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Average Customer Rating:

Perfect for the Armchair Traveler	Customer Rating:
Tahir Shah is a fabulous author. I have never been to many of the places he describes but after reading one of his books I feel like I could accurately describe life in an illegal gold mine or find the people Shah visits on his journies. In Search of King Solomon's Mines is amusing and a quick read while still being educational and thought provoking.

Reading between the Mines

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Ancient culture's responses to the modern world. Honey in the trees and gold in the ground. Sheba and judeo christian influences. Stolen minds and lost history. The tribal warrior and the modern gambler. The mule and the land cruiser. The pasta and the rasta. The knave and the cave. Counterfeit vs. real gold. Tahir's books are amazing experiences. They take me out of myself and let the potent experiences and issues he's raised integrate into a more comprehensive global outlook. More than a book-- you've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em...

Reads Like a Mystery Story	Customer Rating:
Very well written, fascinating descriptions of Ethiopia, the people, geography, culture and history related to finding gold.

Not the "Real Ethiopia"

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Traveling to Ethiopia often for months at time, Shah showed me a side of it I've never seen, despite my time spent in local homes, hotels and villages. My only fear is that this book will leave some with the impression that the places he describes are in fact the real Ethiopia. I am happy to say they are not. In fact the flea bag hotels and bars he frequented are mainly frequented by truckers and those looking for action and are easily identified by all inhabitants. The majority of bars, even in smaller towns, are quite respectable and serve espresso and smoothies too. I've been to countless ones all over the country. I've also stayed in hotels in many regions. Yes the majority of hotels are for truckers and are flea pits with easy access to prostitutes, but we've always been able to find decent accommodations that don't double as brothels. I really felt that his descriptions failed to reveal the diversity of people who live in the country and focused on a select group, often among the poorest.I also wondered if his guide didn't mislead him at times. Ethiopian people are extremely hospitable and very protective of foreigners. Frequent concerns about violent attacks are contrary to anything I've experienced there. I wondered if the guide's warnings weren't just a way of manipulating Shah to buy drinks or prostitutes for his friends to make him look good. I am not questioning that the story took place as described, just that Shah evidently saw a very tiny slice of the real Ethiopia, one which is fortunately not seen by most travelers there. The storyline was engaging and well written. The history was informative and the scenic descriptions accurately portrayed the lush landscape and sometimes harsh conditions. Overall an excellent read, just be careful to to judge the people based on his impressions. In 20 years of traveling there I haven't yet met most of the people he describes.

"The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeing new landscapes, but in having new eyes."

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After coaxing a shopkeeper in Jerusalem's Old City to part with his "not for sale" heirloom treasure map for a whopping six hundred shekels, Afghan author Tahir Shah sets off on an adventure to find the legendary gold mines of King Solomon. He speculates that the mysterious Ophir the Bible describes as the location of the mines may likely be found "just a short boat trip down the Red Sea" in Ethiopa, a land with extraordinary reserves of gold and ostensibly the home of the Queen of Sheba. Known as Makeda in Ethiopian texts, the Queen of Sheba, according to Ethiopian legend, purportedly bore a son, Menelik, by King Solomon through whom the imperial family of Ethiopia descends. Tahir journeys Ethiopia first to Addis Ababa, south to Kebra Mengist and Bedakaysa, east to Harar and Dire Dawa, north to Lalibela, the Danakil Desert, and Debra Damo, then west to Tallul Wallel. Along the way, the reader comes to know a little about the land and the people of Ethiopia. Where even a haircut or a bus ride or encounters with guide-dogs for the blind are laden with danger, Tahir insists "the thrill lies in surviving". Somehow the discordance between Shah's engaging brusque humorous style and the stories that reveal to the reader the bleak reality of existence for many Ethiopians works, as he makes the reader want to laugh, sigh, and cry all at once. I highly recommend this colorful travelogue/adventure story/geography-culture-history book as it is an exciting, entertaining, and educational read.