In Desert and Wilderness [Paperback]

Henryk Sienkiewicz (Author), Max A. Drezmal (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2001

The renowned Polish novelist, inspired by his travels through Africa, gives us a fascinating book recounting adventures and experiences of two children during an escape from Khartoum after the death of General Gordon, and their flight through Africa to the Indian Ocean. The children’s adventures in the Egyptian desert and African wilderness at the time of the Mahdi (1848 - 1885) also contain a vast quantity of information about the plant and animal life of the African swamps and jungle.

Editorial Reviews

Language Notes

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Polish --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Henryk Sienkiewicz (1846-1916) was a novelist, born in Poland. He studied at Warsaw, traveled in the USA, and in the 1870s began to write articles, short stories, and novels. His major work was a war trilogy about 17th-century Poland, but his most widely known book is the story of Rome under Nero, Quo Vadis? (1896), several times filmed. He received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1905.

Product Details

• Paperback: 460 pages
• Publisher: Fredonia Books (NL) (December 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1589636147
• ISBN-13: 978-1589636149
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 4.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,353,096 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For all ages, March 31, 2000

By 

Roberto T Helguera - See all my reviews

This review is from: In Desert & Wilderness (Hardcover)

Unlike other reviewers, I read this book at age 32. I happened to go on a Sienkiewicz binge. I loved it, even then. It is a wonderfully written book about two children's adventures in Africa. A tale of heroism with a romantic view of life. A good, clean, easy read for all ages. So, maybe it is an "Out of Africa" for young teenagers or older children, but above all, it is just plain good literature, worth having in your personal library for anyone at home to pick up. Best if read in the leisure of summer afternoons.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Both a Classic and a Page Turner, September 8, 2006

By 

Ian Haggard (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In Desert & Wilderness (Hardcover)

I didn't discover this book until I was over 30, but I enjoyed it just as much reading it a second time to my kids (then 7 and 8) as I did the first time I read it. This tale of two children kidnapped by Islamic "terrorists" in the wilds of Africa excels on many levels.

Although written around a hundred years ago, this book covers "current" issues such as radical Islam, terrorist kidnappings, war in the middle east, and genocide in Sudan.

In addition, it has a strong moral foundation. Stas, its hero, faces a number of gripping moral and ethical dilemnas certain to provoke some good discussions on topics ranging from racism and slavery to self-defense to honesty and loyalty to one's friends. Sienkiewicz does an excellent job of showing the moral, ethical, and practical consequences of the decisions made by the characters without being preachy.

Be warned, however, this book is _not_ politically correct. It depicts radical Islam, native African cultures, and European colonialism as seen from the viewpoint of European colonial children. Yes, some Muslims may be offended by the portrayal of radical Islam. But Sienkiewicz refuses to demonize anyone, showing the humanity and goodness present even in the children's kidnappers.

And regarding racism, Sienkiewicz does not shirk from putting some racist opinions in the mouths of some of the non-black characters. Rather, through the honorable and resourceful actions of Stas' black friend Kali, Sienkiewicz subtly illuminates the folly of their racist stereotyping.

What really makes this book stand head and shoulders above your average classic is not its timeliness nor its moral foundation. Nor is it the compelling, three-dimensional characters. It's not even the beautiful descriptions of the African countryside, which make it obvious the author has seen that of which he writes. No, what makes this book is how much fun it is to read. This is the only book which I've read more than once since I graduated from college. And I'm going read it again the next chance I get.

Robert Louis Stevenson's tales of child heroes, "Treasure Island" and "Kidnapped", strongly remind me of this book. But as good as Stevenson's books are, "In Desert and Wilderness" is better-written and grander in scope than either of them. Moreover, it is a good bit easier for young readers, containing little if any of the hard-to-parse dialect of Stevenson's books. Also reminiscent but of lesser quality are the desert adventures of Karl Friedrich May, a contemporary of Sienkiewicz.

Unlike some of the reviewers, I'm not going to give away any spoilers. Suffice it to say that Sienkiewicz keeps you hungry for each new page and the adventure it brings. This is a parable which a lesser author never could have written, let alone made credible. All in all, this is a true classic, one of the best -- possibly _the_ best -- I've ever read.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good book for youngsters, June 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: In Desert & Wilderness (Hardcover)

I read this book 30 years ago at the age of 7. It was an old, torn book, that belonged to my grandmother, and was read by all the youngsters in the family. It's an excellent book describing the adventures of a young boy and girl in the desert. It has a taste of reality to it, I was able to fully identify myself with the main hero. Too bad the book is not promoted here in the US.