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The sands of Kalahari
NO DUST JACKET. TAN COVERS WITH BLACK LETTERING ON SPINE ONLY. MINOR EDGE WEAR & SCUFFING ON COVERS & SPINE. INSIDE COVERS & PAGES TANNED, BUT CLEAN. MUSTY ODOR. NO MARKING/WRITING NOTED IN BOOK.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1960
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews
October 16, 2015
I gave this one 5 stars because it sparked my own interest in so many diverse topics -- bushmen, baboons, bees, German philosophy (don't even ask how I ended up there!), and much more. I was probably 10 or 12 when I first read it. Sands of the Kalahari was perhaps the first adult-themed fiction I read. I was fascinated at how I could so readily be transported to the other side of the world and into a situation that was at once psychologically intimate, the first awareness of my own survival instinct, and an almost documentary-style commentary that allowed a safe distance from the trauma of it all.
Good drama made of strange bedfellows. I've read it cover-to-cover in one sitting a number of times. Enjoyable each.
Good drama made of strange bedfellows. I've read it cover-to-cover in one sitting a number of times. Enjoyable each.
December 22, 2008
I first read this when I was about fifteen. I came across it again awhile ago and decided to give it another go. A better than average survival story. It was made into a film in 1965.
April 17, 2008
How do they survive once their plane crashes in the desert? If you love suspense, this story is for you!
February 29, 2012
This is an easy read, and a page-turner of a story, about a group of people trying to survive in the African Desert after a plane crash. While i find the writing at times simplistic, this book has a permanent place on my bookshelf not for the story but for several beautifully written descriptive passages about the African landscape.
September 25, 2013
A small plane crashes in a remote desert location. There are survivors, but no one is looking for the plane. The survivors need food, shelter and companionship. 'Sands of the Kalahari' is a simple exploration of our instinct to survive. This book made me think about evil and how some people do not care who they hurt in order to prosper. It also made me think about the prehistoric mentality of hunters who feel the need to kill in order to prove that they are powerful. We are all animals, some bloodthirsty, some honorable, some passive, but all needy in some way. Lovely read!
August 23, 2015
The author clearly loves the desert, and that came through enough to make this book really enjoyable for me. I would have liked a deeper female character, but I found that shortcoming forgivable. Otherwise for a 1960 release it holds up impressively well.
July 16, 2009
One of my very favorite books and it's not a western!!! A very gripping story of survival, love, hate, and human nature.
July 24, 2012
This is a terrific survival story, with extraordinarily vivid descriptions of the southwestern African desert landscape. I heartily recommend it!
March 29, 2011
The cover of my copy of Sands of the Kalahari is not yet on the internet. Sadly, ‘cause it says everything: Broken plane! Sand! Mountains! Shirtless! Swooning!
Well, everything except the fact that the picture is totally wrong for the opening scene of the book—no one’s shirtless because who wants to burn, the token woman is most definitely not swooning or in a dress, the Ken-doll-ish man resembles none of other plane-crash survivors (the beefy big-game hunter, the old German, the token black professor, the pudgy engineer, and the hardcore pilot), and they are walking *towards* the mountains for cover not away— everything in the sense that it firmly place the book perfectly into the pulp survival thriller genre.
I mean that in the best way (and admittedly having scant pulp novel experience), as William Mulvihill tale of six strangers whose plane crashes in the Kalahari desert is often compelling and exciting in all the ways you expect it to be, as they struggle to survive both against the elements and scarcity and against each other (aided by a real verisimilitude of the desert). But beyond its tight plotting, Sands of the Kalahari surprises with its psychological depth and real contemplative streak, as Mulvihill takes free rein to wax on: be it on the characters’ reactions to being confronted with their own true natures away from civilization, or in one particularly beautiful passage, the lives and deaths of a tamarisk tree. And while sometimes this means Mulvihill gets a little too obviously ‘philosophical’ or preachy and his female portrayal is extremely outdated— there’s a lasting elegance to Kalahari. Rating: 4 stars (Reread 10/24/2010)
Well, everything except the fact that the picture is totally wrong for the opening scene of the book—no one’s shirtless because who wants to burn, the token woman is most definitely not swooning or in a dress, the Ken-doll-ish man resembles none of other plane-crash survivors (the beefy big-game hunter, the old German, the token black professor, the pudgy engineer, and the hardcore pilot), and they are walking *towards* the mountains for cover not away— everything in the sense that it firmly place the book perfectly into the pulp survival thriller genre.
