
Danger Close (A Breed Thriller) | Cameron Curtis
1st In Series Breed is an ex-delta Force sniper and operator who has spent lots of time in Afghanistan fighting the bad guys. As a retired special forces operator Breedis now trying to recreate himself in the less violent civilian world. Most of his friends from...
The Noise of Zulu Battle
The Noise of Zulu Battle (The Soldier’s Son Book 1)Andrew Baird, the son of the famous “Fighting Jack Windrush,” has just arrived in South Africa. It is 1877 and he enlists as a lowly mounted police man. Andrew wants to prove his own worth and not climb the ladder...
