“Part on-the-ground war reporting, part investigative biography, Harding’s book captures both the fragile hopes and the appalling violence of Somalia.” New York Times review
“Andrew Harding, one of the BBC’s most intrepid and empathetic journalists, who has been visiting the country since 2000, has chronicled the extraordinarily uplifting life of one Somali, Mohamud Nur, nicknamed Tarzan.” The Economist review.
"Harding’s writing… is beautiful. A refreshing read about a place that has far too long been reduced to nothing but terrorism and death.” Washington Post review.
“Africa can be explained in dry prose, in figures, in newspaper reports; or it can be explained, as Andrew Harding does in this book, through an astonishing personal story, vivid and utterly memorable. This is a triumph of a book: surprising, informative, and humane." Alexander McCall Smith
"A stunning odyssey. Harding masterfully shows us there is no 'them' in the world – there is only 'us'." J.M. Ledgard - author of Submergence
"A wonderful account of one of the most troubled yet beautiful countries on Earth, told by one of our most gifted and sensitive journalists. This is a book laced with hope amid the dark layers of hatred through which the Mayor of Mogadishu battles." Jon Snow - presenter Channel 4 News
"A fluid, sympathetic journalistic foray... A beautifully rendered narrative and characterisation portrays the soul of a country few Westerners truly understand." Kirkus "Starred" review
"Andrew Harding's elegantly-written account is much more than a portrait of the Mayor of Mogadishu. In bold, vivid brush-strokes it captures all the charm, colour, contradiction and menace of contemporary Somalia." Michela Wrong – author of Borderlines
"Andrew Harding is one of the great foreign correspondents in any medium. He has a sympathy for Somalia and its people that shines through this powerful book. He disdains cliche and reductive analysis, in the process creating some of the most beautiful writing about Africa that I have ever read.” Fergal Keane, author of Road of Bones and Season of Blood.
"One of Africa's most experienced correspondents zeroes in on one of the most intriguing characters in the extraordinary post-apocalyptic world of modern Mogadishu. Like the city and its mayor, Harding brings depth, clarity, nuance and occasional poetry to his story. Rich, epic and important.” Alex Perry, author of The Rift
"An excellent portrait of Somalia. Harding captures the agony the country has suffered for the last 25 years but also the strength, resilience and the humour of its remarkable people.” Richard Dowden, author Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles.
"It is easy to gawk at the tragedy of Somalia; assuming an attitude of sensationalised disbelief. Andrew Harding refuses to do this. Instead he offers a wry, sceptical story. Part fable, part journalistic account, Harding's tale brims with sympathy and admiration for the human capacity for survival. The Mayor of Mogadishu is a great big gorgeous read." Sisonke Msimang, columnist.
"I am truly inspired by this book. This is the best-written and most well articulated book about about Somalia that I have ever seen. Any Somali reader, let alone non-Somalis, will learn so much about Mayor Tarzan, Mogadishu, and the nomadic Somali life style." Abdirashid S. Ahmed - East African Community Specialist, Minneapolis
