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The Malian city of Timbuktu was for centuries the intellectual hub of Sub-Saharan Africa. When al-Qaeda militants seized control of much of Mali in 2012, including Timbuktu, a young librarian called Abdel Kader Haidara launched an operation to save many of Timbuktu's ancient manuscripts. Dan Damon asked Joshua Hammer, whose book 'The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu' chronicled the operation, how the events had unfolded. (Picture: One of the manuscripts rescued by Abdel Kader Haidara. Credit: Joshua Hammer.)