The Storied City: The Quest for Timbuktu and the Fantastic Mission To Save Its Past

In 2011 and 2012, British journalist English reported the jihadist invasion of the West African nation of Mali and capture of the ancient city of Timbuktu. As tombs and other cultural artifacts were destroyed, English became interested in the city's rich history. Tens of thousands, possibly as many as 500,000, historic manuscripts, had been collected over the past three decades to create new understanding of the complex political and cultural history of the region and to challenge previous views that Africa had "no history." The threat to the manuscripts and their rescue by a coterie of librarians and archivists became a moving story of bravery, ingenuity, and dedication to cultural preservation. The contemporary tale of adventure led English to assemble and retell more than 200 years' worth of European exploration to find Timbuktu and to understand the trade routes and African dynasties that made it flourish. English alternates chapters between 18th- and 19th-century explorers and 21st-century threats in a fascinating, if somewhat confusing, tale.