The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu
And Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious Manuscripts
Joshua Hammer
This captivating narrative tells the tale of Abdel Kader Haidara, a mild-mannered archivist on a mission to save tens of thousands of ancient Islamic and secular manuscripts from the clutches of Al Qaeda. With determination and bravery, Haidara orchestrates a thrilling heist to smuggle all 350,000 volumes to safety, proving that ordinary citizens can do extraordinary things to protect their culture. This “part scholarly adventure story, part geopolitical tract, and part out-and-out thriller” is a reminder of the power of preservation and the resilience of the human spirit.
Publish Date
2016-04-19T00:00:00.000Z
2016-04-19T00:00:00.000Z
Goodreads Rating
3.5
ISBN
9781476777412
Categories
Recommendations
2
Recommendations
2019-01-01T00:00:00.000Z
It belonged at least on my runners-up list! The story of how hundreds of thousands of Islamic manuscripts were laboriously brought together into a magnificent library, and then, in a reminder of why they were originally hidden in the sands, threatened by terrorism, and rescued once again. Badass librarians indeed! – source2019-11-28T21:40:45.000Z
Took me 2 months to get thru book 16 of 2019. I’ve long been fascinated by the history of Timbuktu, and Joshua Hammer’s book is an epic tale of how much of that history was saved during the Al Qaeda occupation of the city in 2012-13. It’s a really great read. – source