A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X Y Z

Michael Asher Books

Michael Asher (b.1953) is a British author, historian and notable desert explorer who has covered more than 30,000 miles on foot and camel. He spent three years living with a traditional nomadic tribe in Sudan. He has travelled and lived in the Sahara and the Arabian desert, published both non-fiction and fiction works based on his explorations and encounters and presented several documentaries based on his published works.

Please note, this page contains affiliate links, which means Shakari Connection receives a commission if you make a purchase using these links.

In Search Of The Forty Days Road: Adventures With The Nomads Of The Desert by Michael Asher (1984) is the extraordinary account of the author's journey through the Sudan on a camel to follow the 'Forty Days Road' which was an ancient trade route. After riding alone for a while, he attaches himself to desert tribes and gets involved in their conflicts along an ancient route - navigation by the stars, robbery in the middle of nowhere and being chased by police.

A Desert Dies by Michael Asher (1986) tells the story of the Arab nomads of northern Sudan, who live by travelling with their camels, goats and sheep, obtaining water from oases and wells in the southern Sahara desert. The author, who spoke fluent Arabic, spent several years travelling with these people and learned their customs and their survival techniques. He tells of the devastating effects of the 1982-1985 drought on the lives of the nomads.

Impossible Journey: Two Against The Sahara by Michael Asher (1988) is the story of how the author and his wife (of only 5 days), Mariantoinetta Peru, succeeded in crossing the 4500 miles of the Sahara from west to east with camels and a series of guides in 1986 - a feat no other Westerner had accomplished.

Sahara by Kazuyoshi Nomachi & Michael Asher (1996). Japanese photographer Kazuyoshi Nomachi captures the wilderness and expanse of the Sahara desert in a series of wonderful colour photographs. The brief text by Michael Asher describes the world of the Sahara and its people.

The Last Of The Bedu: In Search Of The Myth by Michael Asher (1996) addresses the demise of the Bedouin or Bedu people, nomadic herders who have historically inhabited the desert regions of North Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the Levant. The author spent three years of searching and travelling thousands of miles to first ascertain the true lineage of this race of people. He found Bedu living as before, Bedu nostaligic for the old days, Bedu embracing better education, health care and opportunities, even Bedu addicted to soap operas.

Lawrence: The Uncrowned King Of Arabia by Michael Asher (1999) is an unusual biography of Lawrence. The author bases it on Lawrence's book, 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom' and then builds around that with supporting facts and material. Asher had access to the family archives and personal correspondence of Lawrence and combines this to jumping on a camel and taking the same tour as Lawrence from the Hejaz to Aqabah and from there through Palestine and to Damascus, often in harrowing conditions. This allows Asher to reveal when Lawrence was likely to have been economical about the truth in 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom'. The book is further brought alive by Asher's attempt to re-visit scenes described in 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom' as well as interviewing descendants and relatives of persons who Lawrence met and dealt with.

Khartoum: The Ultimate Imperial Adventure by Michael Asher (2005) reconstructs the British campaign in the Sudan which resulted in the massacre of the 11,000 strong Hicks Pasha column in 1883, the murder of General Gordon in Khartoum by an army of dervishes led by the Mahdi and the relief mission which arrived two days too late. The result was a national scandal that shocked the Queen Victoria and led to the fall of the British government.

Sands Of Death by Michael Asher (2008) is the account of the 1880 French expedition which attempted to map a route for a railway that would stretch from their colony, Algeria, across the Sahara desert to reach their territories in West Africa. Months later, a handful of emaciated expedition survivors staggered into a remote outpost on the edge of the desert. Even though the expedion was armed with modern firearms, they were attacked by the Tuareg and were pursued for weeks, driven into the waterless desert to die. The the remaining expedition members resorted to desperate lengths to survive.

Thesiger: A Biography by Michael Asher (1994) is a biography written by the author as a tribute to Wilfred Thesiger after he read 'Arabian Sands' which made him become a desert explorer. Much of the book is based on extended interviews with Thesinger, with the author also following in Thesinger's footsteps in the desert, interviewing many of his former travelling companions and throwing new light on the celebrated Arabian expeditions.