Egypt: Civilization in the Sands

238 pp. "The first part of the book takes us on a tour of the range of oases that stretches from north to south; remote and mythical Siwa, watching over the temple of the oracle consulted by Alexander the Great; black Baharya, rich from the gold of its mummies; white Farafra, a checkerboard of canals and green fields on the border of the ghostly White Desert; ancient Dakhla, gateway to the desert, seat of the government of the 6th dynasty, and a town of potters; and finally the venerable Kharga, a place of exile, guardian of cultures and religions and second gateway to the desert. Part two allows us to penetrate into a hostile and feared universe: the desert. A mixture of sand and rocks, the Great Sea of Sand and the Gilf-Kebir massif offer stunning landscapes, rich in history and full of mystery."