To Swim with Crocodiles: Land, Violence, and Belonging in South Africa, 1800–1996 offers a fresh perspective on the history of rural politics in South Africa, from the rise of the Zulu kingdom to the civil war at the dawn of democracy in KwaZulu-Natal. The book shows how Africans in the Table Mountain region drew on the cultural inheritance of ukukhonza—a practice of affiliation that binds together chiefs and subjects—to seek social and physical security in times of war and upheaval. Grounded in a rich combination of archival sources and oral interviews, this book examines relations within and between chiefdoms to bring wider concerns of African studies into focus, including land, violence, chieftaincy, ethnic and nationalist politics, and development. Colonial indirect rule, segregation, and apartheid attempted to fix formerly fluid polities into territorial “tribes” and ethnic identities, but the Zulu practice of ukukhonza maintained its flexibility and endured. By exploring what Zulu men and women knew about and how they remembered ukukhonza, Kelly reveals how Africans envisioned and defined relationships with the land, their chiefs, and their neighbors as white minority rule transformed the countryside and local institutions of governance.

For over a decade, renowned travel journalist, bestselling author, and TV host Robin Esrock scoured the globe in search of one-of-a-kind, bucket list–worthy experiences. During his remarkable journey to over 100 countries on seven continents, Esrock uncovered unique adventures, fascinating history, cultural spectacles, natural wonders, hilarious situations and unforgettable characters—proving that modern travel is so much more than just over-trafficked tourist attractions. From the Amazon jungle to the beaches of Zanzibar, The Great Global Bucket List presents a world we don’t hear much about in the news. A world that is strikingly beautiful, thought-provoking, incredibly diverse and sometimes, just very, very funny. With his trademark wit, photography and insight, Esrock introduces the inspiring experiences you’ll be talking and dreaming about for many years to come. Get ready to cage dive with crocodiles in South Africa; float in Colombia’s Mud Volcano of youth; cheer for a masked wrestling hero in Mexico; discover the reality of space tourism in Russia’s Star City; zip line off the Great Wall of China; swim with sunken treasures in Papua, New Guinea; and camp on the ice in Antarctica ... and that’s just the tip of the proverbial metaphor! Whether you’re looking for ideas for your next trip, or simply entertainment from your armchair, Esrock is more than just your experienced travel guide. Each chapter unlocks an online companion site with practical information, videos, photo galleries, polls, forums, reading suggestions, a bonus blog and more. Some items on Esrock’s bucket list are certainly not for everybody, but this beautifully illustrated, easy-to-navigate book offers something for everyone. The world has never seemed so fun, inviting and inspirational. For a trail-blazing book rooted in things to do before you die, The Great Global Bucket List is packed with experiences that make life worth living.

Everybody knows that crocodiles love water, but this little crocodile is different. He doesn't like water at all. In fact, he prefers climbing trees! But it can be lonely when you're the odd one out, so the little crocodile tries his best to change. But being wet isn't for everyone - and a shiver soon becomes a cold and the cold becomes a sneeze, a very hot sneeze... Could it be that this little crocodile isn't a crocodile at all? A funny, unique and uplifting story for children of all ages. Other tites from author-illustrator, Gemma Merino: The Cow who Climbed the Tree.

In the tradition of Into the Wild, here is the riveting story of a young man seeking his own truth and finding adventure in the awesome, unforgiving power of nature. Will Chaffey is eighteen when he boards a plane in New York bound for Australia. Taking time off to work and travel, Will meets an enigmatic wanderer and herpetologist. Together they cross the inland desert to the tropical northwest coast, home to the saltwater crocodile, a known man- eater and a predator who has been hunting since the age of the dinosaurs. They devise a plan to explore the remote Prince Regent River, a trek so dangerous it had never been attempted by outsiders. Passing through harsh, primeval country, shadowed by their own exhaustion, and physically worn down, they find themselves locked in a life-and-death struggle when their food runs out and, unable to leave, they are stalked by a hungry crocodile. Filled with scenes of great natural beauty, Swimming with Crocodiles is at once the affecting account of a journey into adulthood and a hair- raising epic of survival.

Jim the crocodile finds the courage to face his fear of swimming in this funny and charming debut picture book from Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor–winning author-illustrator Kaz Windness. Jim the crocodile is scared of swimming—or rather, of sinking. His family’s swamp is just too deep, too dark, and too big. But maybe he could swim, if only there were a smaller swamp where he could try it on his own terms. Jim wiggle-waggles far and wide until he finds the perfect place. With the help of some floaties and his sisters, Jim just might find the courage to face his fear and show everyone—including himself—that Jim can swim!

When ten-year-old Enaiatollah Akbari’s small village in Afghanistan falls prey to Taliban rule in early 2000, his mother shepherds the boy across the border into Pakistan but has to leave him there all alone to fend for himself. Thus begins Enaiat’s remarkable and often punish­ing five-year ordeal, which takes him through Iran, Turkey, and Greece before he seeks political asylum in Italy at the age of fifteen. Along the way, Enaiat endures the crippling physical and emotional agony of dangerous border crossings, trekking across bitterly cold mountain pathways for days on end or being stuffed into the false bottom of a truck. But not every­one is as resourceful, resilient, or lucky as Enaiat, and there are many heart-wrenching casualties along the way. Based on Enaiat’s close collaboration with Italian novelist Fabio Geda and expertly rendered in English by an award- winning translator, this novel reconstructs the young boy’s memories, perfectly preserving the childlike perspective and rhythms of an intimate oral history. Told with humor and humanity, In the Sea There Are Crocodiles brilliantly captures Enaiat’s moving and engaging voice and lends urgency to an epic story of hope and survival.