“Randy Hobler has written the best memoir of a Peace Corps experience that
I have ever read. His amazingly detailed book instantly grips the reader by
putting Libya in its properly rich and unique historical perspective.
Everyone should read this book, to enjoy its humor as well as its insights.
"
—Niels Marquardt
Former Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea, Cameroon, Madagascar
and the Union of the Comoros Peace Corps Volunteer—Zaire and Rwanda
101 Arabian Tales: How We All Persevered in Peace Corps Libya is substantially set apart from the over-1,000 published Peace Corps memoirs because they are individual memoirs and this is a unique collective memoir, garnered from in-depth interviews with 101 fellow Libyan Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. A herculean effort.
The story’s spine is Hobler’s own narrative, anchored to and deftly embroidered with hundreds of other anecdotes. Rather than a narrow individual view, this collective sharing provides many rich hues and shades of experiences—hilarious, heartbreaking, insightful, poignant, as well as educational and inspiring. These volunteers were spread out over 900 miles resulting in an omniscient kaleidoscope of experiences, many of which fall under the category of “you can’t make this up!”
It’s an amazingly detailed chronicle of anecdotes, historical perspectives, fun, adventure and hardship. Hobler’s breezy whimsical style is accessible and entertaining, capped off with 220 compelling photographs.
The book is available on Amazon..
For more information go to https://www.101arabiantales.com/
About the Author, Randolph Hobler
RANDOLPH HOBLER is, in no particular order, a perspicacious marketer, a fastidious author, a voracious reader, a tenacious researcher, a conscientious thinker, a curious observer, an industrious composer, a gregarious world traveler, a punctilious musician, and a prodigious anthemologist.
He served in the Peace Corps in Libya from 1968—1969 in the Berber village of Al Gala, in the Nefusa Mountains 85 miles south of Tripoli. Besides his daily diary and a sometimes journal, he interviewed 101 of his fellow Libyan Peace Corps volunteers in depth for this book—creating a unique collective memoir amongst the 1,000 + books on the Peace Corps.
A graduate of Andover and Princeton University, Hobler has spent 42 years in national and international advertising, marketing and consulting. He is fluent in French and conversational in Spanish and Arabic.
-- 5 Star Review by Crystal J. Casavant - Otto
I knew very little about the Peace Corps when I picked up my copy of 101 Arabian Tales - but this enjoyable book had me wanting to learn more as I was drawn into each story. The author, Randoph Hobler has such an interesting style of storytelling and his witty personality shine through in each story. The photographs also add so much to this book - as someone who doesn't travel very much, I felt the visuals provided by the photographs helped me feel like I was really traveling along with the volunteers. This was such an excellent opportunity for me to learn about the Peace Corps and about another culture as well as the individuals interviewed.
It's safe to say I have never read a book like this - it's unique and refreshing. I passed my copy along to my teenage daughter who is now doing her own investigating into the efforts and benefits of the Peace Corps. I thank Randolph Hobler and WOW! Women on Writing for bringing this fascinating memoir into our lives and our family. 101 Arabian Tales is definitely 5 stars in my book!
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