I mean that in the best way (and admittedly having scant pulp novel experience), as William Mulvihill tale of six strangers whose plane crashes in the Kalahari desert is often compelling and exciting in all the ways you expect it to be, as they struggle to survive both against the elements and scarcity and against each other (aided by a real verisimilitude of the desert). But beyond its tight plotting, Sands of the Kalahari surprises with its psychological depth and real contemplative streak, as Mulvihill takes free rein to wax on: be it on the characters’ reactions to being confronted with their own true natures away from civilization, or in one particularly beautiful passage, the lives and deaths of a tamarisk tree. And while sometimes this means Mulvihill gets a little too obviously ‘philosophical’ or preachy and his female portrayal is extremely outdated— there’s a lasting elegance to Kalahari. Rating: 4 stars (Reread 10/24/2010)
September 3, 2010
Funny that Goodreads doesn't yet have a cover pic of this book because that is what compelled me to read it.
It was on my parent's shelf for some time when I was too young, but the cover was intriguing, the vast desert with mountains
about, the small, crumpled airplane with the smoldering
tire they set on fire as a rescue signal, the 6 little figures
heading off, somewhere, their tracks in the sand.
That cover set the scene and you hadn't read a word yet. A few years later I did read it, and still remember some of the desert survival techniques, the locals burying water in ostrich eggs across the scorching sands.
The survivors of the crash battle the enviroment and of course, each other, and an unexpected competitor for the scant rescources, the baboons in the hills.
One of those makes you 'wonder what would I do in this situation' books.
I bet my parents still have it.
It was on my parent's shelf for some time when I was too young, but the cover was intriguing, the vast desert with mountains
about, the small, crumpled airplane with the smoldering
tire they set on fire as a rescue signal, the 6 little figures
heading off, somewhere, their tracks in the sand.
That cover set the scene and you hadn't read a word yet. A few years later I did read it, and still remember some of the desert survival techniques, the locals burying water in ostrich eggs across the scorching sands.
The survivors of the crash battle the enviroment and of course, each other, and an unexpected competitor for the scant rescources, the baboons in the hills.
One of those makes you 'wonder what would I do in this situation' books.
I bet my parents still have it.
April 10, 2015
Best survival story I've read in years, and wonderfully evocative portraits of the Namibian landscape and people.
January 19, 2025
Picked this out of a Little Free Library a while ago on a whim, as it looked like a potentially fun (and short) nugget of old-fashioned adventure fiction. It is indeed largely that, but I was interested to discover after finishing it that it was a bestseller when originally published in 1960 and was made into a movie in 1965! The author had a very interesting background, having served with distinction in World War II and then developing a passion for African history (human and natural) that shows through in this second novel of his (the first was a fictionalized account of his wartime experience with an artillery battalion fighting across Europe).
The book opens in the aftermath of a small plane crash somewhere in the desert of present-day Botswana or Namibia. A South African pilot, an alpha-male American hunter, a run-down American engineer, a young American divorcee, an elderly German, and a young black Harvard professor all find themselves stranded. The plane flight is unregistered, and none of the passengers have anyone expecting them on the other end, so search and rescue is unlikely. (One has to imagine that the book was inspired by "The Lord of the Flies" -- which was published in the US five years before this.)
At its heart, it's a very straightforward survival story -- with the perspective shifting between characters, and interludes describing the natural world around them, both flora and fauna. They are in a desert with little prospects in the way of water or food, and the clock is ticking... As they make their efforts to survive against the inhospitable terrain, the story hops around to share the history of the characters, what makes them tick, and how they respond to the challenges. Some characters are given more history and depth than others, and it's all kind of rough and ready -- the woman is a particularly cardboard construction whose contributions to the plot are pretty lame, even for 1960.
The narrative ticks all the usual boxes of survival fiction, plenty of moral and ethical dilemmas, the human reversion to nature and survival of the fittest in extremes, etc. What elevates it somewhat is the careful treatment of the landscape's geography and animals and insects that inhabit it. Certain scenes will certainly stick with me, such as the hunter's stalking of baboons, a complex plan to steal honey from a hive, a man vs. giant lizard tug of war, the use of ostrich eggs for storing water, and so on.
There's also careful and respectful treatment of the "bushmen" and their history, as well as the sad history of European invaders. In that regard, if not gender, the book does feel rather ahead of its time. To be sure -- it's certainly dated, and the ending definitely felt rushed (we never learn what happens to one of the characters!), and the final pages are particularly bad. All that said, readers with an interest in old-fashioned adventures may find this to their liking, as well as those with an interest in the landscape of that part of Africa.
Note: I don't recommend watching the film, which is not very good.
The book opens in the aftermath of a small plane crash somewhere in the desert of present-day Botswana or Namibia. A South African pilot, an alpha-male American hunter, a run-down American engineer, a young American divorcee, an elderly German, and a young black Harvard professor all find themselves stranded. The plane flight is unregistered, and none of the passengers have anyone expecting them on the other end, so search and rescue is unlikely. (One has to imagine that the book was inspired by "The Lord of the Flies" -- which was published in the US five years before this.)
At its heart, it's a very straightforward survival story -- with the perspective shifting between characters, and interludes describing the natural world around them, both flora and fauna. They are in a desert with little prospects in the way of water or food, and the clock is ticking... As they make their efforts to survive against the inhospitable terrain, the story hops around to share the history of the characters, what makes them tick, and how they respond to the challenges. Some characters are given more history and depth than others, and it's all kind of rough and ready -- the woman is a particularly cardboard construction whose contributions to the plot are pretty lame, even for 1960.
The narrative ticks all the usual boxes of survival fiction, plenty of moral and ethical dilemmas, the human reversion to nature and survival of the fittest in extremes, etc. What elevates it somewhat is the careful treatment of the landscape's geography and animals and insects that inhabit it. Certain scenes will certainly stick with me, such as the hunter's stalking of baboons, a complex plan to steal honey from a hive, a man vs. giant lizard tug of war, the use of ostrich eggs for storing water, and so on.
There's also careful and respectful treatment of the "bushmen" and their history, as well as the sad history of European invaders. In that regard, if not gender, the book does feel rather ahead of its time. To be sure -- it's certainly dated, and the ending definitely felt rushed (we never learn what happens to one of the characters!), and the final pages are particularly bad. All that said, readers with an interest in old-fashioned adventures may find this to their liking, as well as those with an interest in the landscape of that part of Africa.
Note: I don't recommend watching the film, which is not very good.
November 1, 2021
Several times a year, I volunteer to help pack up after our local library has a book sale. For that, they give me any five books free from the sale. This book from 1960 was one I picked out this year. A plane without a flight plan flies from Angola in the middle of the night and crashes in the desert in what is now Namibia. One person dies, the other six (five men and one woman) make their way to some nearby mountains where they find water and some melons to eat. The pilot later outfits himself with some water and attempts to walk out and get help. The rest of the story tells how the remaining five try to survive. One of the men goes somewhat rogue. While the story is more than 60 years old, the story is timeless, and the adventure is told well.
August 6, 2018
My mother had a copy of this book, still in the dust jacket, back in the 60s when I was a kid. I read it back then, probably one of the first real adult type novels I ever read. Having just finished it again, I was surprised how much of the story I remembered. The story leaves several things hanging; whatever happened to Smith; were Mrs. Monkton and Bain reunited with their pilot, Sturdevant? But, it’s a good read and a fast read; entertaining and enjoyable.
March 29, 2018
Great book. everything tied up nice, if the book's lone black character had a better story and conclusion, i would have liked it better, but overall I thought it was amazing especially for as old as it is.
July 25, 2019
This is a book I first read many years ago. I only vaguely remembered the story and found it to still hold my interest. There was a movie made from the book, and I would be interested in watching it sometime. Reminds me of "Flight of the Phoenix."
August 17, 2023
The author's depiction of women in this book drove me NUTS, but it was published in 1960 so I guess it is to be expected. The story is great, and the description of desert animals/ native peoples and survival skills was more than worth the read.
May 22, 2017
This was on my parents bookshelf. Must have read it in the late 60's. I remember it generated an interest in bushmen.
May 25, 2018
I read this book in seventh grade and gave a book report on it. I've never forgotten it.
