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bluelishi's review against another edition
4.0
Just one note: the research done for this book is fucking amazing - as it should be.
jon288's review against another edition
4.0
Fascinating. I loved the way it interspersed the history of western exploration to find the city with the modern efforts of people living there to cope with the political upheaval around them and the threat to the priceless manuscripts that brought with it. Left ambiguous how successful the efforts were - how much was self-publicity and fundraising and how much was real, but it appears that the work did a great deal to preserve them
thatkorigirl's review against another edition
5.0
In my 3rd grade class we discussed Timbuktu, and since then I have yearned to learn more, and eventually visit. I haven't bought a plane ticket yet, but I did get a book on Timbuktu.
Important background: There are a lot of racist myths towards Africa that people believe even today. One of them: "Primitive" Africans had no writing and no clear history. To quote a British historian named in the novel, speaking in 1963, "Perhaps in the future, there will be some African history to teach. But at present there is none. There is only the history of Europeans in Africa. The rest is darkness."
In truth there were some cultural and ethnic groups in African who have had an almost singularly oral tradition, though since the days of colonization that has not been true. But since Africa has more diversity than any other continent by sheer count of ethnic groups (cultures are not so defineable and countable), the myth of Africa having no written history is unequivicably untrue. (also, I learned when I was young that specifically Timbuktu had a famous library long ago - it's surprising to me that people still don't know this).
Told in the past and the present, Charlie English conveys the history and present of Timbuktu in the context of European colonialism, in the context of the modern radical Islamic revolts, and in the context of books. I love this book, and if you're interested in any of the above, you will too.
Important background: There are a lot of racist myths towards Africa that people believe even today. One of them: "Primitive" Africans had no writing and no clear history. To quote a British historian named in the novel, speaking in 1963, "Perhaps in the future, there will be some African history to teach. But at present there is none. There is only the history of Europeans in Africa. The rest is darkness."
In truth there were some cultural and ethnic groups in African who have had an almost singularly oral tradition, though since the days of colonization that has not been true. But since Africa has more diversity than any other continent by sheer count of ethnic groups (cultures are not so defineable and countable), the myth of Africa having no written history is unequivicably untrue. (also, I learned when I was young that specifically Timbuktu had a famous library long ago - it's surprising to me that people still don't know this).
Told in the past and the present, Charlie English conveys the history and present of Timbuktu in the context of European colonialism, in the context of the modern radical Islamic revolts, and in the context of books. I love this book, and if you're interested in any of the above, you will too.
zsazsa_huppert's review
adventurous
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
zsazsa_huppert's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
5.0
thunguyen's review
3.0
I can't even remember the first time I heard the name Timbuktu, but once heard, it's burnt in my memory as if it's the most fascinating word I've ever heard. There's a certain melodic quality to those 3 syllables. No wonder why it's on the T page of the Animalia book by Graeme Base.
This book certainly breaks any spell such name held over me. I like the half about European expeditions to find Timbuktu throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The book was written with a certain degree of humour so all those failed historical stuff sounds rather entertaining. The modern day part, the most important smuggling part, is rather difficult to follow with so many people and groups, politics and parties, Islamic and French names that I find quite differently to catch when listening and driving. The smuggling business is not at all fascinating and rather ordinary. Plus, a couple of chapters at the end questioning the integrity of the whole business really kill the spirit. Overall, it's not a bad book but it's definitely not an amazing real life Indiana Jones story.
This book certainly breaks any spell such name held over me. I like the half about European expeditions to find Timbuktu throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The book was written with a certain degree of humour so all those failed historical stuff sounds rather entertaining. The modern day part, the most important smuggling part, is rather difficult to follow with so many people and groups, politics and parties, Islamic and French names that I find quite differently to catch when listening and driving. The smuggling business is not at all fascinating and rather ordinary. Plus, a couple of chapters at the end questioning the integrity of the whole business really kill the spirit. Overall, it's not a bad book but it's definitely not an amazing real life Indiana Jones story.
nellkup06's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting. Adds a lot more to the story of Timbuktu and the manuscripts.