Two Against the Sahara: On Camelback from Nouakchott to the Nile [Hardcover]

Michael Asher (Author), Mariantonietta Peru (Author, Photographer)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1989

When Michael Asher and his wife, Mariantonietta Peru, arrived in Mauritania to begin their trek across the Sahara alone on camelback, they had been married only five days. The harsh conditions soon exposed the flaws in their relationship, but eventually all were conquered. 29 color photos.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 301 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow & Co; 1 edition (July 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0688089267
• ISBN-13: 978-0688089269
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,819,236 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Unique view of Saharan Culture, November 21, 2003

By 

Sailoil - See all my reviews

This review is from: Two Against the Sahara: On Camelback from Nouakchott to the Nile (Hardcover)

From Morocco in the West to Sudan in the East, Michael Asher and his diminutive and very forgiving new bride, set off to traverse the Sahara Desert the long way.

For Asher, with experience of a campaigning life, this was hard enough, but you have to feel sorry for Marionetta Peru, who gave up her cushy UN job to embark on this madness.

What we end up with is a unique view of Saharan culture. We see the differences between the peoples along the way, as the couple use one local guide after another to direct them from one water source to the next. We experience the differences between Berber, Arabic, Bedouin and Tuareg peoples.

We experience people who are open and generous, and ones who are closed and mean. I particularly like the story of the guide who always grabbed for the largest piece of meat in the dish at dinner time. So Marionetta spent time scraping the largest bone clean of meat, and placed it strategically in the dish to tempt him. True to form he leaped on the large bone and emerged with nothing but gave the couple a good laugh!

An excellen read for lovers of travel and adventure!