Will I love The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu?

Although the book has the worst title imaginable, it tells the remarkable story of how the residents of Timbuktu who have been guardians of several custodial family libraries, containing the richest source of Arabic manuscripts from the 14th century and earlier, at a time when TImbuktu was the capital of the Kingdon of Mali, hid, outwitted and saved these precious manuscripts and books from the hands of Islamic fanatics connected with Isis, by secretly at night removing them to the saftey of the capital Bamako hundred of miles to the south. And how UNESCO and many other universities around the… show more.

I have to admit that it’s the title that drew me to this book in the first place. As a retired English teacher, the word Librarians intrigued me. A true story, The Bad-Ass Librarians opened up a whole new world of manuscripts over 500 years that I never knew existed! The courage of the preservers of these works surprised and humbled me. But, it is also a historical history of smugglers and the heroic actions of the dedicated people of Timbuktu to preserve their heritage even if it meant their death. You won’t be able to put this… show more.