The Great Sahara Mouse-hunt

In 1961 while posted in Benghazi, Libya, Americans Liv and Miggs Pomeroy decided to organise an expedition to travel overland south through Libya then into Chad to one of the most inaccessible mountain ranges in the world, the Tibesti. Accompanying them were Liv's sister and her husband and Randolph Churchill, and his son Winston, on his holidays from university. While planned to be an expedition ‘without scientific purpose', until Liv invited the Smithsonian to ‘send a man', and they sent Dr Harry Setzner, Associate Curator of African Mammals. They were also accompanied by seven mend from the British army - mostly Scots and a Welshman.

It is light-hearted book, written primarily by Miggs Pomeroy, although credited to both her and Catherine Collins, but it seemed to me that there was more written about Collins than by her. There is the usual descriptive writing about desert travel, sand mats, driving techniques, inevitable breakdowns, water and sand problems, but they are interesting enough, and the collection of specimens by Harry, with a much wider range of animals collected than suggested by the title.

Hosted at various points by the military and tribal leaders, but mostly camping out and cooking from the stores carried with them, it makes for an interesting trip in Libya and Chad. The French soldiers once they reached Chad were probably the most amusing hosts. The explanations of the mammals adds a new dimension to what they ate, the vehicle problems and the moods and relationships of those 12 people - although it was quite quickly down to ten when Randolph proved himself too eccentric for such a trip and took himself off home leaving Winston to take his vehicle onward. Catherine's husband Alan had some health problems and departed also, promising to re-join when he was able - although he didn't.

There was a time when the crew split into groups and we follows the camel journey of the Americans which was amusing, as their guide was clearly quite frustrated by them, and had to impose his own way - which was undoubtedly the right way - heading off early and resting over the hottest period of the day, to repack and set off again in the late afternoon.

Another snapshot of history in pre-Gaddafi Libya and although Chad had become independent in 1960 there was still a French military presence there. (This odd political situation wasn't touched on in the book, and I am not too sure what their presence meant. Perhaps it was part of a gradual withdrawal.).

An interesting book to pick up.
4 stars.