Sahara a Natural History by Hirtle, Sheila; De Villiers, Marq; - 2002

New York: Walker & Company. New in New dust jacket. 2002. First Edition. Hardcover. In the parched and seemingly lifeless heart of the Sahara desert, four major mountain ranges interrupt the flow of dunes and gravel plains, and at certain times waterfalls cascade from their peaks. Even the sand amazes: Massive dunes can appear almost overnight, and be gone just as quickly. We think we know the Sahara, the largest and most austere desert on Earth - yet it is full of surprises, as the authors reveal in this brilliant and evocative biography of the land and its people. "If you traveled across the United States from Boston to San Diego, you still wouldn't have crossed the Sahara, " the write, painting a vivid picture of this most extraordinary place. They chart the genesis and course of Atlantic hurricanes, many of which are born in the Tibesi mountains of northern Chad, showing that the Sahara, which has a strong influence of weather patterns the world over, is much closer than it seems. They describe the massive aquifers that lie beneath the desert, some filled with water that predates the appearance of humankind on Earth. They marvel at jagged mountains and at ancient cave paintings deep in the desert that reveal the Sahara was a verdant grassland 10, 000 years ago; what's more, this cycle has been repeated several times, and may well repeat again. 326 pages with index, bibliography and notes. Photographs throughout. 6" x 9 1/4 .