Between Terror and Tourism

Praise for Between Terror and Tourism Mewshaw, an intrepid travel writer and prolific novelist (Year of the Gun; Shelter from the Storm), celebrated his 65th birthday by taking an astonishing but somewhat hapless journey across North Africa. Sprinkling his account with literary allusions, he starts in Alexandria, Egypt, heads west through Libya, backtracks to Egypt, and continues on to Tunisia, Algeria, and Morocco, revealing his dogged determination, edgy fearlessness, and knack for faithful dialog. Seasoned travelers will sympathize with the cultural misunderstandings and bureaucratic troubles encountered in various places, particularly Libya. Mewshaw admits that travel is a need as urgent as oxygen. That urgency is evident in each well-turned phrase and incisive observation. Verdict: Recommended for Arabists and libraries with larger travel collections. Readers who enjoyed Michael Benanav's Men of Salt will appreciate this book. Library Journal Mewshaw wonderfully engages the travel reader's vicarious demand for history, cultural insight, and unexpected incident. Booklist Michael Mewshaw takes the reader on a journey most can only dream of. He scares, thrills and informs on his gritty tale of solo travel through a region little understood by the outside world. His hilarious accounts of his quixotic experiences underplay the dangers he faces. If you want to feel the warmth of the Mediterranean sun, the chill of north African rain and the bumps in the road this is the book to read. Mewshaw is one of the finest travel writers of our time. Nic Robertson, CNN Praise for Michael Mewshaw I have been an admirer of Michael Mewshaw's writing for some thirty years. Perhaps the highest compliment I can pay Mewshaw is to admit that I was once fired from a job for reading him, or more accurately, for being unable to stop reading him. Professor Richard J. Golsan, Texas A&M University Perhaps the best American writer you never heard of. The San Francisco Chronicle