Book excerpt: "Traversa" is a fascinating account of the hardships and hilarity Fran Sandham experienced during his epic solo journey on foot across Africa, from the Skeleton Coast to the Indian Ocean through Namibia, Zambia, Malawi and Tanzania. Inspired by the legendary crossings of the great explorers, Sandham left the daily grind of London to undertake an extraordinary adventure. "Traversa" describes his brushes with danger in the form of lions and snakes, land mines and bandits, his 2-month battle with a syphilitic donkey, malaria and the everyday troubles that arise when walking across Africa. Underpinned with stories of the great explorers themselves - Livingstone, Stanley and Galton among others - "Traversa" is the written proof of Sandham's grit, determination and sheer obsession with the continent of Africa.