In the aftermath of the Arab Spring, war reporters rushed to publish accounts of the uprising. Tom Chesshyre took a different approach - he jumped on a plane and became the first to return to the region as a tourist. The result is the fascinating, street-level tale of a lay traveller's journey through lands fresh from revolution. Chesshyre heads for tourist sites that few have seen in recent years, as well as new 'attractions' like Gaddafi's bombed-out bunker in Tripoli. In a book both touching and humorous, he also describes being abducted in Libya, listening to the sound of Kalashnikovs at night and talking to ordinary people struggling to get by.
Extract from the introduction...
'I was travelling as a tourist, not as a foreign correspondent with a well-thumbed contacts book and a series of appointments. I would take the temperature of the region during a key period in its history - as a casual visitor. I would see what there was to see as a traveller with a guidebook. Yet by talking to people along the way, I'd get a sense of the bigger picture.
That was my hope, at least. Being a tourist would be my way of unlocking the countries. I would take in the wonderful Byzantine ruins of Tunisia, the famous Roman remains in Libya, and the treasures of the pharaohs in Egypt, plus some lovely beaches in the Sinai Peninsula. What would I find out about the Arab Spring as I pottered among the ancient sights? What does an Arab Spring feel like?'
When Gaddafi fell, North Africa opened up. "Lost in Libya" is a view from the ground of the effects of the Arab Spring based on a journey across Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt, all of which have been given a new lease of life. Humorous throughout, Chesshyre entertains readers with descriptions of misunderstandings with Tunisian police, revolutionaries celebrating with gunshots, dealing with corrupt border officials, avoiding hustlers, being temporarily abducted in Libya, and hold-ups in convoys. He also talks about Libyan tourist sites that few people have seen for years plus new "attractions" such as Gaddafi's bombed out bunker headquarters in Tripoli.
'Account of a trip through freshly revolutionised parts of Egypt, Libya and Tunisia paints the region as one of the most fascinating on Earth.'
Time Out
'A fascinating, often humurous, insight into a world in the midst of revolution.'
Food & Travel
'With no brief other than curiosity, and equipped with nothing more than courage and compassion, he discovered that word of mouth was his best entry visa into the confidence of people whose lives had been so disrupted.'
The Times
'A good read about not quite 'wish you were here' territory... yet.'
Wanderlust
'The author is honest to admit he hasn't a clue, but his journey across these lands has the freshness of someone who hasn't just read the newspapers, but has been there and talked to the people, none of whom have a clue either.'
Good Book Guide
'The result is the fascinating, street-level tale of a lay traveller's journey through lands fresh from revolution.'
The Middle East
'This witty, perceptive book provides a fascinating read for lovers of thoughtful, imaginative and well-written travel literature.'
Mail on Sunday
'A charming travel companion, entertaining and engaging'.
Times Literary Supplement
'A compelling account of travels through terrain strewn with the relics of ancient civilizations, but set within the thoroughly modern context of burgeoning young democracies at a turbulent stage of their growth... a valuable alternative take on momentous events in a fascinating part of the world.'
Richmond Magazine
