Vivere il Sahara

Our civilization's attraction to the Sahara, the largest expanse of sand and stone in the world, dates back to the 19th century, but the desert has been inhabited and lived in since ancient times. An established field guide and scholar, the author first tackles the Saharan desert in its relationship with man - from prehistory to the present day - and describes the environment with insights into geology, climate variations, animal and plant life. The second part of the volume is dedicated to the journey intended above all as a life experience, with suggestions on how to best prepare it, on the type of diet to follow, on the equipment to bring, with a careful look at how to behave in such a delicate ecosystem. The text is completed by notions of cartography and orientation (from the starry sky to GPS), basic health precautions and above all the description of the mythical places of the Sahara: Teneré, the Libyan desert, the landscapes of Chad, the city of Timbuktu with directions to reach them. The appendix contains the contributions of Enzo Monteleone (Sahara in cinemascope), Giancarlo Iliprandi (Drawing in Sahara), Giuseppe Cederna (The baptism of solitude) and David Coulson (Photographing the desert).