“This book is the liveliest account of African history ever written, covering over [one] thousand years of trans-Saharan trade.
“Finely written and researched. … This edition will no doubt whet the appetites of a fresh generation of scholars and students for greater knowledge of parts of Africa still surprisingly little-known to the outside world.” — Journal of Islamic Studies
“A unique source book.” – The New York Times
“Utterly enthralling … splendidly romantic.” — The New Yorker