a good number of British gentlemen of royal blood or the dropout offspring of the upper classes born with silver spoons in their mouths went to Africa, explored the white spots on the maps, created National Parks and shot or saved elephants. Many later wrote books about their adventures. However, it is very rare that somebody who was born “with a plastic spoon in his mouth”, nowadays ends up as a rhino conservator on Rubondo Island in Lake Victoria, a mountain guide on Mount Kilimanjaro and a safari guide in the Selous Game Reserve of Tanzania. Steve Foreman is such a rare individual, and his book is well worth reading, not only because it is entertaining, but also it explains more about the real Africa and real people than many a scholarly written work. And all is written against the background of a deep love for the continent and its people.”

Dr. Rolf D. Baldus.

The heady scent of the open savannah rises from every page. Gripping, evocative, sometimes raw, Steve Foreman’s account of his life in the bush will grip you by the throat like Africa herself.”

Brian Jackman FRGS

that traces the extraordinary journey of a man who defied the odds to pursue his dream of working in African wildlife conservation. Born into the hardship of London’s East End, Foreman’s story is one of resilience, adventure, and an unrelenting passion for nature.

The book vividly brings to life his transformation from a young boy with little education and few opportunities to a respected figure in East African conservation. His first-hand accounts of encounters with rhinos, lions, and even a life-threatening hyena attack are gripping, while his deep relationships with the Maasai people adds a rich layers to his narrative.

Foreman’s humour, humility, and self-reflection make this memoir more than just a travelogue – it’s an inspiring testament to the power of determination. His experiences as a safari guide, mountain leader, and editor-in-chief of a travel magazine provide an immersive, behind-the-scenes look at the realities of life in Africa’s wild landscapes.

This book is a must-read for anyone fascinated by wildlife, conservation, and adventure. Whether you dream of exploring Africa or simply love a story of perseverance and transformation, From the East End to East Africa is an unforgettable journey worth taking.

Sarah Woods FRGS

with an eye for detail, capturing his adventures in Africa with unvarnished enthusiasm, as if seeing it all for the first time.  A vivid memoir of a truly remarkable life.”

Dr. Thor Hanson

Steve Foreman takes us from the gritty streets of London’s East End to the vast, soul-stirring landscapes of East Africa with storytelling that is raw, honest and beautifully human. As you turn each page, you’re not just reading, you’re traveling.

Steve has given us more than a story. He’s given us an invitation to explore, to reflect and to rediscover the world through fresh eyes.

If you’ve ever longed for a life less ordinary, FROM THE EAST END TO EAST AFRICA is your map. Don’t just read it, LIVE IT.”

Musa N.K. Juma BAcc MBA

In this lively memoir, he captures brilliantly the atmosphere of analogue East Africa, a more innocent age before mass global travel, when land-line telephones lines barely existed (let alone mobiles) and the Lonely Planet Travel guide to Tanzania wasn’t even imagined. In bracingly unaffected prose, he captures the realities that we ‘mzungus’ all found in Africa in those days: navigating officialdom, trying to get involved in conservation, pursuing every possibility to find a way to make a life in such an impossibly beautiful and challenging place.

This book will enchant readers with its refreshing take on life in the bush and on safari, long journeys on terrible (or non-existent) roads, remote places, our white skin perhaps being seen by children for the first time. Quite apart from his extraordinary adventures and the great characters he describes along the way, Steve also has a real gift for wonderful descriptive passages of the beauty of Africa, the early morning outings on safari, the dust, the light, the smells and of course the excitement of encountering its incredible wildlife.

This book is a hymn perhaps to a lost age of Africa, whose digital revolution has now catapulted it into a different world to the one Steve first found, but which still retains the magic that he captures so eloquently. Above all, it is an inspiring story of a man from the East End who fell in love with nature as a child and never could shake off that African dream, which is still a vital message for anybody today with that explorer’s spirit.”

Reggie Heyworth

Lesley Harris

Christopher Gee