The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu: The Quest for this Storied City and the Race to Save Its Treasures
London, . Published by William Collins. 2017. Royal 8vo. pp.xiv + 401 illustrations and maps in black & white, index. Black hardcover in pictorial dust wrapper. Fine copy. Item #193373
' The search for this 'African El Dorado' cost the lives of many explorers but Timbuktu is rich beyond its legends. Home to many thousands of ancient manuscripts on poetry, history, religion, law, pharmacology and astronomy, the city has been a centre of learning since medieval times. When jihadists invaded Mali in 2012 threatening destruction to Timbuktu's libraries, a remarkable thing happened. A team of librarians and archivists joined forces to spirit the precious manuscripts into hiding. '.
Price: $30.00