"I've long known that the versatile Joshua Hammer could drop into
the midst of a war or political conflict anywhere in the world and
make sense of it. But he has outdone himself this time, and found
an extraordinary, moving story of a quiet--and successful--act of
great bravery in the face of destructive fanaticism."--Adam
Hochschild, author of King Leopold's Ghost and To End All Wars
"On one level, " The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu" is a thriller
that revolves around one long chase scene, as librarian race
through the deserts of Mali trying to salvage a trove of precious
manuscripts from jihadists hell-bent on their destruction. The
stakes in this chase are no less than civilization itself. On
another level, Joshua Hammer's book is about a struggle between
Islamic ideologies--one jihadist, inflexible and violent, and the
other open and intellectual. Joshua Hammer's book could not be more
relevant to today's events."--Barbara Demick, author of Nothing To
Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
"Hammer has pulled off the truly remarkable here--a book that is
both important and a delight to read. "The Bad-Ass Librarians of
Timbuktu" is the wonderfully gripping story of Abdel Kader Haidara
and the hundreds of ordinary Malians who, at great personal danger,
endeavored to save the ancient fabled manuscripts of Timbuktu from
destruction by Islamic jihadists. It is also an inspirational
reminder that, even as the forces of barbarism extend their thrall
across so much of the Muslim world, there are still those willing
to risk everything to preserve civilization. A superb rendering of
a story that needs to be told."--Scott Anderson, author of Lawrence
in Arabia
I ve long known that the versatile Joshua Hammer could drop into
the midst of a war or political conflict anywhere in the world and
make sense of it. But he has outdone himself this time, and found
an extraordinary, moving story of a quiet and successful act of
great bravery in the face of destructive fanaticism. --Adam
Hochschild, author of King Leopold's Ghost and To End All Wars"
Hammer has pulled off the truly remarkable here a book that is both
important and a delight to read. "The Bad-Ass Librarians of
Timbuktu" is the wonderfully gripping story of Abdel Kader Haidara
and the hundreds of ordinary Malians who, at great personal danger,
endeavored to save the ancient fabled manuscripts of Timbuktu from
destruction by Islamic jihadists. It is also an inspirational
reminder that, even as the forces of barbarism extend their thrall
across so much of the Muslim world, there are still those willing
to risk everything to preserve civilization. A superb rendering of
a story that needs to be told. --Scott Anderson, author of Lawrence
in Arabia"
"A picaresque and mysterious adventure that rushes across the
strife-torn landscape of today s Mali, "The Bad-Ass Librarians"
tells the unlikely but very real story of a band of bookish heroes
from Timbuktu and their desperate race past dangerous checkpoints,
through deserts, and often in the dead of night to save a culture
and a civilization from destruction. Josh Hammer has seen firsthand
how ordinary people can respond with extraordinary heroism when
faced with evil. He also gives us a dramatic example of what it
means to stick with a story; he knows this one from the beginnings
in the late 1300s up until the present day, with its extremism and
acts of cultural repression and erasure. Hammer has an unerring
sense of what matters and his storytelling is impassioned and fun
at the same time."--Amy Wilentz, author of Farewell, Fred
Voodoo"
On one level, " The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu" is a thriller
that revolves around one long chase scene, as librarian race
through the deserts of Mali trying to salvage a trove of precious
manuscripts from jihadists hell-bent on their destruction. The
stakes in this chase are no less than civilization itself. On
another level, Joshua Hammer s book is about a struggle between
Islamic ideologies one jihadist, inflexible and violent, and the
other open and intellectual. Joshua Hammer s book could not be more
relevant to today s events. --Barbara Demick, author of Nothing To
Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea"
"A completely engrossing adventure with a sharp--and
prescient--political edge. Josh Hammer, a veteran correspondent of
numerous conflict zones, tells a fascinating story about the quest
to save Timbuktu s priceless Islamic writings from the grasp of
jihadists. This is an entertaining, and extremely timely, book
about the value of art and history and the excesses of religious
extremism."--Janet Reitman, author of Inside Scientology"
This is, simply, a fantastic story, one that has been beautifully
told by Josh Hammer, who knows and loves Mali like some farmers
know their back forty. At a time of unprecedented cultural
destruction taking place across the Muslim world, Abdel Kader
Haidara, the savior of Timbuktu's ancient manuscripts and this
book's main character, is a true hero. If you are feeling despair
about the fate of the world, "The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu"
is a must-read, and a welcome shot in the arm. --Jon Lee Anderson,
author of The Fall of Baghdad"
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