I hesitate to call this romance, except in the original meaning of the word meaning a piece of fiction. It is certainly a part of the story, but not the whole tale and some of the most enjoyable parts of this exciting book are surely the battle scenes at the end. This will appeal to anybody who loves old movies such as Zulu, The African Queen or Northwest Passage replete as it is with the heat and dust of the Dark Continent, spear-shaking Masai, scheming kings, naughty Dutchmen, and death-or-glory military action. I can imagine people of both sexes reading and enjoying this one, the sort of book to devour in a couple of sittings. They may not make films like this any more, but at least we can read books.