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Empires of Sand
An epic novel of adventure in the grandest tradition of historical fiction, Empires of Sand takes us on a thrilling, unforgettable journey.
As civilizations collide around two men, a battle for survival, for love, and for a destiny written in a desert's shifting sands.
The year is 1870. Paris is under siege, and two boys, best friends and cousins, are swept from their life of privilege. A brutal killing forces Michel deVries — called Moussa — to flee to his mother's homeland in North Africa. A family disgrace forces Paul deVries to seek redemption in the French military.
Ten years will pass before they come face-to-face again. Now Moussa has become a desert warrior and a beautiful woman's forbidden lover, while Paul leads an ill-fated French force into the Sahara. Against a breathtaking landscape of blazing sands and ancient mysteries, these two men face a struggle that will shatter lives across two continents — and force them to choose between separate dreams and shared blood....
As civilizations collide around two men, a battle for survival, for love, and for a destiny written in a desert's shifting sands.
The year is 1870. Paris is under siege, and two boys, best friends and cousins, are swept from their life of privilege. A brutal killing forces Michel deVries — called Moussa — to flee to his mother's homeland in North Africa. A family disgrace forces Paul deVries to seek redemption in the French military.
Ten years will pass before they come face-to-face again. Now Moussa has become a desert warrior and a beautiful woman's forbidden lover, while Paul leads an ill-fated French force into the Sahara. Against a breathtaking landscape of blazing sands and ancient mysteries, these two men face a struggle that will shatter lives across two continents — and force them to choose between separate dreams and shared blood....
770 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
45 people are currently reading
1220 people want to read
About the author
David Ball
16 books112 followersDavid Ball has been to 60 countries on six continents. He has lived and worked in various parts of Africa. In the course of researching his novel Empires of Sand, he crossed the Sahara desert four times, and got lost there only once. Research trips for other novels have taken him to China, Istanbul, Algeria, and Malta - a little island where so far he hasn't gotten lost at all.
A former pilot, sarcophagus maker, and businessman, David has driven a taxi in New York City and built a road in West Africa. He installed telecommunications equipment in Cameroun and explored the Andes in a Volkswagen bus. He has renovated old Victorian houses in Denver and pumped gasoline in the Grand Tetons.
He has a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and enjoys skiing, fishing, running (some have described it as more like hobbling), baseball, and opera.
His novels include Empires of Sand, China Run, and Ironfire. A short story, The Scroll, appears in the anthology Warriors, another, Provenance in the anthology Rogues.
David lives with his wife, Melinda, and their children, Ben and Li, in a house they built in the Rocky Mountains.
A former pilot, sarcophagus maker, and businessman, David has driven a taxi in New York City and built a road in West Africa. He installed telecommunications equipment in Cameroun and explored the Andes in a Volkswagen bus. He has renovated old Victorian houses in Denver and pumped gasoline in the Grand Tetons.
He has a master's degree in journalism from Columbia University and enjoys skiing, fishing, running (some have described it as more like hobbling), baseball, and opera.
His novels include Empires of Sand, China Run, and Ironfire. A short story, The Scroll, appears in the anthology Warriors, another, Provenance in the anthology Rogues.
David lives with his wife, Melinda, and their children, Ben and Li, in a house they built in the Rocky Mountains.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 77 reviews
May 6, 2017
David Ball's EMPIRES OF SAND is the kind of novel that unfortunately, few publishers today would take a risk on. Not because it's not excellent - it is - but because it's so vast in scope, with a large cast of characters, both a harrowing adventure story and riveting tale of two brothers at odds over cultural conflicts, all of which defy easy categorization. Billed as historical fiction, a genre usually associated with romance and marketed toward female readers, there's very little romantic here. Instead, Mr Ball's romance is with his landscapes: the corruption and decay of the Third Empire in Paris as the Franco-Prussian war erupts, the lethal majesty of the still-untamed Sahara as colonization marches across its sand-swept grandeur, and with his lead characters: Paul de Vries, son of a French nobleman, whose father falls prey to a deadly scheme to discredit his integrity and whose mother is an ambitious, amoral opportunist. And Moussa, his cousin, son of Paul's father's titled senior brother, an explorer who marries a Saharan warrior chieftain's daughter. Moussa's identity, forged in the Paris of Napoleon II, is shattered by the war and re-defined by his exodus with his mother to her tribal lands, while Paul is molded by the war's chaotic aftermath in France.
Told mainly from each brother's points of view, but with a few others blended in to lend perspective - the malevolent cardinal in Paris is particularly chilling -the novel immerses us in the clash between Africa and Europe during the 19th century, and how that clash affects a personal, fraternal relationship. It sheds light on a time not often covered in fiction, and is prescient in its depiction of fanatical jihadist elements within the Saharan tribes. The portrayal of Paul's battle to survive his mission as a French commander into the very lands where his long-lost cousin Moussa now fights against foes within and without comprises the heart of the book. Ball depicts the opposing sides without sentimentality or overt favoritism. The tribes are engaged in a struggle to preserve their way of life from foreign intrusion, while the French are intent on restoring luster to their fallen empire. Neither side can win in the end; the inevitability of defeat haunts both men as each seeks a way to survive. Moussa is the more heroic of the two; Paul is more conflicted and therefore more interesting. What drives the narrative is our eagerness to discover if these two cousins who shared a close bond in their childhood can find reconciliation as their worlds implode around them.
