The Mayor Of Mogadishu: A Story Of Chaos And Redemption In The Ruins Of Somalia
by Andrew Harding
Buy on Amazon"This is a triumph of a book: surprising, informative, and humane." —Alexander McCall Smith "Stunning." —Foreign Affairs "Pieces together Nur's astonishing biography and follows him when he became mayor in 2010 and tried to restore confidence and bring back investment to the battered Somali capital." —NPR “Part on-the-ground war reporting, part investigative biography, Harding’s book captures both the fragile hopes and the appalling violence of Somalia . . .…
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"Andrew Harding’s The Mayor of Mogadishu is an intimate and nuanced portrayal of one man’s effort to bring back to life a city destroyed by clan warfare, Islamist extremism, misrule and famine. The story follows the life of Mohamoud “Tarzan” Nur, the son of nomads who was abandoned at a Mogadishu orphanage as Somalia celebrated its independence in 1960. The orphan-turned-thug-turned-entrepreneur-turned politician sees the possibilities and promise of Mogadishu, and his optimism makes anything seem possible. Harding’s beautifully detailed writing brings it alive. I could almost feel the Indian Ocean breeze cool the city perched on Africa’s horn."
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