Michael Palin’s travel books have been a great influence on me. Before I began to travel (which really began in 1994 when I explored and lived in Australia for half the year) his books and television series showed me the world. Pole to Pole was the first travel book of his I read in 1992, then I went back and read Around the World in 80 Days, and watched both those series during my college and Northwood years. Sahara was published in 2002, and has elements that made those two earlier books endearing and successful.
In 80 Days, he traveled on board a dhou, a traditional ship on its way to India and got to know the crew during their sail. In Sahara, he crossed the Tenere Desert in Niger and got to know the “crew” of his camel train. The camaraderie between men allows him, and us, to get to know them, their personalities, likes and habits. He eats with them, gets mocked by them, and jokes around with them. This is an aspect of Sahara, and many of his books, I find really appealing, and demonstrate much of the appeal of travel. Palin does a loop around the countries of this part of Africa: Senegal, Algeria and Libya to name a few, but it’s this trudge through the “immense emptiness” of the desert in Niger, the desert absolu, that is truly fascinating to read, as he relies on the men, and the camels, for his survival, in the vast, seemingly non-living landscape.
Sahara, along with many of Palin’s books, is complimented by the excellent photography of Basil Pao. It brings even more vibrancy to Palin’s words.
Also, Palin’s books allow readers to get to know local figures: artists, politicians, spiritual leaders and many others that are making a difference in their own countries. A standout for me, and someone whose music I’ve listened to avidly ever since reading the book, is Toumani Diabate, a seventh-generation kora player from Mali. Give his music a listen: it’s spellbinding.
Author: Michael Palin
Book: Sahara
Photographs: Basil Pao
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicholson
Year of Publication: 2002
