'ENGROSSING, ENLIGHTENING, ORIGINAL ... BRILLIANT' _THE TIMES_ THIS IS THE STORY OF THE SAHARA AS YOU'VE NEVER SEEN IT BEFORE In this sweeping, majesterial account, Judith Scheele reveals the rich history and complex reality of the world's largest hot desert. Drawing on decades of research, and years spent living in the region, Scheele leads us from the ancient Roman Empire through the bloody colonial era to the geopolitics of the present - and the race for resources that will define the future. The Sahara covers parts of eleven countries, and Scheele follows in the footsteps and tyre-tracks of the many people who cross the desert, taking us into the homes, mosques, palm groves and battlefields where history is written, spoken and remade. The result is a masterful portrait of the Sahara. Encompassing the geology, religions, peoples and politics that shape and fracture the region, _Shifting Sands_ tells the immersive story of a place whose future holds implications for us all. 'A DETAILED, OFTEN GRITTY, PICTURE OF A FRAGILE WORLD ... A CLEARSIGHTED STUDY OF LIFE ON THE EDGE' _WALL STREET JOURNAL_ 'A FASCINATING AND INTIMATE PERSPECTIVE OF THE REGION FROM THE GROUND-UP' BARNABY ROGERSON