Customer Reviews

A Desert Drama being The Tragedy of the Korosko

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Arthur Conan Doyle's story of the passengers on a riverboat who run afoul of Sudanese Dervishes is an exciting tale in its own right, but is especially timely in view of the current situation in the Middle East. The plot is simple: A group of passengers on a cruise up the Nile take a side trip which puts them within range of a group of raiders, who take them for ransom or, in the case of the captured women, other purposes, which Conan Doyle alludes to, but does not explicitly state. What makes this especially timely are the characterizations of the passengers and their individual responses to the hazards of their ordeal, from the retired English officer whose experiences in similar situations puts him in a leadership role, to the Frenchman who initially denies even the existence of the risk of the raiders, then attempts to ingratiate himself to them, but ultimately comes around to solidarity with the group, each member of the group of prisoners is both an individual and an archetype, providing every side of the discussion of the situation in Egypt and the Sudan. The Islamic preaching of the Imam is especially accurate and provides an insight into the mindset of the jihadis who prey upon non-believers (and believers, for that matter) in the desert. This is an exciting and timely book that reminds us that we have fought jihadis before, and that courage in the face of evil is the correct response.