The Shadow of the Sun

by Ryszard Kapuscinski

One of the best books I've read on Africa. Written by a European with a unique perspective - a Polish journalist who is an outsider both to Africans and to rich western europeans. He is therfore able to empathise with both the social alienation felt by the poorer blacks, and the feeling of otherness whites feel. He has spent decades travelling and reporting on the country. Highly recommended.