Sahara library

I seemed to have brought along a mini library, mostly with books kind of related to some part of the journey…………………..
Sahara Overland, Chris Scott – practical planning with information about vehicle requirements and routes.
Rough Guide to West Africa – includes Niger, Mali and Mauritania. Stolen with my bag in Niamey and unfortunately with the very few books available in West Africa, it was not possible to replace.
Sardines and Oranges, Short Stories from North Africa. A number of short stories by African writers (Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Sudan and Tunisia). A number of the stories show violence within the family during childhood. Some are about childhood legends or read like fables. Many are about the impact of westerners and money within their society. Very good. A few of the stories are not so interesting.
‘Exterminate all the Brutes’, Sven Lindqvist – This book reviews what was behind Conrad Doyle writing Heart of Darkness, which I’ve yet to read. This is a very chilling but interesting account of how Africa was colonized and how the ‘lower races’ were ruled over or killed, while in the background it details his journey south through Algeria into Niger, some of the route, we’ll be travelling.
North Africa Travel, Sickle Moon books – Has some short stories from Morocco and Algeria, particularly set in Essaouira and Fes. Reviews some historical expeditions through North Africa. Has news that was taking place in North Africa around 2000-2001. At the back it recommends the guides Mokhtar and Claudia and their company Tarahist which we are using for our Algerian travel.
Desert Travels, Chris Scott – About his motorbike journeys through the Sahara generally starting in Algeria. He provides a number of examples of trips that have to be abandoned either through the vehicle breaking up or injuries and accidents to people on their motorbikes. Also shows the difficulties in getting on with your traveling companions when someone just wants to rush through the Sahara in record time and conquer a few difficult dunes on the way. Hopefully our trip will not be like these! (post trip - the book was good for others to read once the cars started breaking up in Mauritania).
Includes some history such as the French, Colonel Flatters expedition down through the Hoggar Mountains, Algeria to plan the route of a new railway through the Sahara. Once they engaged with the Tuareg they were led into a gorge where half were massacred. In making their hasty retreat north, some Tuareg traded some dates which were poisoned with the efelehleh plant which made the men who ate them mad and shoot each other. Only a few survived back across the desert to safety to tell the tale. I don’t think I’ll mention that I’ve worked on railway projects here!
Sahara, The life of the great desert, Marq de Villiers & Sheila Hirtle – Half of the book is about the physical environment and the other half is about the history of the people and the trade.
Collins Gem, SAS Survival Guide – haven’t look at this much yet, but looked like a reassuring book to have!
Long Way Round, Ewan McGregor & Charley Boorman, chasing shadows across the world. Nothing to do with the Sahara, but another motorbike journey and I though would be an insight into life with your traveling companions. Very good read, with a few scary examples of meeting people with guns and an example of waiting a long time at border crossing. I think one or both of them are planning to do the Paris Dakar rally next year, so some of a similar route, although certainly not speed.
Sahara, Michael Palin – Well most people have seen this. We don’t have the luxury of getting air lifted out and a trip home between places. But interesting insight into the Wodaabe festival (Cure Salee) at Ingal, Niger where the men put on the lipstick, foundation and mascara and the women then choose their man. We should be passing through Ingal on our way back down from Algeria, though unfortunately not at the time of the festival. Covers a lot of the route we’ll be traveling, but in reverse.
Mali, Bradt travel guide – great to see a travel guide about Mali as there seem to be no guide books for Algeria, Niger or Mauritania.
The Shadow of the Sun, My African Life, Ryszard Kapuscinkski – Has chapters on his life and news events in various African countries including Liberia, Somalia, Uganda and Zanzibar. Has one account of traveling through Mauritania, hitching a lift with a truck and breaking down in the desert where he comes so dehydrated he begins to see the desert as a green oasis. In Mali he recounts some of the Tuareg history and the various travellers attempts to find where the River Niger went to and includes visits to Bamako, Mopti and Timboktou. We hope to get to all of these places. Given to Mohamadou, Timbuktu guide.
