Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious Manuscripts | 
so-soI fear journalists feel a necessity to focus on the facts that will sell best, and this book suffered for that approach. I wanted more on the manuscripts, their rediscovery, preservation, digitization and housing, their content and significance to the culture/history, rather than the conflict that briefly, if dramatically, threatened them (some destruction). I wish one of the librarians had written it, or Skip Gates. Sad books are not yet home.
Something about the way this is phrased rubs me the wrong way, like the author's pointing out a flaw of a particular region, when Europe and US have both had periods in history of 'religious purification' (witch trials, spanish Inquisition), 'anti-intellectualism' (book burning, and I would argue McCarthy era) and barbarism (middle ages, colonialist enslavement and confinement of indigenous peoples).
Ignite?! 😬🔥Talk about growing pains in digitization! Suppose they did chemistry calculations beforehand, or only figured it out after a scanned manuscript was suddenly on fire?!
Upcoming reads: Non-fiction about libraries and librarians. 📚♥️
Just starting the book for my Tuesday book club. Why do I procrastinate all the time!
International Journey Through Pages Book Club: https://meetu.ps/e/Lf5Mm/zxXbQ/i
pickVery information about protecting and preserving ancient manuscripts in Mali during the occupation by Al-Queda. It gives a lot if background about Al-Queda forces in Northern Africa as well.
#booked2022 #writtenbyjournalist @Cinfhen @BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft #readingafrica2022 #mali @Librarybelle #pantone2022colorchallenge @Clwojick
pickIn the 1980s, a man in #Mali started to collect ancient manuscripts in order to protect them. Then, in 2012, jihadists stormed Timbuktu, threatening those manuscripts (among other things), so a group of librarians worked to smuggle them out at great personal risk. As others have mentioned, there‘s not enough here about the manuscripts and a bit too much about the political situation, but it‘s a fun story.
#ReadingAfrica2022
This title will definitely move to the top of my TBR pile after seeing the exhibit on the Aleppo codex.
Oh my goodness! I love it all but the hat and scarf are amazing! @Pogue thank you so much. I do love Fall most of all! Can wait to read about the bad ass librarians! #FallingForFallSwap
Thank you @Avanders for the fun swap!
bailedBailing on this one. Too much about war and political movements of the Al Qaeda with small parts about the actual manuscripts in between. I enjoyed the parts about protecting and moving the manuscripts and about Abdel and his family/community. But since those parts are few and far between, I cannot make myself slog through the rest to finish the book.
This was my #bookspin nonfiction choice for August, unfortunately it‘s a DNF @TheAromaofBooks
pick#Booked2021 #LibrariansInTitle
#Nonfiction2021 #AnotherCountry
Really intriguing NF book, set in Mali. The hero expands his family manuscript inheritance by going all over the country, and pulls together a preservation team to hide them when crisis erupts. I know nothing of Mali history, so found that and the activist narrative very interesting, although got lost with the vast, complex, but essential info about North African/Middle East politics.
so-soDespite the title the book itself focusses just as much on the leaders of the various rebel Islamist groups which occupied Timbuktu and their careers and shifting allegiances in quite bewildering detail. It is telling that there is only illustration in the book while the descriptions of some of the manuscripts call out for illustration.
Currently reading
pickThis was a pretty interesting read. It didn‘t focus as much on the librarians as I would have liked, and in the middle during the lengthy passages of military strategy and Al Qaeda movements, I did zone out a little. However, I loved reading about the efforts to acquire, preserve, and protect the thousands of manuscripts in Timbuktu. Solid 3.5 stars.
File under: things making me happy today. This little vase of nasturtiums that I picked from my front yard, and this book I picked up when I walked down the block to leave some books in a neighbor‘s Little Free Library. 💛🧡❤️
bailedThis was a DNF for me. I read half of the book, and I appreciated the story and subject matter. But, I just couldn‘t get into the story, with how many place names and people and terms there were. I am thankful for the perspective shift regarding the early appearance of manuscripts of all types in Africa, especially Muslim Africa, and the reminder that the history of intelligence, art, beauty, and record-keeping is not owned by the West!
⭐️⭐️1/2
Birthday gifts from my favorite sister ♥️❤️
The mug is from one of my favorite potters (SKT Ceramics). I‘m so pumped to have one of her works AND that it‘s an otter (one of my all time favorite animals). And that she also got a book - she knows me so well.
so-soTruth be told, it was the title of this book that piqued my interest & compelled me to read it. I wish that I could say that this book is all about the intrepid secret operation organized by the librarians in Timbuktu to save 377,000 precious manuscripts, but it is not. A good read if you enjoy politics. Liked it but didn't love it!
