“Bovill is a gifted teller of tales … it is a delightfully written and well-organized account of a vast and neglected field of history … a unique source book on Saharan trade routes, caravan organization, and Sudanese history … Mr. Bovill not only reveals a firm grasp of history but of anthropology and economic geography.” — The New York Times
“An utterly enthralling, scholarly study … very blunt about all the hot little towns, sharp traders, and the brutal rulers who figure in this book—but Bovill’s truths turn out to be splendidly romantic.” — The New Yorker
“Bovill writes, as a historian, of the Sahara’s golden age, threading his way clearly and with learning through a maze of Berber and Sudanese dynasties …” — Spectator