Some scenes might offend more sensitive readers: animal deaths abound - camels are slaughtered at will - and the harshness of life in the Sahara isn't easy to read. But beyond this, EMPIRES OF SAND unfolds like an epic by Dumas. The fallible humanity of Ball's characters offer stark contrast to the gorgeous indifference of the places they inhabit; and by the conclusion, the reader will feel as if they've taken a long journey into a distant yet unforgettable vanished past.
Told mainly from each brother's points of view, but with a few others blended in to lend perspective - the malevolent cardinal in Paris is particularly chilling -the novel immerses us in the clash between Africa and Europe during the 19th century, and how that clash affects a personal, fraternal relationship. It sheds light on a time not often covered in fiction, and is prescient in its depiction of fanatical jihadist elements within the Saharan tribes. The portrayal of Paul's battle to survive his mission as a French commander into the very lands where his long-lost cousin Moussa now fights against foes within and without comprises the heart of the book. Ball depicts the opposing sides without sentimentality or overt favoritism. The tribes are engaged in a struggle to preserve their way of life from foreign intrusion, while the French are intent on restoring luster to their fallen empire. Neither side can win in the end; the inevitability of defeat haunts both men as each seeks a way to survive. Moussa is the more heroic of the two; Paul is more conflicted and therefore more interesting. What drives the narrative is our eagerness to discover if these two cousins who shared a close bond in their childhood can find reconciliation as their worlds implode around them.
Some scenes might offend more sensitive readers: animal deaths abound - camels are slaughtered at will - and the harshness of life in the Sahara isn't easy to read. But beyond this, EMPIRES OF SAND unfolds like an epic by Dumas. The fallible humanity of Ball's characters offer stark contrast to the gorgeous indifference of the places they inhabit; and by the conclusion, the reader will feel as if they've taken a long journey into a distant yet unforgettable vanished past.
October 2, 2012
Empires of Sand is an exciting, plot driven adventure story based on true events. It starts with a bang - a boar hunt in the Bois de Boulogne in Paris. Two cousins, Moussa and Paul, are playing in the very same forest,of course in close proximity to the furious, wounded boar. What will happen?! The adventure continues chronicling the de Vries family through Bismarck's siege of Paris, 1870-71, with balloon flights and subterranean escape routes under the streets of Paris. The hunger, the rats, and two boys up to pranks. The research is solid and the escapades are fun and exciting.
The story doesn't stop there. Next thing you know you are off to the deserts of Sahara. And there we have the Tuareg people. Again the author has built his story on research about these proud people. The women are unveiled and independent, but the men are hidden behind indigo colored veils. All one sees is their eyes through small slits. Here the book continues to follows Moussa and Paul within the framework of real events. France wanted to build a railroad that would cross the Algerian Sahara south to Timbuktu in the French Sudan, what is today Mali. Colonel Paul Flatters led an exploratory expedition for France in 1880-81. The true events of this massacre are related through this story.
You are delivered one adventure after another. You get love and hatred and the evils of the Church and balloon rides and...... put your self in a deep irrigation tunnel, naked, digging as a slave. This is an adventure story that teaches about real historical events.
You can tell the author is having fun. There is humor. You can tell the author is poking at the church.....wait till you meet the Bishop and oh, there is a demonic nun! The author clearly has a message about hatred, about love and about being an outsider, a person who doesn't fit in.
Impressive narration by George Guidall.The audiobook had both an author's note and a final interview with the author. Perfect conclusion to a fun book. The author says that the most successful parts of any book will be those parts where the author has had fun. Authors must write for themselves. It is difficult; you must persevere. You must build upon solid research. I think this author has had fun and there is solid research. It shows.
The story doesn't stop there. Next thing you know you are off to the deserts of Sahara. And there we have the Tuareg people. Again the author has built his story on research about these proud people. The women are unveiled and independent, but the men are hidden behind indigo colored veils. All one sees is their eyes through small slits. Here the book continues to follows Moussa and Paul within the framework of real events. France wanted to build a railroad that would cross the Algerian Sahara south to Timbuktu in the French Sudan, what is today Mali. Colonel Paul Flatters led an exploratory expedition for France in 1880-81. The true events of this massacre are related through this story.
You are delivered one adventure after another. You get love and hatred and the evils of the Church and balloon rides and...... put your self in a deep irrigation tunnel, naked, digging as a slave. This is an adventure story that teaches about real historical events.
You can tell the author is having fun. There is humor. You can tell the author is poking at the church.....wait till you meet the Bishop and oh, there is a demonic nun! The author clearly has a message about hatred, about love and about being an outsider, a person who doesn't fit in.
Impressive narration by George Guidall.The audiobook had both an author's note and a final interview with the author. Perfect conclusion to a fun book. The author says that the most successful parts of any book will be those parts where the author has had fun. Authors must write for themselves. It is difficult; you must persevere. You must build upon solid research. I think this author has had fun and there is solid research. It shows.
May 31, 2012
What a magnificent book by David Ball.
The plot describes the family saga of The de Vries during the historical period of the Prussians invasion in Paris in 1870.
The lives of the cousins Moussa and Paul are entwined in turmoil of events regarding their parent's fate.
In a tragic event involving an escape through a balloon, Moussa tries to find his own destiny in the Sahara's desert, which is his mother's homeland.
In the last part of the book the Massacre of the Flatters' Mission is described in full details by the author as well as the French attempt to build a trans-Saharan railroad in the North of Africa.
The plot describes the family saga of The de Vries during the historical period of the Prussians invasion in Paris in 1870.
The lives of the cousins Moussa and Paul are entwined in turmoil of events regarding their parent's fate.
In a tragic event involving an escape through a balloon, Moussa tries to find his own destiny in the Sahara's desert, which is his mother's homeland.
In the last part of the book the Massacre of the Flatters' Mission is described in full details by the author as well as the French attempt to build a trans-Saharan railroad in the North of Africa.
October 18, 2009
Empires of Sand reminded me of James Clavell with its epic breadth and titanic struggles. It is an adventure tale, a kind of Count of Monte Cristo in imperial dress, beginning in Paris in 1870 and racing off to the Sahara where two boys, once the best of friends, become bitter enemies. There are nomadic Tuareg, there is passionate love, rich writing, a vibrant sense of place, and much research worn lightly. I always enjoyed the novels of Dumas and this book is reminiscent of that author. It is a big book, full of incident, and precisely what is needed to pull you out of your rainy days with thoughtful incident and epic struggles. This is classic romance at its best. The adventure is a book that rivals my favorites and is one that will keep you reading till you finish it.
May 14, 2008
A French Count whose interest is scientific, geographic exploration has a rough balloon landing in the Sahara amongst Tuareg tribes and falls in love with the sister of the head of the Tuareg. Their son and his cousin become fast friends during their early years in Paris but when the city falls under siege in 1870 from the Prussians, the count and his family flee in one his balloons. Years and much intrigue later, the cousins encounter one another in the Sahara.
Whether immersed in the adventures of the young boys before and after the Prussians or the life and death battles among the tribes of the desert or between the French Army which is attempting unsuccessfully to build a railroad across the territories and the various factions and tribes or entangled in the intertwining of the cousins lives once more, this is a grand read. The beauty of the Sahara home of the Tuareg people serves as another character in the story. Ball seems to have done his research thoroughly and his love of the setting illuminates his prose. It came right down to the final page and there was yet one more heart-stopping moment in the tale -- it has to have five stars for that one!
Whether immersed in the adventures of the young boys before and after the Prussians or the life and death battles among the tribes of the desert or between the French Army which is attempting unsuccessfully to build a railroad across the territories and the various factions and tribes or entangled in the intertwining of the cousins lives once more, this is a grand read. The beauty of the Sahara home of the Tuareg people serves as another character in the story. Ball seems to have done his research thoroughly and his love of the setting illuminates his prose. It came right down to the final page and there was yet one more heart-stopping moment in the tale -- it has to have five stars for that one!
thats-enough
August 16, 2021DNF’d at 7 pages. Normally I try to read at least 50 pages if not to the 25% mark. But this was the 4th declutter read I did today and I’m wondering if that’s starting to help me hone my ability to let books go. If so, that’s cause for celebration!
DNF because it took 3-4 paragraphs to describe things (eg., a boar hunt gone wrong, why someone wanted to learn French, back to the boar hunt again, etc) that could have been done in a handful of words (maybe sentences). I was reminded how much I admire and value descriptive economy of words. And I realized I would’ve gritted my teeth at the long winded-ness the entire read so why bother. Happy to let this book find a better home!
DNF because it took 3-4 paragraphs to describe things (eg., a boar hunt gone wrong, why someone wanted to learn French, back to the boar hunt again, etc) that could have been done in a handful of words (maybe sentences). I was reminded how much I admire and value descriptive economy of words. And I realized I would’ve gritted my teeth at the long winded-ness the entire read so why bother. Happy to let this book find a better home!
September 27, 2011
Empires of Sand has become my favorite book. I compare every adventure book I read to this one. The best part of this book are the characters. You get to know them in and out and very quickly learn to care about them and their lives. The story itself is the perfect definition of an epic. It is a roller coaster ride that is believable and thrilling. This book is a must read for anyone that loves life and passion.
May 7, 2013
Nope. I put this one down more than halfway through. I thought I would commit after the story's venue changed from France to the Sahara, but not so. The characters were not complex and the plot is predictable.
September 2, 2018
Sonunda bu güzel kitabın sonunu gorebildim..
Islerimin yoğunluğundan ne kadar çok cabalasamda sonuna gelememek çok uzuyordu ama sonunda başardım.
Serena ve Henri, Moussa ve Daia,Paul ve Melika çok guzeldiler. Yapılan çılgınlıklar anlatım tarzı insanı dehşete düşürüyor insan bunu nasıl yapabilir kabilinden ama yinede etkileniyorsunuz ve çölde kayboluyorsunuz...
Esir tacirine olanları çok sevdim ins düşündükleri gibi yitip gitmistir; hatta daha iyisi esir düşmesi. Elisabeth uzulebilirdim; eğer başkaları için düşündüğü ve başaramadığı sonlardan sonra birazcık uzulebilseydi. Nasıl yazarsan oyle olursun boşuna söylenmemiş.
Islerimin yoğunluğundan ne kadar çok cabalasamda sonuna gelememek çok uzuyordu ama sonunda başardım.
Serena ve Henri, Moussa ve Daia,Paul ve Melika çok guzeldiler. Yapılan çılgınlıklar anlatım tarzı insanı dehşete düşürüyor insan bunu nasıl yapabilir kabilinden ama yinede etkileniyorsunuz ve çölde kayboluyorsunuz...
Esir tacirine olanları çok sevdim ins düşündükleri gibi yitip gitmistir; hatta daha iyisi esir düşmesi. Elisabeth uzulebilirdim; eğer başkaları için düşündüğü ve başaramadığı sonlardan sonra birazcık uzulebilseydi. Nasıl yazarsan oyle olursun boşuna söylenmemiş.
October 17, 2009
I just loved reading this book! It was such a relief after all the Jodi Picolt I tried to like. David Ball writes from many points of view, but it is always clear whose point of view it is. It was somewhat slow in the beginning, when he was setting it all up, but I adjusted to the excessively formal behavior of the French and just went along until suddenly we are in the desert and sand is everywhere, and the Tuareg are sharpening their swords and daggers, and the next oasis is operated below ground by prisoner slaves who are crawling through low tunnels like worms digging new water passages, sandbag by sandbag. Mr. Ball writes with authority and a fine sense of place. Since I've been reading this book every time I get the chance for the past week, I have lived in and out of tents, ridden the swift-footed racing camel, the mihari, walked and starved and nearly died of thirst on several treks through the Sahara. This book, being in the historical-fiction/adventure genre, has a reasonably easy to predict plot. The plot keeps everything moving along, and this plot does that very well. I love this book for the energy Mr. Ball put into it, and joy he seems to have felt all the way along. At least 4.5 stars!
July 3, 2009
This book is a LONG read, and the first half of the book can be as dry and dull as anything.
However the second half was wonderful and read more than twice as quickly. The ending was worth trudging through the novel.
I'd give this about 3.5 stars but rounded up for generosity's sake. I'm just glad I finally finished the darn thing.
However the second half was wonderful and read more than twice as quickly. The ending was worth trudging through the novel.
I'd give this about 3.5 stars but rounded up for generosity's sake. I'm just glad I finally finished the darn thing.
Want to read
July 29, 2008I just listened to one of David Ball's novels, China Run, on tape and loved it. Sat in my car in the driveway for 20 minutes just to hear the ending. Looking forward to another great story.
March 21, 2009
Excellent historical novel contrasting European and African/ Muslim cultures.
August 24, 2009
Learned about the Tuaregs of the Sahara, the Prussian invasion of France, and France's attempt to build a railroad across the Sahara. Great characters and story.
September 16, 2009
I loved this ...the time during the Franco-Prussian war (19th cent)
the place: France and the Sahara Desert.
A well written, well told story.
the place: France and the Sahara Desert.
A well written, well told story.
November 2, 2009
Again, Ball's attention to period detail is exquisite.
August 6, 2018
Kept me all the way. Wilbur Smith'ish.
December 10, 2025
Having first read Ironfire and now the Empires of Sand which the latter is actually David Ball's earlier work, I’m not surprised if his first novel also took a lengthy and epic proportion of a family saga. The author is definitely well-travelled and has a penchant for the culture of France and Northern Africa (especially Morocco and Algeria) since those places were also included in his later work, Ironfire. The story is intriguing and inviting you to keep turning the pages, to follow the two main characters in their journey to navigate the circumstances that they were forcefully be part of and sometimes seems to have no control of it. It’s an ambitious work, definitely, and for the most part I liked how the story goes, except—similar with Ironfire—David Ball has a problem to end the story masterfully.
In summary, the story was mainly told from the perspectives of Moussa de Vries and his cousin, Paul de Vries. The first half of the book was dedicated to build the childhood background of both Moussa and Paul and of how they later on became separated in their own ways. Moussa is half French and half Tuareg, one of the Berber tribes of Northern Africa which was mostly nomadic in nature. Moussa’s Tuareg blood was the cause of pain for him in most of his boyhood since he was tormented by his peers due to his differences. For me, this first half of the story feels quite slow-paced, long, and too drawn-out. A bit disheartened to keep reading how Moussa was badly treated just because he looks like a heathen and not a Christian.
The second half of the novel, which I think where the interesting bits happened the most, was when both of them were eventually separated. Moussa and his Tuareg mother, Serena, returned to the Hoggar Mountains with Moussa finally embraced his heritage and became one of the blue men of the veil. Paul, on the other hand, got into the French military and volunteered himself to join the Flatter’s expedition to explore Northern Africa for the purpose of building a railroad. Here, the story actually followed the actual history of the disaster of Flatter’s expedition where the French army was brutally massacred by the Tuareg warriors in defiance of their exploration.
This is really a family saga where the crux story of Empires of Sand is how Moussa and Paul are finally being reunited and reconciled once again. However, after building all those suspenses, the ending was too rushed and quite unremarkable. I’m surprised when I reached the last chapter and felt like, is that it? after all that’s happened to both Moussa and Paul? So many unresolved aftermath for those characters whose purpose was being a bit antagonistic. While the ending can be considered happy and peaceful for Moussa and Paul, still, the other characters deserve a proper tie-up because David Ball clearly put a lot of work to the secondary characters too. They’re all actually well-written.
Still, Empires of Sand is a good read. I learnt a great deal too, about the world and the customs of the Tuareg people. About the vast and deadly Sahara Desert. While at it, David Ball mentioned briefly of a caravan town called Ghadames in this book. I decided to do a bit of research and how fascinating to learn that Ghadames is an oasis town specifically built to withstand the sandstorm and the extreme hot weather of the Sahara. I imagined that some of the town mentioned in this book might have similar structure and architecture just like Ghadames. The Hoggar Mountains too, is such a striking place that only the Tuareg can call it home.
Source :
Ghadames, the Perfect Caravan Town of the Sahara by Giulio Aprin
In summary, the story was mainly told from the perspectives of Moussa de Vries and his cousin, Paul de Vries. The first half of the book was dedicated to build the childhood background of both Moussa and Paul and of how they later on became separated in their own ways. Moussa is half French and half Tuareg, one of the Berber tribes of Northern Africa which was mostly nomadic in nature. Moussa’s Tuareg blood was the cause of pain for him in most of his boyhood since he was tormented by his peers due to his differences. For me, this first half of the story feels quite slow-paced, long, and too drawn-out. A bit disheartened to keep reading how Moussa was badly treated just because he looks like a heathen and not a Christian.
The second half of the novel, which I think where the interesting bits happened the most, was when both of them were eventually separated. Moussa and his Tuareg mother, Serena, returned to the Hoggar Mountains with Moussa finally embraced his heritage and became one of the blue men of the veil. Paul, on the other hand, got into the French military and volunteered himself to join the Flatter’s expedition to explore Northern Africa for the purpose of building a railroad. Here, the story actually followed the actual history of the disaster of Flatter’s expedition where the French army was brutally massacred by the Tuareg warriors in defiance of their exploration.
Touareg by Ousmane Sow. Moussa de Vries becoming one of the blue men of the veil upon reaching adulthood. This painting is probably the closest depiction of Moussa, as seen by Daia who eventually became Moussa’s wife. “He looked regal and proud and magnificent upon his mehari. His robes were light blue, his veil white. A hooded hawk, majestic in her own right, sat upon his shoulder, brooding and alert. As Daia drew near the hawk turned toward her, tilting its head beneath the hood, sensing her presence. At the same time she saw the bright blue eyes of the man smiling behind the veil.”
This is really a family saga where the crux story of Empires of Sand is how Moussa and Paul are finally being reunited and reconciled once again. However, after building all those suspenses, the ending was too rushed and quite unremarkable. I’m surprised when I reached the last chapter and felt like, is that it? after all that’s happened to both Moussa and Paul? So many unresolved aftermath for those characters whose purpose was being a bit antagonistic. While the ending can be considered happy and peaceful for Moussa and Paul, still, the other characters deserve a proper tie-up because David Ball clearly put a lot of work to the secondary characters too. They’re all actually well-written.
Still, Empires of Sand is a good read. I learnt a great deal too, about the world and the customs of the Tuareg people. About the vast and deadly Sahara Desert. While at it, David Ball mentioned briefly of a caravan town called Ghadames in this book. I decided to do a bit of research and how fascinating to learn that Ghadames is an oasis town specifically built to withstand the sandstorm and the extreme hot weather of the Sahara. I imagined that some of the town mentioned in this book might have similar structure and architecture just like Ghadames. The Hoggar Mountains too, is such a striking place that only the Tuareg can call it home.
Source :
Ghadames, the Perfect Caravan Town of the Sahara by Giulio Aprin
March 3, 2024
Este libro ha sido mi salvación durante estas últimas semanas de diestro con la mano derecha rota. Incluso cuando ya estaba que me subía por las paredes y agotado de leer, seguía leyendo. Capítulos de 40-50 minutos han pasado entre los torpes dedos de mi mano izquierda casi sin darme cuenta. Uno tras otro.
Empires of Sand (El Infiel en español) es un libro estupendo que no sé cómo no es más conocido.
El libro cuenta la historia de una familia, dos primos en concreto, a lo largo de la guerra franco-prusiana y más tarde la expedición Flatters en el Sáhara. Es una trama muy completa, que recuerda un poco a la trilogía del milenio de Ken Follet, en esa mezcla de hechos históricos con personajes ficticios. Tiene acción, intriga, aventuras, amor, drama, dolor...
Esta es una de esas novelas de emociones a flor de piel que te hace conectar con los personajes y sufrir con ellos. De esas en las que los protagonistas van de desgracia en desgracia, y en las que parece que los villanos se van a salir siempre con la suya, que la verdad no va a salir nunca a la luz, pero cuando finalmente caen es, oh, tan satisfactorio.
