Robert S. Kane; Travel Writer, Creator of Popular Guidebooks

Robert S. Kane, 72, travel writer who created two series of guidebooks. Using his firsthand observations, Kane wrote “Africa A to Z: A Guide for Travelers--Armchair and Actual” in 1961, launching the A to Z series. He was one of the first travel writers to concentrate on sub-Saharan Africa after the overthrow of European rule. When his A to Z series was taken over by Rand McNally in 1980, Kane began a new series, “World at Its Best,” with a handbook on Germany. In the 1990s he narrowed his focus to cities, and recent “World at Its Best” books have featured New York, Washington, Hong Kong and San Francisco. Born in Albany, N.Y., Kane graduated from Syracuse University and began as a reporter and travel editor for newspapers and magazines. On Nov. 10 in New York City of a heart attack.