I found it hard to read for any stretch of time. The story is not true Herge. It feels half-hearted and forced. Like a number of Herge's later books, this one feels very topical like Herge was searching for a story.

An oil crisis breaks out, leading Tintin to the Arab Emirate of Khemed. There he works his way through a series of escapades in the desert and the cities of Kemekhal and Wadesdah where Tintin must deal with the thuggery of the local Arabs . Tintin meets with Emir Ben Kalish Ezab and agress to rescue his kidnapped son Prince Abdullah leadfing him to confront his old enemy Dr Muller, as well as the impossibility of dealing with his charge, the young Abdullah. Quite fast moving and without the flow of some of the Tintin books, this adventure is nonetheless jam-packed with action. We discover that behind all the troubles are agents of a foreign power (Most likely the Soviet Union, whose menace had finally been recognized by the West when this book was first written, in French, 1950. As usual the rest of the gang such as the fiery Captain Haddock and the disastrous Thompson and Thomson add to the brew!

With the completion of The Seven Crystal Balls and Prisoners of the Sun, Herge finally saw an opportunity to resurrect The Land of Black Gold, a story he had originally concocted nine years before but was forced to abandon due to the wartime shutdown of Le Vingtieme Siecle. As Michael Farr points out in his formidable book "Tintin: The Complete Companion," in 1948 German villains were no longer taboo; thus Herge could introduce this tale complete with the nefarious Dr. Muller, last seen in The Black Island.

Of course, there was much revision to be done before The Land of Black Gold could appear. At the time of its creation there had been no Captain Haddock, no Professor Calculus, no Marlinspike, etc. Herge cunningly surmounted this hurdle by having Haddock appear briefly at the beginning of the book and explain to Tintin that he has been called on to assume command of a ship. He then reappears - as do Calculus and the house - just in time for the story's end; thus Tintin can go it on his own for fifty-some pages, just as was originally intended.

This story marks a couple of important benchmarks: first of all there is the debut of the little menace Abdullah, son of the Emir Ben Kalish Ezab. (The scene where Haddock looks after him in the desert is a special highlight.) Also in this story is the return of good old Oliveira da Figueira, Tintin's salesman friend from Cigars of the Pharaoh, who is always ready to be there for Tintin when he needs a hand.

Fortunately, the end of The Land of Black Gold does not mark the end of Abdullah and father: both were to make further appearances in The Red Sea Sharks eight (?) years later. Indeed one of the most wonderful aspects of Herge's stories was the unexpected popping-up of former bit players: there was no old friend, old foe, or (as in Abdullah's case) old pest whom we could not expect to see again one day.

As a kid, the one single book that would bring me greatest joy and take me to a whole different world was "Adventures of Tintin". I am 25, and I love them more than ever before. It is REALLY a pity that Herge isn't alive today to write about a 1000 more. I sure hope some bright new talent can capture his magic and continue to amaze the millions of Tintin fans who are dying for more of his unique adventures.

His books are guaranteed to keep you captivated, as the adventures are VERY well thought out, and the characters are among the most intriguing ones you have ever imagined. The adventures, the characters, and the ambience of the book in combination give you the best time you have ever had reading any book. Not only will the plot keep you on the edge of your seat, but the characters are guaranteed to make you laugh and keep you coming back for more. Don't take my word for it. TRY IT NOW!

I am only 11, and I have only read some of the Tintin books, and the reason I'm at Amazon.com is to buy all the others. Out of the one's I've read so far, I think "Red Rackham's Treasure" was my favorite. I loved the way Herge made Calculus, and thought he was extremely funny, even when he did get annoying! I love the Tintin books, and look forward to reading every single one again! If I could go over 5 stars, I would, definatly!