French lessons in Africa, Peter Biddlecombe – review of his travel and work within 10 french African countries, written in 1993. We are going to Niger and Mali and get close to, not totally ruled out at this stage Senegal and Burkino Faso. Some interesting accounts about Countries that we know little of. Given to the Dutchies who were heading off to Benin and Togo.
Lonely Planet guide to Morocco.
La Guide du Routard, Afrique Noire, 2005. En Francais – a useful guide to Mauritania, Mali and Niger.
The Road to Timbuktu, Down the Niger of the Trail of Mungo Park, Tom Freemantle. A travel account of his journey on foot, by boat, with donkey and Ox and on buses from Gambia, Senegal, Mali, Niger and Nigeria, mainly tracking the Scottish explorer Mungo Parks route, but also the history of other explorers. He also visited the Dogon region in Mali. Interesting as he only undertook this journey in the last two years.
The Zanzibar Chest, Aidan Hartley. Story of a journalist’s life in Africa. Particularly strong in detailing the reporting of the situation in Somalia and Rwanda. He grew up in East Africa where his Father worked on Agricultural projects during the Colonial era. He is also tracing the history of his father’s friend who left a diary of his life which he spent in the Middle East. I left the book in Mohammed’s fort, El Katrun to boost his book collection from 2 to 3.
Timbuktu, Paul Auster. A very good novel written through the eyes of a dog called Mr Bones - very convincing and I'm not a dog lover. Willy is his owner and said that Timbuktu was the place people and some dogs went when they die. The book details the dog journey to Timbuktu after Willy dies and he has to fend for himself.
Travels with Myself and Another, Five Journeys from Hell, Martha Gellhorn. The book sounds a bit negative – people are only interested in others travel stories when something goes wrong. However the descriptions are very good. You can tell it was written about 40 years ago through changing attitudes, particularly with the writing about Africa. I never finished the book as it was in my bag when it got stolen.
Lone Traveller, One woman two wheels and the world, Anne Mustoe. A review of the mostly highs and some lows of travelling around the world on a bike. A very good read, probably enjoyed more than a Dervla Murphy book, but it was slightly schoolmistressy - which she was.
The Curious incident of the dog in the night-time, Mark Haddon. Excellent book. Makes the world seem logical through the eyes of Christopher a kid with autism.
Point Blanc, Anthony Horowitz. Second in this kid’s book series. About a boy who is recruited into MI6 and this is his latest case to solve the mystery of why the wealthy influential fathers of kids sent to an expensive school in the French Alps are being killed.
Reading Lolita in Tehran, A memoir in Books, Azar Nafisi. Recounts the life of a literature teacher (the author) and her students in Iran before, during and after the rule of Ayatollah Khomeini. I now want to rewatch the Jane Austin dramas.
Dude, Where’s my Country?, Michael Moore. I’ve never read any of Michael Moore before so this was very interesting, but not so interesting on a four month trip away from the UK and news from Europe and America.
Death of a Salesman, Arthur Miller. Bought from a second hand bookstall in Niamey, one of the few English books I found in Africa. I’d never read or seen the play before, so I enjoyed reading the American dream. Given to a second hand book shop in Rabat, Morocco - although they already had 5/6 copies!
Elina, Obi B Egbuna. Also bought from a second hand book stall in Niamey. The novel was written in the 1960’s, set in Nigeria. It reads a bit like a fable and debates polygamy with some quite interesting arguments of the advantages of the African world compared to the western world. Given to a book seller in Segou, Mali.
Italian Neighbours, An Englishman in Verona, Tim Parks. A year spent living in a village outside Verona and an insight into the quirks and habits of Italian life. A bit of an odd read in Mauritania!
Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad. This was much easier to read after the review of it in 'Exterminate all the Brutes' by Sven Lindqvist.