"From a ride up the River Niger to an open-air music festival in the desert, from the sudden close friendships that bloom during such travel to the machinations of an unscrupulous tour coordinator who seems intent on foiling his travel goals at every juncture, Antonson handles the joys and occasional frustrations of his trip in vivid, straightforward prose and with a wry sense of humour." -- Vancouver Sun, 20080607 ".nicely embroidered with local tones and textures, a regional history of West Africa, the Tuareg people and accounts of early European exploration." -- Globe and Mail "Anyone interested in traveling to Africa should put Antonsons book on the list, right after malaria tablets." -- National Post "Antonson's (story) is engagingly real, laying bare his frustrations and doubts. A month of travel might not seem like enough to stretch into a whole book, but Antonson's storytelling flows so well that the blow-by-blow account never gets tedious." -- Georgia Straight, 20080710 "Allure of Timbuktu draws adventurers-and satisfies." -- Saskatoon Star-Phoenix "For this trip, Antonson decided against his usual air travel and instead made the journey on the ground - by train, boat, car, camel and foot.

The result, as recounted in his impressive new book, To Timbuktu for a Haircut, is a quixotic quest, alternately funny and thought-provoking." -- Africa Travel Monthly "Antonson's trek, via goat and donkey trail, to his guide Zak's home region of Dogon is a sweet story of bonding and cultural discovery. To Timbuktu for a Haircut is a good read." -- Connected Traveller "Antonson combines wry humour with shrewd observation to deliver an armchair experience to the elusive Timbuktu that will linger long after the last page is read." -- Powell'sbooks.com.