It's one of the best books I read last year.
The indigenous populations would never use the term 'Sahara', as they refer to smaller sub-regions with which they are familiar. They will generally have quite specialist knowledge of particular areas and the routes between trading posts.
They used words that described the empty, dangerous, inhospitable nature of the region, some of which were then appropriated for the actual place names for desert areas
There is also plenty of insight. Jay Owens' book 'Dust' has previously explored the many geographical aspects that can be obtained from exploring the desert sands.
A large part of the desert is made of hamada or desert pavement, or stony ground, and sand dunes are relatively rare.
The Natural History of deserts will not be a main area of the GCSE Natural History, which will focus particularly on UK based ecosystems and nature, but the way that nature can survive and people can thrive in such challenging environments is worth exploring.
The other aspect of the book is that the desert hasn't always been a desert - it used to be woodland, but climate change resulted in a change in the landscape of the whole region.
This book has been really fascinating and increased my knowledge of deserts a great deal. It is the additional human context which has made all the difference, and the way that it is put together is authentic and authoritative.
There is plenty on the desert as it is today, and its challenges.
My copy was published by Profile Books in 2025.
Hardback, 374pp
ISBN: 987-1-788166454
An audiobook preview is here. Those with Spotify Premium can listen to the book too.
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