Hay capítulos muy duros y el libro te hace sufrir penurias, pero cuando los personajes finalmente hallan solaz y respiro, toda esa ordalía no hace sino que lo disfrutes aún más. El libro está fenomenal en ese aspecto, y sabe balancear muy bien el sufrimiento con la recompensa, haciendo que cada página merezca la pena.
Y hablando de páginas, es un libro largo, que se extiende desde antes de que nazcan los protagonistas hasta su edad adulta, y por tanto buena parte de los compases iniciales son meramente introducción y puesta en situación, pero de nuevo, al final todo merece la pena.
Otra cosa que me ha gustado mucho es que el libro nos deje echar, aunque solo sea un vistazo, a las motivaciones de todos los personajes. De absolutamente cualquier personaje, aunque solo aparezca en una escena, vamos a conocer su trasfondo. Si aparece un ladrón de cabras durante dos capítulos, solo para crear otro problema, vamos a saber porqué roba, de dónde viene, porqué tiene ojeriza a estos y predilección por los otros, si es realmente malo o solo roba por necesidad, y vamos a ver escenas desde su punto de vista.
Todo esto, que en otro libro podría resultar confuso, farragoso o innecesario, en un genio de la pluma del autor, funciona estupendamente y da una dimensión adicional a la novela, gracias a la comprensión que tienes de las motivaciones y deseos de todo el mundo.
Por último, me gustaría añadir que aunque hay multitud de batallas, peleas y escaramuzas, el libro no se ensaña particularmente en la acción o la sangre, y pone bastante más énfasis en lo que sienten y experimentan los personajes durante las mismas.
Vamos, que me ha encantado. Muy recomendable. De esos con los que voy a dar la paliza a cualquiera que me pregunte por libros de novela histórica. Firme candidato a las mejores lecturas del año. Es difícil de encontrar, tanto en inglés como en español, pero merece la pena la búsqueda.
Bue-ní-si-mo.
Empires of Sand (El Infiel en español) es un libro estupendo que no sé cómo no es más conocido.
El libro cuenta la historia de una familia, dos primos en concreto, a lo largo de la guerra franco-prusiana y más tarde la expedición Flatters en el Sáhara. Es una trama muy completa, que recuerda un poco a la trilogía del milenio de Ken Follet, en esa mezcla de hechos históricos con personajes ficticios. Tiene acción, intriga, aventuras, amor, drama, dolor...
Esta es una de esas novelas de emociones a flor de piel que te hace conectar con los personajes y sufrir con ellos. De esas en las que los protagonistas van de desgracia en desgracia, y en las que parece que los villanos se van a salir siempre con la suya, que la verdad no va a salir nunca a la luz, pero cuando finalmente caen es, oh, tan satisfactorio.
Hay capítulos muy duros y el libro te hace sufrir penurias, pero cuando los personajes finalmente hallan solaz y respiro, toda esa ordalía no hace sino que lo disfrutes aún más. El libro está fenomenal en ese aspecto, y sabe balancear muy bien el sufrimiento con la recompensa, haciendo que cada página merezca la pena.
Y hablando de páginas, es un libro largo, que se extiende desde antes de que nazcan los protagonistas hasta su edad adulta, y por tanto buena parte de los compases iniciales son meramente introducción y puesta en situación, pero de nuevo, al final todo merece la pena.
Otra cosa que me ha gustado mucho es que el libro nos deje echar, aunque solo sea un vistazo, a las motivaciones de todos los personajes. De absolutamente cualquier personaje, aunque solo aparezca en una escena, vamos a conocer su trasfondo. Si aparece un ladrón de cabras durante dos capítulos, solo para crear otro problema, vamos a saber porqué roba, de dónde viene, porqué tiene ojeriza a estos y predilección por los otros, si es realmente malo o solo roba por necesidad, y vamos a ver escenas desde su punto de vista.
Todo esto, que en otro libro podría resultar confuso, farragoso o innecesario, en un genio de la pluma del autor, funciona estupendamente y da una dimensión adicional a la novela, gracias a la comprensión que tienes de las motivaciones y deseos de todo el mundo.
Por último, me gustaría añadir que aunque hay multitud de batallas, peleas y escaramuzas, el libro no se ensaña particularmente en la acción o la sangre, y pone bastante más énfasis en lo que sienten y experimentan los personajes durante las mismas.
Vamos, que me ha encantado. Muy recomendable. De esos con los que voy a dar la paliza a cualquiera que me pregunte por libros de novela histórica. Firme candidato a las mejores lecturas del año. Es difícil de encontrar, tanto en inglés como en español, pero merece la pena la búsqueda.
Bue-ní-si-mo.
July 24, 2020
Empires of Sand is one of those books, which you can rarely find nowadays. It is a true historical epic, a story that takes the reader to the contrasting locations, set thousands of miles apart. From the streets of Paris to the vast expanses of Sahara. In midst of all these Ball places two compelling characters, two cousins, Moussa and Paul de Vries, tracing their journey from the innocent childhood, to the challenging adulthood. Ball paints a riveting, believable tale, of the people forged in flames of war, and in web of deceit, of honor and fate. The journey that will make best friends bitter enemies. And question their ideals and feelings.
The cousins are not alone on their troubled path. The journey brings them in contact (direct or indirect) with the vast cast of historical and fictional figures, and through their eyes, the reader gets a glimpse at the pivotal events of the period: The Franco-Prussian War, the Siege of Paris, the failed attempts of the French to nurse their wounded pride by colonizing Sahara, and the desperate attempts of Tuareg to stop it.
Oh, the Tuareg! Not only that Ball is a fine writer, but he does have intimate knowledge of the Sahara, its history, and culture very well. Nowhere is this better seen than in the parts that deal with the Tuareg, those mysterious, blue-clothed, rulers of the desert. Ball avoids the dangers of exoticism and instead of cliches, he gives us living and breathing people, the proud warriors with their ambitions and fears. Even French are not painted as villains. They too are ordinary men, who found themselves in extraordinary situations, driven by the colonial ambitions of generals and politicians.
Empires of Sand is the story of imperfect, but resilient people, set in the fascinating historical setting rarely seen in the genre. If to this we add a gorgeous backdrop of its various locations, which often act like the character in their own, the Ball's book is an unforgettable journey, to the bygone age, a rare gem that is waited to be discovered and enjoyed, and treasured like the fragile desert rose of Sahara.
The cousins are not alone on their troubled path. The journey brings them in contact (direct or indirect) with the vast cast of historical and fictional figures, and through their eyes, the reader gets a glimpse at the pivotal events of the period: The Franco-Prussian War, the Siege of Paris, the failed attempts of the French to nurse their wounded pride by colonizing Sahara, and the desperate attempts of Tuareg to stop it.
Oh, the Tuareg! Not only that Ball is a fine writer, but he does have intimate knowledge of the Sahara, its history, and culture very well. Nowhere is this better seen than in the parts that deal with the Tuareg, those mysterious, blue-clothed, rulers of the desert. Ball avoids the dangers of exoticism and instead of cliches, he gives us living and breathing people, the proud warriors with their ambitions and fears. Even French are not painted as villains. They too are ordinary men, who found themselves in extraordinary situations, driven by the colonial ambitions of generals and politicians.
Empires of Sand is the story of imperfect, but resilient people, set in the fascinating historical setting rarely seen in the genre. If to this we add a gorgeous backdrop of its various locations, which often act like the character in their own, the Ball's book is an unforgettable journey, to the bygone age, a rare gem that is waited to be discovered and enjoyed, and treasured like the fragile desert rose of Sahara.
March 30, 2021
I have mixed feelings about this book. I really enjoyed David Ball's later book Ironfire, but this one didn't appeal to me as much.
I liked the historical anchors in the book: Paris during the Franco-Prussian war, and the ill-fated Flatters Expedition in North Africa. These were real events, illustrated colorfully by the author.
But the story constructed around those events felt a little thin. For one thing, I didn't like the way the characters were drawn very much. They were almost cartoonish in the way they fit their role in the story. The story needed a hero, and Moussa is a nearly flawless hero. The story needed a villain, and central casting supplied Monseigneur Murat, an obese, corrupt, child-molesting priest. They rarely showed development, but when the story called for it, it happened abruptly with the characters undergoing sudden shifts in their personality. They never felt very real to me.
Also, I felt like the non-historical crises were solved too easily. In the end, the good guys prevail without being particularly clever about it, while the bad guys fumble their advantages and leave the door open for their own failure. When all the loose ends wrapped up quickly and neatly in the last 2 chapters, with everyone getting what they deserved, I felt a little unsatisfied.
I liked the historical anchors in the book: Paris during the Franco-Prussian war, and the ill-fated Flatters Expedition in North Africa. These were real events, illustrated colorfully by the author.
But the story constructed around those events felt a little thin. For one thing, I didn't like the way the characters were drawn very much. They were almost cartoonish in the way they fit their role in the story. The story needed a hero, and Moussa is a nearly flawless hero. The story needed a villain, and central casting supplied Monseigneur Murat, an obese, corrupt, child-molesting priest. They rarely showed development, but when the story called for it, it happened abruptly with the characters undergoing sudden shifts in their personality. They never felt very real to me.
Also, I felt like the non-historical crises were solved too easily. In the end, the good guys prevail without being particularly clever about it, while the bad guys fumble their advantages and leave the door open for their own failure. When all the loose ends wrapped up quickly and neatly in the last 2 chapters, with everyone getting what they deserved, I felt a little unsatisfied.
September 28, 2024
EMPIRES OF SAND:
This was an adventure that was a little too long. A lot of stuff happened between the characters and the final journey between one of them is when Character B told A that he is gonna live stress free and without worry.
Tamrit ag Amella is the jealous friend of Serena. He was jealous that she was hanging around Henri
Confusing about the tribes name. I know at least three groups, and then other tribes formed from splintering from the main ones. Names get confusing. Had to write down who is what. I'm sure in the movie it's easier to tell because you actually see them. Instead of reading Kel Owi, Iklan Tawsit, Ihaggaren, etc 🧐
It was little too long. When Irish page 500, which was an action page, I didn't really feel as interested and reading it compared to the past pages. Right when I said this, I became re-interested in this. Especially about chasing through the canyons of Tadjenout, Hoggar.
One part of the book had pull talking to himself. Contradictory thoughts, one saying go this way while the other says go the other way. This is the first book I've read where I can really envision the thoughts given the context. I love this part.
MOVIE: DESERT HELL 1958
This was an adventure that was a little too long. A lot of stuff happened between the characters and the final journey between one of them is when Character B told A that he is gonna live stress free and without worry.
Tamrit ag Amella is the jealous friend of Serena. He was jealous that she was hanging around Henri
Confusing about the tribes name. I know at least three groups, and then other tribes formed from splintering from the main ones. Names get confusing. Had to write down who is what. I'm sure in the movie it's easier to tell because you actually see them. Instead of reading Kel Owi, Iklan Tawsit, Ihaggaren, etc 🧐
It was little too long. When Irish page 500, which was an action page, I didn't really feel as interested and reading it compared to the past pages. Right when I said this, I became re-interested in this. Especially about chasing through the canyons of Tadjenout, Hoggar.
One part of the book had pull talking to himself. Contradictory thoughts, one saying go this way while the other says go the other way. This is the first book I've read where I can really envision the thoughts given the context. I love this part.
MOVIE: DESERT HELL 1958
November 21, 2023
I picked this book up initially because I've been fascinated by Africa since forever. Thinking that the story was very well told, especially the family dynamics where French and Saharan heritages play out...had no idea that the conflicts described in the Sahara actually occurred until in the Afterword the author explains.
A mission to explore a possible trans-Saharan railway to link French colonial holdings from Algeria to Timbuktu is brutally exterminated is the basis for the story development in part 2...a real event occurring in 1880 - 1881 led by Colonel Paul Flatters. The second part of the book is starkly contrasted with part 1 devoted to the main characters' life in Paris just prior to and during the Franco-Prussion war of 1870 - 1871 including the Siege of Paris. Wonderful read with very graphic descriptions of the events of these times.
A mission to explore a possible trans-Saharan railway to link French colonial holdings from Algeria to Timbuktu is brutally exterminated is the basis for the story development in part 2...a real event occurring in 1880 - 1881 led by Colonel Paul Flatters. The second part of the book is starkly contrasted with part 1 devoted to the main characters' life in Paris just prior to and during the Franco-Prussion war of 1870 - 1871 including the Siege of Paris. Wonderful read with very graphic descriptions of the events of these times.
September 14, 2018
I read (and listened to) this book because we have a signed copy from David, who was my neighbor growing up and whose daughter I used to babysit while he wrote in a different part of the house. Historical fiction is also my favorite genre and I remembered my mom listening to this on tape when I was younger. It stuck with me and I am thrilled to have finally read it as an adult. It's complex, with an almost unachievable balance between romance and adventure, violence and history. The sense of place is profound, both in Paris and in the Sahara. I highly recommend to anyone who liked The English Patient or other dynamic tales of love and war.
December 19, 2024
3.5 stars. Whoa that was a tome! My edition was 578 pages but typeset and font very small so word count more like 800-900 pages in more conventional font. Interesting historical fiction set in 19th century France and the Sahara focusing on the era of the Franco-Prussian War and the Taureg people of the Sahara. Writing was high quality but the plot was slow moving, taking some diversions that could have been edited. Plot somewhat predictable. I had to start skimming about 80% through when the lurid desert struggle got into the 2nd hundred pages.
April 14, 2020
I tend not to enjoy books where the main characters are kids and unfortunately the first third of the book was mostly that. Not sure how the author managed to make the attack and siege of Paris all about two obnoxious, stupid little boys. And boring as well. The sections with the parents were better.
Once the action left France for Africa the story did improve although it was predictable.
I would have only rated it two stars but at least everyone gets the ending they deserve so three stars.
Once the action left France for Africa the story did improve although it was predictable.
I would have only rated it two stars but at least everyone gets the ending they deserve so three stars.
September 6, 2021
4 bright stars! Empires of Sand is an engrossing, exciting saga . It’s set in Paris and the Sahara in the 1880’s, full of references to actual historical events, plenty of action, and great story telling. I was also fascinated with the Tuareg
culture, nomadic life in the desert, the Flatters Expedition, and more that was unknown to me until David Ball’s
compelling book. Highly recommend this epic adventure
novel.
culture, nomadic life in the desert, the Flatters Expedition, and more that was unknown to me until David Ball’s
compelling book. Highly recommend this epic adventure
novel.
September 30, 2021
This was an epic of an adventure story. It wasn't really an "Indiana Jones" type adventure story like I thought it was going to be. I would say this is kinda like the story of Dune, but if it was set in the past instead of the future. I enjoyed it more than Dune too. I loved the story of the two cousins growing up and then splitting apart into two very different paths. It was a well-written and very engaging book. A good read, but it is fairly long.
8/10
8/10
May 27, 2018
Loved this book. I have read it 4 times in the last 15 years. I have been sucked in by this artful story teller. This book is full of the history of 18 century France and sub Saharan Africa. I quickly grew to love the characters as they struggled with the challenges of life in an unfamiliar place. I also highly recommend Ironfire, a book about crusading knights and the Siege of Malta.
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