Timbuctoo (novel) facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Tahir Shah |
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| Cover artist | Rachana Shah |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Historical novel (British Regency era) |
| Publisher | Secretum Mundi Publishing |
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Publication date
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July 5, 2012 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback) |
| Pages | 544 pp. |
| ISBN | 0957242905 |
| Preceded by | Travels With Myself |
| Followed by | Scorpion Soup |
Timbuctoo is an exciting story based on the real-life journey of an American sailor named Robert Adams. He couldn't read or write, but he traveled all the way to Timbuktu. The book also tells about his arrival in Regency London.
The novel was written by Tahir Shah, an author, filmmaker, and adventurer from Britain and Afghanistan. It was released on July 5, 2012, by Secretum Mundi Publishing.
The full title of the book is Timbuctoo: Being a singular and most animated account of an illiterate American sailor, taken as a slave in the great Zahara and, after trials and tribulations aplenty, reaching London where he narrated his tale. The story happens between 1810 and 1816. In 1810, Adams' ship was wrecked. By the spring of 1816, he sailed back home to Hudson, New York.
The Story Behind the Book
In the early 1990s, author Tahir Shah found an old book in the London Library. He was surprised because it was being used to hold up a water pipe! Shah pulled it down and started to read.
The book was The Narrative of Robert Adams. It told the true story of Robert Adams, an American sailor who couldn't read or write. His ship crashed on the west coast of Africa in 1810. This happened near Capo Blanco.
At that time, many European countries were sending explorers to find the famous city of Timbuktu. People like Mungo Park and Hugh Clapperton were searching for this "African El Dorado" – a legendary city of gold. But the new country of the United States of America wasn't looking for it.
So, it was a big surprise when an American sailor was found in London in 1815. He was half-naked and hungry. He calmly said that he had been to Timbuktu. He explained that Toureg warriors had captured him and taken him there as a slave.
Timbuctoo is Tahir Shah's fictional version of Robert Adams' amazing journey. It's based on Adams' own story. The book describes his trip to Timbuktu, which is now in the West African country of Mali. It also tells about his arrival in Regency London.
Shah wrote in his introduction: "The book you hold is my own fictional version of what is surely one of the greatest stories of survival ever told." He also said he mixed facts with fiction. He wanted to tell a great story, not just a history lesson.
Tahir Shah decided to publish the book himself. He did this through his own company, Secretum Mundi Publishing. He wanted to create the book exactly as he imagined it. He also wanted to show some of the challenges in the usual book publishing world.
The first edition of Timbuctoo was special. It was one of only 5000 copies. It included six large fold-out maps. Five of these maps were from Richard Horwood's Georgian atlas of London. The last map was a copy from the original Narrative of Robert Adams book.
Many characters in the book were real people from that time. These included the Prince Regent (who later became King George IV), Lord Alvanley, Sir Joseph Banks, and Lord Byron.
Special Limited Edition
The first edition of Timbuctoo is a special hardback book. Rachana Shah designed it to look like travel books from 200 years ago. It's a big book, weighing about 2 kilos (almost 4.5 pounds).
It has cool marbled paper inside the covers. There's also a silk bookmark and a small pouch at the back with extra items. It includes six large fold-out maps, some designed by Richard Horwood. The paper is special, and the cover has raised gold letters.
A Real-Life Treasure Hunt!
The legend of Timbuktu as a city of gold inspired Tahir Shah to create a real-life treasure hunt! He has hidden four golden treasures around the world. Clues to find them are hidden inside the limited edition book and on the Timbuctoo website.
These treasures are four gilded bronze heads from West Africa. They have been buried in Europe, the Americas, Oceania, and Africa. People who can solve the clues from the book and website have a chance to win one of these golden heads. You can even use your smartphone or iPad's GPS to find the exact spot of each treasure. Shah made a fun video, like an Indiana Jones movie, to promote the first hidden head.
