Shifting Sands

A Human History of the Sahara

By: Judith Scheele

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Hardcover | 5 August 2025

At a Glance

Hardcover
384 Pages

Dimensions(cm)
23.6 x 15.6 x 3.5

Hardcover

RRP $49.99

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''Engrossing, enlightening, original ... brilliant'' The Times''A detailed, often gritty, picture of a fragile world ... this is a clearsighted study of life on the edge'' Wall Street Journal''A fascinating and intimate perspective of the region from the ground-up'' Barnaby RogersonThis is the story of the Sahara as you''ve never seen it beforeBlue-veiled nomads, camels crossing infinite dunes, oases shimmering on the horizon: ready-made images of the Sahara are easy to conjure. But they can never truly capture a region that crosses eleven countries and is home to millions. This sweeping account upends old fantasies, revealing the far more interesting reality of the Earth''s largest hot desert. Drawing on decades of research, and years spent living in the region, anthropologist Judith Scheele takes us from Libya to Mali, Algeria to Chad, from the ancient Roman Empire to contemporary regional battles and fraught international diplomacy, questioning every easy cliche and exposing fascinating truths along the way. From the geology of the region, to the life it shelters, to the religions, languages and cultural and political forces that shape and fracture it, this is a landmark work that tells the compelling story of a place that sits at the heart of our world, and whose future holds implications for us all.

Industry Reviews

Praise for Smugglers and Saints of the Sahara:
'An irresistible read ... something particular and intensely human' - Deborah Harrold

'An academic page-turner ... brilliantly written and thrilling to read' - Roman Loimeier

'A must-read for anyone interested in the region' - Ghislaine Lydon - University of California, Los Angeles

'Scholarship is impressive, arguments convincing; this is the book many who know the Sahara will wish they had written' - E. Ann McDougall - University of Alberta

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