Earth Science

When the Sahara Was Green: How Our Greatest Desert Came to Be

    Narrator
  • Michael J. Wells

This audiobook narrated by Mike Wells traces the history of how the Sahara was transformed from a green and fertile land into the largest hot desert in the world

Audio

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Price:
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ISBN:
Published:
Oct 5, 2021
Copyright:
2021
Runtime:
5 hours 57 minutes
Main_subject:
Earth Science
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The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world, equal in size to China or the United States. Yet, this arid expanse was once a verdant, pleasant land, fed by rivers and lakes. The Sahara sustained abundant plant and animal life, such as Nile perch, turtles, crocodiles, and hippos, and attracted prehistoric hunters and herders. What transformed this land of lakes into a sea of sands? When the Sahara Was Green describes the remarkable history of Earth鈥檚 greatest desert鈥攊ncluding why its climate changed, the impact this had on human populations, and how scientists uncovered the evidence for these extraordinary events.

From the Sahara鈥檚 origins as savanna woodland and grassland to its current arid incarnation, Martin Williams takes us on a vivid journey through time. He describes how the desert鈥檚 ancient rocks were first fashioned, how dinosaurs roamed freely across the land, and how it was later covered in tall trees. Along the way, Williams addresses many questions: Why was the Sahara previously much wetter, and will it be so again? Did humans contribute to its desertification? What was the impact of extreme climatic episodes鈥攕uch as prolonged droughts鈥攗pon the Sahara鈥檚 geology, ecology, and inhabitants? Williams also shows how plants, animals, and humans have adapted to the Sahara and what lessons we might learn for living in harmony with the harshest, driest conditions in an ever-changing global environment.

A valuable look at how an iconic region has changed over thousands of years, When the Sahara Was Green reveals the desert鈥檚 surprising past to reflect on its present, as well as its possible future.

Listen in: When the Sahara Was Green

Awards and Recognition

  • Winner of the ASLI Choice Award, Atmospheric Science Librarians International
  • Winner of the PROSE Award in Earth Science, Association of American Publishers
  • Winner of the Special Book Award, Gourmand World Cookbook Awards
  • Winner of the Award of Excellence in Plants and Environmental Change, Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries