Sands of Death; Betrayal, Massacre and Survival the in the Sahara

Weidenfeld & Nicolson, London, 2007. First Edition. Hardcover (Original Cloth). Very Good/Good. 650 g.; (10), XI-XVIII, (2), 3-286 pages, acknowledgements, a note on transliteration, notes, bibliography and index. Dark purple coloured endpapers. There is a black-and-white drawing of Major Paul Flatters on the page following the half title page. Map of the routes taken by Major Paul Flatters on the page facing the acknowledgements page. Black coloured boards with gilt titles to the backstrip. Very minor rubbing to the book corners. Colour illustrated dustwrapper with orange and white titles to the front panel and backstrip. No damage of note to the dustwrapper. In December 1888 French expedition attempted to map a route for a railway across the Sahara all away to the French territories of west Africa. "Paris to Timbuktu in Six Days" was the slogan the expedition sailed under. No native opposition was expected. "....Four months later a handful of emaciated survivors staggered into a remote outpost on the edge of the desert. Although armed with modern rifles, the column had been lured to destruction by the self-styled "Lords of the Desert", the Tuareg. At this, the high point of European colonisation of Africa, the survivors' stories of the massacre, and the horrors that followed, made headlines around the world." -- From the front fold over panel blurb. In this book a modern explorer of the Sahara investigates this disastrous exploration. Size: 8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. We are happy to provide pictures of this book on request Quantity Available: 1. Shipped Weight: Under 1 kilo. Category: Exploration; Exploration; 19th Century; History -- France; Africa; Inventory No: 0111229. .