The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu
2016 • 288 pages
Ratings2
Average rating2.5
15
Ratings2
Average rating2.5
Describes how a group of Timbuktu librarians enacted a daring plan to smuggle the city's great collection of rare Islamic manuscripts away from the threat of destruction at the hands of Al Qaeda militants to the safety of southern Mali.
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The premise of this book seemed amazing, unfortunately the actual thing didn't deliver. While the beginning of the book was interesting as it covered Mali history and the origins of the manuscripts, around chapter 5 or so the book took a right turn into non sequitur land. The manuscripts were talked about less and less, and instead ended up with a not-so-brief regional instability history and much talk about terrorists and music(???). As an example, about halfway in, the book starts talking about a concert that Bono from U2 showed up at. I don't really know why. There was also pretty in-depth descriptions of hands and limbs being chopped off in chapter 13. I admit, I skipped that chapter once it was clear where it was going.
The actual book saving portions were interesting, and I wish the author had focused strictly on that. The book might have been shorter, but would have better fit the title.