March 24, 2020
Great plot, very good writing, kept me guessing up until the last page. Read it!
June 29, 2020
Wow! There's no more I need to say about one of the best novels I've ever read.
June 23, 2021
Great desert survival tale. Well developed characters, which included nature.
January 6, 2022
Good solid story that pulls you in.
February 23, 2022
This was a cracking read.
Plane crash in the desert, fight to survive, treachery. animal instincts, fighting, sharp-wittedness, inhumanity. Load s to enjoy.
Plane crash in the desert, fight to survive, treachery. animal instincts, fighting, sharp-wittedness, inhumanity. Load s to enjoy.
July 13, 2022
Well known favorite
This novel is captivating full of wisdom and written in comfortable language that makes descriptions and characters vivid and still consise. A rare special book.
This novel is captivating full of wisdom and written in comfortable language that makes descriptions and characters vivid and still consise. A rare special book.
September 20, 2025
Exceptional
Remember watching the movie years ago. Really good story, characters and plot. Recommend it to anyone who likes action and adventure.
Remember watching the movie years ago. Really good story, characters and plot. Recommend it to anyone who likes action and adventure.
January 6, 2026
Fantastic. I'd be surprised if among Mulvihill's many books there's one better. I particularly enjoyed seeing some dark history through the eyes of Grimmelmann, but almost all of the characters were well realized. The sense of the ancientness of man's habitation of Africa, and some of choices made were also powerful.
August 10, 2012
Published in 1960, this is the tale of a small private plane that crashes in South West Africa--the Kalahari or maybe the Namib, now Namibia. The six survivors are marooned in the desert. The story, by "an authority on Africa," describes their hike to an "island" of rock with a water source, surrounded by dry sand, and how the individuals functioned in this limited oasis.
The author perhaps did not intended to show, in this Robinson Crusoe narrative, the incredible destruction people cause in an otherwise stable ecosystem as they eat the plants and animals in a desperate effort to survive, but that story is clear to the modern reader. One hopes!
The way each individual adapts is well drawn, except for the sole woman, who "needs a mate" and is pretty useless and dependent.
The author's natural history holds up fairly well, although to say baboons lack hands is odd. I also wondered at the seemingly infinite supply of small melons.
The real story is the psychological drama of how each man adapts. The author is convincing and reasonably kind to his characters, although to write that an African-American man has never been seriously affected by racism in his (upper class) life does give one pause.
The author perhaps did not intended to show, in this Robinson Crusoe narrative, the incredible destruction people cause in an otherwise stable ecosystem as they eat the plants and animals in a desperate effort to survive, but that story is clear to the modern reader. One hopes!
The way each individual adapts is well drawn, except for the sole woman, who "needs a mate" and is pretty useless and dependent.
The author's natural history holds up fairly well, although to say baboons lack hands is odd. I also wondered at the seemingly infinite supply of small melons.
The real story is the psychological drama of how each man adapts. The author is convincing and reasonably kind to his characters, although to write that an African-American man has never been seriously affected by racism in his (upper class) life does give one pause.
October 24, 2023
I first read William Mulvihill's novel sometime in the early 1960s. The book was on my father's reading shelves. I was, certainly as a mid-teenager, most attracted to the sexual tension between O'Brien and Grace Monckton. That was the very same reason I just had to see the movie version released during my college years. It is, however, a novel that stayed with me all these years. Now, I've had the chance to read the public domain reprinting published a couple of years ago. The novel is a tight, well-constructed adventure tale set in the vast reaches of the Kalahari Desert. The novel strikes me as a more probable adventure novel than THE FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX, a very similarly structured desert adventure tale set in a Libyan desert. One reason to read this novel is the ability of the author to create a serious tale, populate it with realistic characters, and vividly describe the country in which it is set. You read Le Carre for the art of spycraft. You probably should read Mulvihill for this kind of taut adventure tale.
July 3, 2013
This book was surprising good. I cannot remember where or how I came to have this book but I'm glad I have it. The story is about a group of people crashing their plane in the middle of the Namib desert and they had to fight the elements and themselves to survive. The book read like a movie and it was not surprising to know that there was a movie based on it in 1965.
In addition to being entertaining, the book also contained a lot of observations about human nature and civilization.
In addition to being entertaining, the book also contained a lot of observations about human nature and civilization.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 40 reviews