Rating: 3.5⭐
For my full review please visit https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2880146807
pickThe Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and their race to save the world's most precious Manuscript opens with the history of the manuscript for me it takes away all the misconceptions and also shows another side to the region and the people living there it also hints at how valuable these are and why they're so important to be kept safe. We also got to hear about the brave men and women who work together to save manuscripts from Al-Qaeda
This has been on my TBR list for a while. I finally picked up a copy a few weeks ago. Only a few chapters in, but so far, so good. I do wish it had illustrations, though. I‘d love to see some of the manuscripts described in the book!
pickFascinating, harrowing & horrifying account of man‘s dedication to preserving centuries old Islamic & secular texts from destruction at hands of 21st c. religious fanatics who had little use for medieval texts on science, medicine, philosophy, algebra, law & more. In the 16th c., Timbuktu was a renowned center of learning & preservation of 350,000+ medieval manuscripts really is remarkable, their importance impossible to overstate. Recommended.
so-soThe title implies there‘d be more about saving precious manuscripts, but nope. War, Al Qaeda, more war, oh...move some books, back to war and Al Qaeda. Sigh. Not at all what I was expecting. Lost interest and never really got it back. It didn‘t suck, but the contents and the title aren‘t in sync.
bailedA few things going on here: the acquisition of ancient African manuscripts and establishment of the Mamma Haidara Library in Timbuktu by Abdul Hiadara was very interesting. I got lost after that with the Al Queda involvement in Africa and the jihadi advancement in Timbuktu. I'm not into military movements, especially involving Al Queda. With 4 hours to go, I feel I'd be skimming this in print but I don't have the time for the audio.
Working on my dad's elf hat for tomorrow night! We're taking the kids to a local historic village for Candlelight Evenings, where the village houses operate as they would in the 19th century. Fireplaces and sconces are lit and traditional music is played, while carolers travel through the village singing! It's such a cool experience!
pickThis was an interesting book and a great perspective of another country and culture. I highly recommend as a way to diversify your reading list!
I have so much guilt over the print books I've been collecting and not reading that nothing on my Libby list looks appealing. Giving this a shot while I'm baking and crocheting today. I should have taken out a Christmas book in hopes that my heart will grow 3 sizes before Monday...
so-soUnfortunately most of this book is actually about the war with al Qaeda and in the end the librarians and their precious books become periphery characters. And while I actually enjoy nonfiction books about terrorism (I‘m fun at parties) this was a pretty dry account. I‘m honestly a little bummed because this book had the potential to be great. Instead, it‘s mediocre.
Discussion Question One
so-soI‘ll admit that I struggled with this book. I don‘t think it was bad, but the title was misleading to the point that it was not at all the book I was expecting. I was fascinated by the parts that were actually about the librarians and people who did everything they could to protect these ancient manuscripts. I wanted more of their personal stories rather than a broad picture of the ongoing political and military battle for control of the land. 👇
Here is the link for the live discussion which will start at 2pm ET.
https://zoom.us/j/696067117
Join us for our live discussion of The Bad Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer at 2pm ET. A link to join will be posted 15 minutes before the discussion.
Listening to this for #LitsyBookClub and appreciating it more than the first time I tried it, but it‘s still just not quite what I was expecting.
#audiobook #nonfiction #Hoopla
New month, new book! We hope that you will join us in reading “The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu” this month. Questions? Ask @Bookworm83 or @Graciouswarriorprincess .
Yes...yes...YES and yes! 😱
Friend Nathan and I just recorded the new Quarterly Book Club episode talking about The Bad Ass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer!
Episode will be available Sept 30!
#badasslibrariansoftumbuktu #bookclub #newepisode
pickPart literary adventure story, part explanation of the geopolitical realities of west Africa, I found this book FASCINATING.
For centuries Timbuktu had been a centre of learning, and thousands of ancient manuscripts came under threat when Al Qaeda invaded in 2012.
An intrepid group of bibliophiles risked life and limb to evacuate these manuscripts. Some may find the explanation of the political situation difficult, but I loved it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The first paragraph on this page describes Ahmed Baba, a savant and polymath born in 1556 and based in Timbuktu.
Whilst writing 60 books on a plethora of topics, he won renown amongst scholars. Baba also wore black eye shadow and dressed entirely in black.
What a dude.
My recent #LibraryHaul .
#LitsyLovesLibraries
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/librarian-detectives-forgotten-books?utm_s... great article about more amazing librarians
so-soI love the premise of this book, but the writing (or narration?) couldn‘t hold my attention. Listening to it on audio was like putting on a white noise machine.
