Valley of the Casbahs by Jeffrey Tayler
The four-hundred-and-fifty-mile long Draa River Valley in the Moroccan Sahara contains some of the most sumptuous oases and searing desert of the Arab world, starting in the moonscape gorges of the Anti Atlas Mountains through to a green sea of date palms over which rise the many-towered casbahs of ochre coloured clay, medieval in aspect and sheltering a life medieval in character. It is a region richer historically and ethnically than anywhere else in North Africa. The river stretches to the mosaic of dunes and parched land known as hammada - the domain of Bedouin and Blue Men and isolated Berber tribes - and pours through the desert into the Atlantic, where it ends its course. Jeffrey Tayler follows the Draa by foot and on camel, recounting stays in casbah homes, weddings, visits to mosques and marabouts and nights in hashish dens. It is a journey marked with extremes - of weather, as Tayler survives intense heat and sandstorms and potentially lethal local tribesmen - and one which he only narrowly escapes to tell this tale.
'Tayler imparts a sense of immediacy to his travels, while reflecting on a nomadic way of life in fast decline' NORTHERN ECHO 'A delightful and thought-provoking snapshot of Moroccan life.' DAILY EXPRESS 'He vividly recreates his trek, balancing the beauty with the gritty.' INK 'It is easy to see why Tayler counts Bill Bryson amongst his fans' GOOD BOOK GUIDE
Jeffrey Tayler is a traveller & writer, working for CONDE NAST TRAVELLER, SPIN, HARPER'S MAGAZINE & ATLANTIC MONTHLY. In 2000 2 of his essays were selected by Bill Bryson for the 1st edin of THE BEST AMERICAN TRAVEL WRITING. He lives in Moscow.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780316860789 |
| ISBN 10 | 0316860786 |
| Title | Valley of the Casbahs |
| Author | Jeffrey Tayler |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Little, Brown & Company |
| Year published | 2003-02-06 |
| Number of pages | 352 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |