The Mayor of Mogadishu: A Story of Chaos and Redemption in the Ruins of Somalia

The Mayor of Mogadishu: A Story of Chaos and Redemption in the Ruins of Somalia

<p><b>**One of Book Concierge's </b><b>Best Books of 2016</b><b>**</b></p><p>In <i>The Mayor of Mogadishu</i>, one of the BBC’s most experienced foreign correspondents, Andrew Harding, reveals the tumultuous life of Mohamoud “Tarzan” Nur - an impoverished nomad who was abandoned in a state orphanage in newly independent Somalia, and became a street brawler and activist. When the country collapsed into civil war and anarchy, Tarzan and his young family became part of an exodus, eventually spending twenty years in north London.</p><p>But in 2010 Tarzan returned, as Mayor, to the unrecognizable ruins of a city now almost entirely controlled by the Islamist militants of Al Shabab. For many in Mogadishu, and in the diaspora, Tarzan became a galvanizing symbol of courage and hope for Somalia. But for others, he was a divisive thug, who sank beneath the corruption and clan rivalries that continue, today, to threaten the country’s revival.</p><p><i>The Mayor of Mogadishu</i> is a rare an insider’s account of Somalia’s unraveling, and an intimate portrayal of one family’s extraordinary journey.</p>