I used this book when I was in Libya over xmas 2003/new year 2004.The book is great when you want to know about the history of the country. It has lots of in depth material and is well regarded by the Libyan guides that I met.
However, it is now 3 years old and in desperate need of an update. For instance, I was told that the statues held in store at the Temple of Zeus in Cyrene are no longer there and that they have been transferred to a local museum (which has yet to be opened).
The maps could be improved as well.
I bought this book at Gatwick Airport on my way to Tripoli: I only wish I had checked out the Amazon web site for books on Libya beforehand so I could have read it before I got on the plane.When I told my friends I was going to Libya for a holiday, many looked at me in amazement, if not horror. To be honest, I felt a bit like that myself, as judging by the reports I had heard over here, Libya was a hotbed of international terrorism. Reading this book on the plane to Tripoli was a great reassurance: it said that the Libyan people are friendly (true), that travellers will not get hassled (also true) and it provided lots of useful information for visitors to this interesting and little known country.
The weather in Tripoli in December was, as the guide had promised, perfect: blue skies and bright sunshine. One of our first trips in Libya was to Leptis Magna, a Roman city about 90 minutes drive from Tripoli. The Footprint Libya Handbook gave lots of background reading for this trip and also to other sites, such as Sabrata. Libya has fantastic archaeological sites, I had never heard of them before I went there but they were all in this book.
The book also contains useful cultural background material: what clothes and behaviour are acceptable, what to expect from Libyan people and so on. It tells you how to find your way around the old city in Tripoli: a maze of alleyways and shops with sacks of spices, henna, gold and copper smiths, handloom weavers and much more. Believe me, without a book it is easy to get lost in this exotic warren!
Libya is changing fast and perhaps it will not be long before it becomes a popular tourist destination. For the time being, it remains a destination for the adventurous; I recommend this book particularly for those like me who need a bit of reassurance with their adventure.
I need another copy now: I left mine in Tripoli with my sister. She has lived in Libya for several years but had never been able to find the kind of information this book provided. I guess that speaks for itself!
