Forbidden Sands [Hardcover]

Richard Trench (Author)

Product Details

• Hardcover: 197 pages
• Publisher: Academy Chicago Pub (March 1982)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0897330285
• ISBN-13: 978-0897330282
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,877,729 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #31 in Books > Travel > Africa > Western Africa: Mali, Mauritania & Western Sahara

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Trip through Sahara in Mali, March 16, 2001

By 

Ed Gibbon www.congocookbook.com - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forbidden Sands (Paperback)

In 1974 Richard Trench decided to undertake a journalistic investigation of the salt mines in Taoudenni, Mali, which were thought to be the site of slave labor done by prisoners. Salt mining in this part of Africa is an important part of history and lore; salt has been carried to market by camel caravan for centuries, and it was at times so rare that it was reportedly worth its weight in gold. Trench's journey required a carefully planned overland trip on camelback. Trench lived and traveled with nomads through the Sahara to Taoudenni then on to Timbuktu. His account of the journey -- his relationship with his guides, the difficulties of desert travel, encounters with government officials -- is very good reading. "Forbidden Sands" also contains the fruits of his research into the historical record of the region. (Ibn Battuta and Rene Caillie, for example.) A great book for armchair travelers or readers interested in the Eastern Sahara and Mali.