Revised edition. A retelling of the story of Ibn Battuta who left his native Tangiers in 1325 and did not return until 1349, by which time he had visited Mecca, Egypt, Syria, Iraq, East Africa, Anatolia, Sumatra and China. The author evokes the Muslim world of the medieval age and its rich culture, described by Battuta in his diaries. Index, bib, gloss, maps, notes, xx, 359pp, USA. CALIFORNIA U P, 0520243854

This fictional autobiography is based on the true story of an Arabic ambassador captured and sold to Leo X, one of greatest of the Renaissance Popes. His fascinating life takes him across Europe and he witmesses some of the century's most important events, such as the Spanish conquest of southern Europe from the Moors, and the Ottoman conquest of Egypt. 360pp, UK. ABACUS. 0349106002

This fictional autobiography is based on the true story of an Arabic ambassador captured and sold to Leo X, one of greatest of the Renaissance Popes. His fascinating life takes him across Europe and he witmesses some of the century's most important events, such as the Spanish conquest of southern Europe from the Moors, and the Ottoman conquest of Egypt. French text. 346pp, FRANCE. LIVRE DE POCHE, 2253041939

The first annual collection of travel writing from North Africa and the Sahara. The essays include recent travel writing and the experiences of explorers, traders and envoys which includes essays about the slave routes across the Desert and the travels of Ibn Battuta. The last two chapters deal with architecture and environment and texts and their translations. Maps, tables, b/w photos, viii, 180pp, UK. SICKLE MOON BOOKS, 1900209195

New, updated edition. Handy paperback for students and travellers, invaluable for sorting out the Almohads from the Almoravids and for explaining the dazzling wealth and art of Roman North Africa. A concise and readable history of the region from earliest beginnings to the present day. B/w line drawings, chrono, 424pp, UK. DUCKWORTH.

In 1325, Ibn Battutah set out on a voyage that would take him across 75 000 miles and through 29 countries. The author follows in the footsteps of this famed traveller along the first leg of his journey, from his native Tangiers to Constantinople. Index, maps, xv, 351pp, UK. PICADOR.

The reissue of the classic account of British travel in North Africa at the turn of the 20th century. Illustrated with contemporary water colours. Index, xiv, 252pp, UK. STACEY INTERNATIONAL, 1900988747