A book about the African cosmos, still not fully explored and understood by Europeans. There, the majestic beauty of nature coexists with the savage poverty of human life. Shadow and water are more precious than all the treasures of the world. And racial prejudices are stronger than anywhere else.

Born in Pinsk, Belarus, Ryszard Kapuściński is a legend of Polish reportage journalism, a traveler and writer known throughout the world. The time described in this book is a turning point for understanding one's path and one's place in the life of humanity. A book about bloody revolutions, accidental victories and defeats, racial antagonism, hunger, epidemics, corruption, poverty. And about the inexpressible thirst for life.