To Timbuktu

A dense mist lies upon the river. Two canoeists make their way tentatively downstream, barely able to see their way ahead. Suddenly they see another man on the river. They hail him, but he does not answer, so they follow him - and happen upon a community of blind men who live a strange existence out in the African bush. This curious, rather haunting, encounter marks the beginning of a remarkable travel book in which the adventure, the spirit of the place, is to the fore. This is old-fashioned travel writing of the type we too rarely get these days, in which the primary objective is not the book that will come out of it at the end, rather the book is an almost accidental by-product of the experience, which is conveyed with vigour and with care. It is a gripping story, but also one which restores your faith in good travel writing. (Kirkus UK)