Empires of Sand

By: David Ball

Narrated by: George Guidall

Length: 27 hrs and 59 mins

Publisher's summary

After four trips to the Sahara and extensive historical research, David Ball crafted this sweeping adventure novel spanning two continents and 15 years. Set against a backdrop of the crumbling French Empire’s attempts to colonize the Sahara Desert, Empires of Sand follows the lives of two cousins who are raised as brothers but destined to become enemies. It is 1870, and France is at war with Prussia. The son of a French count and a Saharan noblewoman, Moussa has been born to privilege. His cousin Paul will be an Army Officer like his father. For two young boys, the siege of Paris is merely another grand adventure. But as tensions rise, the French become more and more suspicious of “outsiders.” When Moussa and his mother are forced to flee to her homeland, it will be 10 years before Moussa and Paul meet again—on opposite sides of a brutal battle for control of the Sahara. David Ball has created a swashbuckling tale with something for everyone. With his masterful narration, George Guidall perfectly captures the struggles of two men as their personal loyalties shift in a rapidly changing world.

©1999 David W. Ball (P)2000 Recorded Books, LLC

Good Read

I enjoyed this tale of boyhood friends united in childhood turned into enemies by their cultural seperation. The narration kept the characters distinct, without being annoying.

I had never heard of this author before, but would read another of his books.

An all-time favorite

David Ball is a wonderful writer. I highly recommend China Run and Iron Fire as well as Empires of Sand.

annoying "Tom sawyer" element killed it for me

Would you try another book from David Ball and/or George Guidall?

Yes. Already read Ironfire, which was masterful.

Would you be willing to try another book from David Ball? Why or why not?

Yes. Already read Ironfire, which was masterful.

What aspect of George Guidall???s performance would you have changed?

The historical settings came to life for me. Ball has a rare talent for this. I am enriched for having read this. However, his descriptions in the first half of the book of the two young boys and their adventures growing up together were a bit too "Tom Sawyer-ish." These subplots seemed to go on forever and about 50% of this could have been cut out with little loss to the story. The shifts from world-altering global events to the boys trapping rats in the church basement just didn't work for me.

Was Empires of Sand worth the listening time?

About 2/3 of it was very worthwhile. the rest was a bit laborious.

Not in the same calibre as Ken Follet

The Tuareg was an interesting source material. Especially in the light of the recent French intervention in Mali. However, it was not as sweeping an epic as the Sahara promised. I read it right after finishing Winter of the World by Ken Follet and I found myself continually measuring it up to it. I would have enjoyed it more if I had read them the other way round.

Wonderful

Great story, great characters, tremendous social commentary on the nature of man, all set in historical perspective.

Read one, read them all

This is Ball's first novel, but I read Ironfire first. The characters and plots of Ironfire and Empires are largely one and the same, different only in detail. Good reads as historical fiction and the facts are accuate. The characters are rather stock and lack complexity. Ball seems to have it in for the Catholic Church. Priests and nuns have nothing better to do than engage in self-serving or sadistic activity.

Good book, great narration

Detail laden - from bloody battles with endless examples of man cruelty to man to tender love scenes - this story goes into complex relationships and cultures. The cousins relationship as written by David Ball becomes reality. Perhaps it is the factual historical background that makes the book wobble between fiction and non fiction. To my surprise I truly enjoyed it! George Guidall narration is excellent. I hesitate to recommend this book because of the involved cruelty scenes but if the listener can get past those details this is, indeed, a wonderful listen.

experience all human emotions in one book

Would you listen to Empires of Sand again? Why?

Yes..... IT has a spell bounding story of greed bravery additions evil love hate misinterption of feelings, bulleying perservence, lust, treachery, and any other human failing you can think of and you never know what is coming next.

Who was your favorite character and why?

the half arab mosa as he has all the good characterists of a human and is a really good guy

Which scene was your favorite?

Haven't finished yet but so far, Mosa's
timid relationship with the women he loves and his patient tolerance for his best friend

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

a book to rival gone with the wind.

Any additional comments?

George Guidall is superb as the perfect reader for this novel

What a wonderful historic Thriller

David Ball kept me intrigued through out the entire novel.
The characters seem very real as you follow them along their twists and turns in this tantalizing story deceit and intrigue.
Come along; you will enjoy the ride!

After 13 hrs I gave up.

Any additional comments?

After 13 hrs I gave up.

Maybe it is just the book isn’t for me, but I couldn’t find anything to sympathise with in any of the characters. The plot seemed to be more melodrama, or if not that, then “stock”; predictable, mechanical devices to drive the narrative. Action often doesn’t fit well with the development of the characters who act; the extent of the internal dialogue doesn’t match up with the impetuousness, thoughtlessness, or foolishness; mechanical devices.

Set in the last quarter of the 19th century, against the Franco-Prussian War and the French in the Sahara, the period should be fascinating, but it is never really a “character”.

The strength of the book is in the descriptions of physical details … Paris, action, the desert, etc; the physical aspects of the characters.

“…over the summer the moat became ever more elaborate, winding in a grand circle around the tree, with bridges made of branches where one had to give the password. And on the bottom of the moat were carefully arranged patches of rocks that—if you looked just the right way at them—became crocodiles that ate trespassers, tax collectors, and knights of the evil kingdom …”

The other strength, for me, was the reader.

The style of the writing, in audio book form, seemed to owe something to that of “The Count of Monte Cristo.”; but without that story’s heart.

It didn’t help that the description on the Audible site includes a spoiler … “…follows the lives of two cousins who are raised as brothers but destined to become enemies …”; I guess it’s somewhere in the other 13hrs.