BONES IN THE NILE

“Bones in the Nile: The Omdurman Chronicles” is a thoroughly researched and compelling historical narrative account that illuminates the formation of a nation. A specific event, the nineteenth century Mahdist uprising that led to the founding of Sudan, is brought to life here through a skillful blend of fictional reconstruction and detailed historical scholarship. At the outset, the reader is quickly immersed in, and enthralled by, a myriad of individual historical threads of courage, conviction, intrigue, deceit, naiveté, and violence. But as the story progresses, a larger tapestry emerges from these threads, a panoramic portrait of the clash of civilizations. The author, Omer Ertur, has brought history to life and created an opportunity for readers to witness, in the mind’s eye, pages of history that are largely unknown to most Western readers. While the events recounted here may seem at first to be from a different age than ours, readers will find that the story enriches our understanding of the major players and the events that are shaping on the world stage today, a stage that extends from Central Asia to Europe, from the Middle East to the United States.” [Professor John Harte, University of California Berkeley]

Bones in the Nile is a fictionalized story of the native Sudanese people’s struggle for independence against the British Empire and other colonial forces in order to form the short-lived state of Mahdiya. A complex saga unfolded at the intersection of the Blue and White Nile Rivers in Northeastern Africa during the Mahdist revolution of late-19th century. What’s more strange, however, is what happened after the revolution had seemingly ended. For those not familiar, the area now known as the Sudan was once controlled by the Egyptians, who were themselves ostensibly subjects of the Ottoman Empire but were in actuality controlled by the British. Thus, a microcosm of 19th-century imperialism existed on the shores of the two Niles, as the Anglo-Egyptian army’s garrison across the river from an old Mahdist fishing town became the crucible of a colonial uprising. The book revels in the intrigue and personal motivations capable of superseding an already bewildering network of alliances and bringing down the leaders of the two factions. Ertur excels at creating three-dimensional characters, whether the stately yet fearsome Muhammed Ahmed or the conspiring Yakub and Fadl al Maula. He rewrites history as fiction and imagines dialogue in the best way possible—with respect for the characters and their intentions. Even more impressive is his cinematic touch with landscapes and battle scenes, from the cool relief of a desert oasis to the jarring image of a mysterious, headless body floating in the river. Ertur has skill and enthusiasm for making history come alive. If you have an interest in the collision of cultures that affected the formation of the state of Mahdiya, this is the book for you. A thoughtful, diligent and all-around excellent ground-level view of the swirling issues at play in a colonial revolution. [Kirkus Review]

Author profile:

Omer Ertur was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey. He received his education in the United States: a BA in Economics and MA in Public Administration from Memphis State University and a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University. He was professor of community and regional planning at Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa, and has lectured at various universities worldwide. As a planning and development professional, he worked with the United Nations and various international organizations, serving in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. Last twenty years he served in various consultancy capacities in Istanbul’s municipal governments. During the last six years he has been a UNFPA and UNDP consultant to various development projects in Yemen, Sudan, Vietnam, and most recently in Beijing, China. He has published many articles in reputable academic journals, and contributed chapters to edited books on planning and development, and edited a population and development book on Sudan. He has also published three historical narratives specifically related to political issues of late nineteenth/early twentieth centuries. Omer Ertur, who has two children and a grandson, lives in Istanbul, Turkey, with his wife.