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Overview
Marvelously entertaining and frequently harrowing, Glory in a Camel's Eye recounts the American travel writer Jeffrey Tayler's dangerous three-month journey across the Moroccan Sahara in the company of Arab nomads.
Glory in a Camel's Eye gives us an intimate, often surprising portrait of Saharan Africa: the cultural conflicts between native Berbers and Arabs, the clashes between devout desert-dwelling nomads and their city-dwelling counterparts. Fluent in Arabic, Tayler assembles an image of modern life very much at odds with our Western assumptions. He observes and reports "with eloquence and an eye for the improbable" (Outside).
Synopsis
Marvelously entertaining and frequently harrowing, Glory in a Camel's Eye recounts the American travel writer Jeffrey Tayler's dangerous three-month journey across the Moroccan Sahara in the company of Arab nomads.
Glory in a Camel's Eye gives us an intimate, often surprising portrait of Saharan Africa: the cultural conflicts between native Berbers and Arabs, the clashes between devout desert-dwelling nomads and their city-dwelling counterparts. Fluent in Arabic, Tayler assembles an image of modern life very much at odds with our Western assumptions. He observes and reports "with eloquence and an eye for the improbable" (Outside).
The Washington Post
[Tayler] is a sharp observer of natural phenomena, even more so of cultural traits, and his passion for all things Arab is refreshing. — Dennis Drabelle
Editorials
The Washington Post
[Tayler] is a sharp observer of natural phenomena, even more so of cultural traits, and his passion for all things Arab is refreshing. — Dennis DrabellePublishers Weekly
Inspired by his studies of North African history and well-schooled in classical Arabic, Tayler, an Atlantic contributing editor and author of two previous travel books, set out to taste for himself the traditional lifestyle of the Bedouin nomads by trekking through southern Morocco's Dr a Valley by mule, camel and foot. Unlike most travel accounts, this book doesn't describe famous places, and cuisine is mostly memorable in its absence (e.g., the time Tayler refused to eat sand-baked bread with the density of fecal matter). Instead, it treats readers to something infinitely rarer: a glimpse of nomadic Muslims' worldview. Some proselytize from morning to evening prayer, while others commune with their beloved camels, but for all, "no matter what happened, they praised God." Would a flash flood take their lives? Would their camels starve for lack of forage? "God writes every man's ajal" (hour of death), they'd answer, fully accepting God's will. Daily ritual in the desert pulses with faith, as Tayler's companions determine dawn prayer time by distinguishing a black from a white thread and perform ritual ablutions with scorching sand instead of water. Conversation on less religious themes reveals highly nuanced tribalism, occasional snippets of Al Jazeera- sourced world news and inexplicable rumors (e.g., is Al Gore Arab? Did ancient Portuguese cut stone villages in the Atlas Mountains?). Tayler offers a camel driver's point of view of a complex society, a view that's at once unassuming, extremely informative and even entertaining. Photos and map not seen by PW. Agent, Sonia Land. (June 2) Forecast: Readers overwhelmed by the many dense texts available on Islamic politics will enjoy this balanced, enlightening memoir. Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.KLIATT
Deserts have a visceral hold on the imagination. The Kalahari, the Gobi, and the Empty Quarter all have their fans, but when it comes to the "real" desert nearly everyone fixates on the immense Sahara. Jeffrey Tayler endured extreme discomfort, unspeakable food, dysentery, and moments of genuine danger to give the reader an insightful snapshot of one of the genuinely remote places on earth. Fluent in Arabic and most of the local dialects, he completed a multi-stage journey through the remote regions of southern Morocco, accompanied by a series of colorful and often ominous guides. This is a region of rugged and arid landforms, straggling oases, gritty water holes, and random bandits. It also is a region that is typical of North Africa, filled with wandering clans and settled tribes trying to survive their harsh homeland and grappling with their blurred perception of the modern world. This is the best contemporary travel book to come along in a long time. The great Sahara is fascinating enough by itself, but few readers realize that its bewildering mix of indigenous peoples and tribes, villagers and nomads is immersed in a seething brew of old tribal conflicts, ancient and contemporary Moroccan politics, and an unending clash of old traditions with modern mores. Many of them are trapped in the romanticism of their own past, wanting against all evidence to believe their ancient ways of conquest, banditry and slavery are still relevant to the dimly understood "outside world." This title deserves a place in school and public collections. KLIATT Codes: SA*—Exceptional book, recommended for senior high school students, advanced students, and adults. 2003, Houghton Mifflin, Mariner, 245p., Ages 15 to adult.—Raymond Puffer