Through Timbuctu and across the great Sahara an account of an adventurous journey of exploration from Sierra Leone to the source of the Niger, following its course to the bend at Gao and thence across the great Sahara to Algiers

A restless British officer, stationed in Freetown, seizes a six‑month furlough to follow the great Niger River from its source deep in Sierra Leone all the way to the legendary walls of Timbuktu. With meticulous planning, a trusted Susu servant, and a well‑stocked pack of rifles, ammunition and provisions, he sets out on a journey that blends daring exploration with the everyday rhythms of West African life.

Along the river’s banks he meets bustling market towns, encounters elephants, lions and giraffes, and navigates a mosaic of languages spoken by the Malinké, Bambara and countless other peoples. The narrative is enriched by vivid illustrations of caravan camps, Tuareg herders and desert oases, offering listeners a visual sense of the landscape as the expedition pushes toward the Sahara’s edge, poised to cross the vast desert toward Algiers.