Charlie English 

Praise for The Book Smugglers of Timbuktu (2017)

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“A piece of postmodern historiography of quite extraordinary sophistication and ingenuity” —Peter Thonemann, Times Literary Supplement

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“Exemplary… a work of intellectual honesty that represents narrative non-fiction at its most satisfying and engaging”—William Dalrymple, The Guardian

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“Incredible story… fits perfectly the ongoing narrative of Timbuktu”—Tom Zoellner, New York Times Book Review

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“Part reportage, part history, part romance and wholly gripping… a riveting read”—Helen Davies, Sunday Times

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“Excellent… English tells the gripping story of accreting layers of exploration and literary excavation with punch and

panache”—Justin Marozzi, Spectator

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“Lively… thrilling… brilliant”—The Economist

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“Spellbinding”—The New Yorker

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“Insightful… shows that the sort of willful delusion behind much of the 18th- and 19th-century quest for Timbuktu continues to this day”—Anthony Sattin, the Wall Street Journal

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“A fascinating account of Timbuktu's history and the brave and crazy adventurers who sought death and glory trying to get there”—Jerome Starkey, the Times

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“Sophisticated teasing out of the facts from the myths”—Robert Eustace, Sunday Telegraph

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“Evocative, sensitive and intelligent”—Jason Burke, Literary Review

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“A model of fine storytelling”—Jon Lee Anderson, author of Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life

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“A riveting dual narrative”—Dean King, author of Skeletons on the Zahara

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“A stirring, page-turning story of thrilling discovery and heroic resistance, peopled by an unforgettable cast”—Amy Wilentz, author of Farewell, Fred Voodoo: A Letter from Haiti

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“Enthralling… Like the beguiling place it describes, The Storied City is fascinating and surprising at every turn”—Scott Anderson, author of Lawrence in Arabia

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“Engrossing… a compelling work of history and historiography”—Kirkus Reviews

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“Meticulously researched, powerfully written, and riveting” — Ben MacIntyre

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 “A taut, mesmerizing journey to the legendary desert city”—Peter Stark

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“A gripping tale of contemporary risk-taking”—John Ure, Country Life

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“A breathtaking piece of reporting, writing and scholarship”—Ian Katz, Channel 4

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 “Investigative journalism, travel and history writing at its best”—The Guardian

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Chosen as a Financial Times “Book of the Year”, and a Sunday Times “Must read”.

 

Praise for The Snow Tourist (2008)

 

“A cracking read that deserves to be by the bedside of every keen skier or snowboarder” – The Economist

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“A thing of wonder and delight. A perfect winter book” – Metro

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“The story of Mr. English's feeling for snow makes a book as delicious as a double chocolate liegeois” – The Times

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 “A far more intriguing account than much current travel literature. . .The places he visits are sometimes perilously cold, but English's account is touchingly warm” – The Guardian

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“Incredibly, what seems like the most vanishingly tiny subject actually turns out to encompass vast tracts of our experience. In parts, the book is deeply practical… in parts poetic.” – The Observer