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When the Sahara Was Green: How Our Greatest Desert Came to Be
The little-known history of how the Sahara was transformed from a green and fertile land into the largest hot desert in the world
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’s greatest desert―including why its climate changed, the impact this had on human populations, and how scientists uncovered the evidence for these extraordinary events.
From the Sahara’s 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’s 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 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―such as prolonged droughts―upon the Sahara’s 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 millions of years, When the Sahara Was Green reveals the desert’s surprising past to reflect on its present, as well as its possible future.
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’s greatest desert―including why its climate changed, the impact this had on human populations, and how scientists uncovered the evidence for these extraordinary events.
From the Sahara’s 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’s 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 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―such as prolonged droughts―upon the Sahara’s 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 millions of years, When the Sahara Was Green reveals the desert’s surprising past to reflect on its present, as well as its possible future.
272 pages, Paperback
First published October 5, 2021
About the author
Martin Williams
135 books16 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
August 18, 2022
A Nature magazine pick:
"On Saharan desert rock, prehistoric artists engraved or painted scenes of cattle camps and herds of giraffes and elephants. Even hippos flourished by lakes. Some 15,000–5,000 years ago, the region was green: the tropics received more solar radiation than they do now, which strengthened the monsoon and brought both summer and winter rains. This vivid historical survey by Earth scientist Martin Williams is the result of a lifetime’s work. Are humans responsible for the region’s current aridity? No, says Williams."
I hadn't realized the desertification there went so fast, and was so recent. 240 pp: short & sweet. As always, read the publisher's introduction first.
It's a decent book with some problems. Most notably, the index maps that show elevations have the medium and higher elevation-areas reversed on the legends! This puzzled me until I figured out what happened, and it's a pity the author or editor didn't catch it. There are various other typos that slipped through, more signs of careless editing. There is a lot of repetition from one section to the next -- just skim when you get to those. Short book, and not much else out there on this topic.
Author's main points:
● The Sahara is a very large desert, extending about 5,000 km east-west and about 3,ooo km north-south. Total area: around 9 million sq km, the size of China or the USA. Largest hot desert on earth.
● It hasn't always been as dry as today. During the Ice Ages, its climate was generally much milder and wetter than today.
● The roots of the Sahara's highly-variable climate go back to around 7 million years ago: the African continent is moving North due to plate tectonics, and the Sahara region has moved into a zone of generally dry, descending air, which is the general root cause of deserts worldwide. While human activities may contribute, the climate is controlled by geophysical forces outside human control (although local politicians can make things worse!).
Overall rating: 3 stars. I wish the author had paid more attention to making his points concisely, and I wish he and his editors had been better proof-readers! Oh, well. I did learn quite a lot about an area that I don't know well.
"On Saharan desert rock, prehistoric artists engraved or painted scenes of cattle camps and herds of giraffes and elephants. Even hippos flourished by lakes. Some 15,000–5,000 years ago, the region was green: the tropics received more solar radiation than they do now, which strengthened the monsoon and brought both summer and winter rains. This vivid historical survey by Earth scientist Martin Williams is the result of a lifetime’s work. Are humans responsible for the region’s current aridity? No, says Williams."
I hadn't realized the desertification there went so fast, and was so recent. 240 pp: short & sweet. As always, read the publisher's introduction first.
It's a decent book with some problems. Most notably, the index maps that show elevations have the medium and higher elevation-areas reversed on the legends! This puzzled me until I figured out what happened, and it's a pity the author or editor didn't catch it. There are various other typos that slipped through, more signs of careless editing. There is a lot of repetition from one section to the next -- just skim when you get to those. Short book, and not much else out there on this topic.
Author's main points:
● The Sahara is a very large desert, extending about 5,000 km east-west and about 3,ooo km north-south. Total area: around 9 million sq km, the size of China or the USA. Largest hot desert on earth.
● It hasn't always been as dry as today. During the Ice Ages, its climate was generally much milder and wetter than today.
● The roots of the Sahara's highly-variable climate go back to around 7 million years ago: the African continent is moving North due to plate tectonics, and the Sahara region has moved into a zone of generally dry, descending air, which is the general root cause of deserts worldwide. While human activities may contribute, the climate is controlled by geophysical forces outside human control (although local politicians can make things worse!).
Overall rating: 3 stars. I wish the author had paid more attention to making his points concisely, and I wish he and his editors had been better proof-readers! Oh, well. I did learn quite a lot about an area that I don't know well.
December 19, 2022
تاریخچهی زنده و خوشرنگی از صحرای بزرگ آفریقا
May 12, 2022
In this interesting book the author introduces us to the Sahara, which I learn, is the largest hot desert in the world. As I come from Australia and have visited my share of hot and of desert that is pretty impressive. This book combines geography, lots of geology and palaeontology to describe not only the desert today, but the way it used to be. At various times in geological history the Sahara was greener than it is today and Williams shows how we know this and examines the evidence for the previous ecosystems the Sahara has held and the theories of how they came to change.
I really enjoyed the well laid out descriptions of the geological history of the Sahara, and the way that rock paintings, tribal lore and the geo-sciences describe previous Sahara, full of plant and animal life, Nile perch, turtles, crocodiles, giraffes and hippos. I loved the undramatic, almost understated way in which these previous era's of prehistoric hunters and herders are described, the verbal reconstruction of those ancient woodlands, savannas, lakes and rivers.
Williams also address the question of what transformed this land of lakes into a sea of sands: What was responsible for the 'desertification' and I really enjoyed his meticulous descriptions of the theories proposed, as well as the frequent rebuttals of those theories.
In one way however, I think I did both the book and myself a disservice by listening to it as an audiobook. I don't think this is the best way to enjoy this marvellously researched and very nicely written book. For example, one of the things that will make it logical and well constructed to read are the frequent headings. But, when narrated, I usually could not in any way tell that they WERE headings (there seemed to be no inflection, or pause of the narration to telegraph it), so I spent time trying to make this random sentence fit in with the previous sentence, and often lost the thread of the narration that way.
The narrator is a Dr Mike Wells, not credited on the audiobook shown on Goodreads (which is disgraceful) and about whom I know nothing. Seriously, just for fun try googling Dr Mike Wells with nothing else to go by (I am guessing he is NOT the baptist preacher/minister or the pulmonary doctor). He has a very nice soothing voice - but, when listening in a moving car on a long drive that is not necessarily a good thing. I missed a lot in the early chapters because the voice was too soft and because some of the words seemed ...oddly... pronounced. That does not matter for something in your primary field of interest but coming from a science I do not know that much about it was at times disorienting. The only one I remember is diatoms. I don't think there is any accent or intonation on earth that could make me NOT understand that word, but I did pause the recording to think about the pronunciation. Some of the geology terms - I still don't know what they are.
So, great book I DO recommend it! I might go back and re-read it one day, only really read it this time. I think I will get more out of it that way.
I really enjoyed the well laid out descriptions of the geological history of the Sahara, and the way that rock paintings, tribal lore and the geo-sciences describe previous Sahara, full of plant and animal life, Nile perch, turtles, crocodiles, giraffes and hippos. I loved the undramatic, almost understated way in which these previous era's of prehistoric hunters and herders are described, the verbal reconstruction of those ancient woodlands, savannas, lakes and rivers.
Williams also address the question of what transformed this land of lakes into a sea of sands: What was responsible for the 'desertification' and I really enjoyed his meticulous descriptions of the theories proposed, as well as the frequent rebuttals of those theories.
In one way however, I think I did both the book and myself a disservice by listening to it as an audiobook. I don't think this is the best way to enjoy this marvellously researched and very nicely written book. For example, one of the things that will make it logical and well constructed to read are the frequent headings. But, when narrated, I usually could not in any way tell that they WERE headings (there seemed to be no inflection, or pause of the narration to telegraph it), so I spent time trying to make this random sentence fit in with the previous sentence, and often lost the thread of the narration that way.
The narrator is a Dr Mike Wells, not credited on the audiobook shown on Goodreads (which is disgraceful) and about whom I know nothing. Seriously, just for fun try googling Dr Mike Wells with nothing else to go by (I am guessing he is NOT the baptist preacher/minister or the pulmonary doctor). He has a very nice soothing voice - but, when listening in a moving car on a long drive that is not necessarily a good thing. I missed a lot in the early chapters because the voice was too soft and because some of the words seemed ...oddly... pronounced. That does not matter for something in your primary field of interest but coming from a science I do not know that much about it was at times disorienting. The only one I remember is diatoms. I don't think there is any accent or intonation on earth that could make me NOT understand that word, but I did pause the recording to think about the pronunciation. Some of the geology terms - I still don't know what they are.
So, great book I DO recommend it! I might go back and re-read it one day, only really read it this time. I think I will get more out of it that way.
December 17, 2021
Very readable book about the Sahara and its ecology, archaeology, and climate over the last seven million years (although mostly focused on the last 20,000 or so). The book wanders into digressions at various points, but overall I would recommend reading this book if you are interested in those topics.
December 25, 2021
The book is written by an Australian, Cambridge-educated scientist with decades-long experience in studying the cycles of climate change that shaped the Sahara, and life within. The book provides a vivid introduction to the topic, explains the methods and difficulties in studying the history of the Sahara, and finally argues that humans had a minor impact on its recent desertification. I would have hoped for more details on the latter to better understand the relative contributions and impacts, but at least the book got me interested to now look up the details myself.
November 18, 2022
This was a deep and detailed book, cool concept but it did not hold my interest, only finished 25%, half the problem was that it was an audio book from Princeton press and I had to use their app to listen and I was having all sorts of issues with it. Paper copy of the book probably would have been a lot better
February 10, 2024
3.5 rounded down to 3.
The book has a lot of interesting facts about the general geology, geography and history of the region (in context of the aridity and wetness of the Sahara) and the author doesn't do the best job of putting them in front of the reader.
Some parts seem exceptionally technical and terse while some parts are quite repetitive throughout the book. I love the overall content and premise of the book, though. Learnt a lot.
The book has a lot of interesting facts about the general geology, geography and history of the region (in context of the aridity and wetness of the Sahara) and the author doesn't do the best job of putting them in front of the reader.
Some parts seem exceptionally technical and terse while some parts are quite repetitive throughout the book. I love the overall content and premise of the book, though. Learnt a lot.
February 18, 2023
Loved it and now i want to read more geology books
June 10, 2025
Not very well written at times being a bit repetitive and he only briefly touches on why the Sahara was green right in the epilogue, but was definitely interesting and thoughtful about lifes persistent and the complexity of deserts and causes of desertification.
November 19, 2024
Well, this book is about as dry as you’d expect an academic book on a desert to be but does do a good job conveying the incredible changes over thousands of years. During the neolithic, the Sahara was a much wetter place (15,000-5,000 years ago), lots of human archaeology and only become the arid place it is today some 4,500 years ago. Humans bore witness to incredible change, change driven primarily by Milankovitch cycles.
October 3, 2023
Very repetitive and somewhat dry in content. I was hoping for more information on the historical green Desert rather than the origin of present day Sahara. Perhaps that is on me, but nevertheless the book did not live up to expectations.
February 22, 2024
This book was so poorly written and edited that I put it down in disgust and frustration many times. If it wasn't a book club selection, I would have not finished it.
On the upside, I learned a lot about the Sahara, its geologic and historic history.
On the upside, I learned a lot about the Sahara, its geologic and historic history.
July 21, 2024
Intellectually excellent, but seriously no fun to read. Those with more than casual interest in climate and geology and their effect on human culture... well, that's me, but I'm afraid you need far far far more than casual interest to enjoy this.
February 23, 2022
Like the Sahara itself: Frequently dry, always fascinating.
March 19, 2023
Interesting content, but poor style. Read a lot like a lecture, in fact, probably would work better delivered in a lecture hall.
January 9, 2026
I finished this book but I'm not sure how much a I actually took in. My mind was wandering hard core. I was excited for this one. I was going to use it for my Algeria book for my Read the World project. I can't count it, because I don't think I really learned anything. I thought it might be me, but I started another nonfiction book right after this one and I'm completely wrapped up in it. Can't put it down.
*I think this book might've been better to read, instead of listen to. I could've also used some really detailed maps of Africa so I could understand what in the heck he was describing. I don't know if that's included in the book.
*I was very confused about a lot of the science. I think I need a more layman interpretation. Honestly, I really love geology, but this was so hard to follow. The book I'm reading now is about mountain climbing, another subject I know literally nothing about, but the author describes everything so smoothly, I'm having no problem envisioning what he's talking about. I do think Williams would benefit from a little more clarity in his writing.
*The book seemed to jump all over the place. It seemed like he was organizing it by subject, but I would've rather read it more chronologically. Like, this is how the Sahara was at this time period and then this happened to change it. I think that would've made more sense to my brain.
*The narration was good, but I'm almost wondering if the reader was too gentle. It was so easy to tune out. I've listened to science books before but never had such a hard time paying attention, even on books I didn't like that much.
I found a couple of books on Kindle Unlimited about Algeria that I'm going to try instead for my Read the World project.
*I think this book might've been better to read, instead of listen to. I could've also used some really detailed maps of Africa so I could understand what in the heck he was describing. I don't know if that's included in the book.
*I was very confused about a lot of the science. I think I need a more layman interpretation. Honestly, I really love geology, but this was so hard to follow. The book I'm reading now is about mountain climbing, another subject I know literally nothing about, but the author describes everything so smoothly, I'm having no problem envisioning what he's talking about. I do think Williams would benefit from a little more clarity in his writing.
*The book seemed to jump all over the place. It seemed like he was organizing it by subject, but I would've rather read it more chronologically. Like, this is how the Sahara was at this time period and then this happened to change it. I think that would've made more sense to my brain.
*The narration was good, but I'm almost wondering if the reader was too gentle. It was so easy to tune out. I've listened to science books before but never had such a hard time paying attention, even on books I didn't like that much.
I found a couple of books on Kindle Unlimited about Algeria that I'm going to try instead for my Read the World project.
January 15, 2026
This is an interesting work on a fascinating topic by an academic who is clearly more than qualified to tell the story. I enjoyed reading it and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in the Sahara, or more generally in how deserts form and change over time.
I don't give it a higher rating however chiefly because the book seemed to lack a good editor, both in terms of its overall structure and flow, and in terms of copy. Despite its short length (less than 200 pages) it seemed repetitive. For instance, the point that the Sahara began forming some 7 million years ago is made in practically every chapter. A good editor would have tightened this up.
I nonetheless learned a lot reading this book and found it wasn't too tiresome to get through. The author has a clear point of view and a passion for the Sahara, which offsets my critique above. As I said, it's worth a read if you have an interest in the topic.
I don't give it a higher rating however chiefly because the book seemed to lack a good editor, both in terms of its overall structure and flow, and in terms of copy. Despite its short length (less than 200 pages) it seemed repetitive. For instance, the point that the Sahara began forming some 7 million years ago is made in practically every chapter. A good editor would have tightened this up.
I nonetheless learned a lot reading this book and found it wasn't too tiresome to get through. The author has a clear point of view and a passion for the Sahara, which offsets my critique above. As I said, it's worth a read if you have an interest in the topic.
July 14, 2023
Absolutely fascinating information presented drily, which made this short book still a mini slog to get through. Worth it in the end, but work required to get there.
To even consider the Sahara desert (formed seven million years ago) as green, filled with giraffes, hippos and many other roaming animals traversing the series of woodlands and mega rivers flowing through the 5000km of desert we see today boggles the mind.
This book is a perfect example of bringing the reader I to geological time scales, slowing you down and zooming out, helping you remember that you will just be part of a tiny little blip in the earths long and storied past and future. Forces move which you cannot control, so we may as well understand them, work within them, and try not to mess them up too badly.
To even consider the Sahara desert (formed seven million years ago) as green, filled with giraffes, hippos and many other roaming animals traversing the series of woodlands and mega rivers flowing through the 5000km of desert we see today boggles the mind.
This book is a perfect example of bringing the reader I to geological time scales, slowing you down and zooming out, helping you remember that you will just be part of a tiny little blip in the earths long and storied past and future. Forces move which you cannot control, so we may as well understand them, work within them, and try not to mess them up too badly.
May 27, 2024
3.5⭐️ You know that friend that was too smart for their own good? And they try to explain something to you, but even their dumbed down version is way over your head - this is that book. And not in a bad way. This is a very densely factual book that you can tell is written by someone exceptionally knowledgeable about the subject. I had to laugh a few times when the author would reference something as “commonly known as…” and proceed to use a word I have never seen in my life.
I’d consider this more of an academic nonfiction than a general nonfiction novel. But if you’re into scientific nonfiction, this is a great read.
I’d consider this more of an academic nonfiction than a general nonfiction novel. But if you’re into scientific nonfiction, this is a great read.
April 21, 2024
Today we can determine with some confidence that erosion by fast-flowing and highly energetic rivers of what ultimately became the Sahara Desert was at first prolonged and perennial and then became more and more sporadic as progressive desiccation extended its influence across the desert.
The Sahara is a wonderful natural museum. Thanks to its very aridity, delicate prehistoric rock paintings and very ancient fossil trees, some in growth position are beautifully preserved at widely scattered localities across the desert. In addition, the geological evidence of how the Sahara came into being is very accessible at or close to the surface and not hidden beneath a thick mantle of soil and vegetation. The emergence of the Saharan landscape was a gradual process and took place in fits and starts. It began a long time ago, well before the first appearance of complex life-forms about 540 million years ago. Author Martin Williams writes with passion about the Sahara.
The research is immense as he writes on how the Hoggar mountains evolved. With maps he describes the Arak gorges which point to wetter conditions in the past.
The book in its three parts takes us way back in time and then brings the reader to the present.
With quotes such as:
The human intellect cannot grasp the full range of causes that lie behind any phenomena. But the need to discover causes is deeply ingrained in the spirit of man. Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace I understand the author's reasoning as he embarked on this incredible journey.
5 star rating for this well-written book with complete details and references.
The plates includes a colour map of Africa showing the location of Adrar Bous in the heart of the Sahara --- he said it's taken from The Times Atlas of the World 1980. They are all amazing photographs. The El Berbera Oasis, Mauritania desert, western Sahara is appropriate for greenery. Even the Google Earth photography and the NASA images are well worth viewing here in Part II of the book.
Because our planet is about 4.6 billion years old, it's difficult to conceive what was happening to Earth. My curiosity like all humans makes this book so fascinating. Its as if I'm there with all the Scientists looking at the Archaeological digs.
When the dinosaurs roamed the Sahara for almost 200 million years, he said and the dinosaur era ended as we all know when an asteroid collided with Earth about 66 million years ago.
The author quotes Herodotus (484-425 BC) , the Greek historian, known as the Father of History,
The houses are all built of salt-blocks-an indication that there is no rain in this part of Libya; for if it there were, salt walls would collapse.
Paul and Anne Elrich wrote that faulty irrigation, deforestation helped make the Sahara dry but Martin Williams does not agree with this as the Sahara was in existence as adesert millions of years before ancestral humans first began to fashion tools some 2.5 million years ago in the Gona valley.
It is to note here of the possibility of the Sahara getting green again. Scientists at LiveScience report that there might be several ways:
One of the ways to turn parts of the Sahara into a green landscape is with massive solar and wind farms installed. Rainfall could increase in the Sahara and its southern neighbor, the semiarid Sahel, according to a 2018 study.....
Humans are an adaptable species and we can learn from our past, the author concludes. Education is important and living in harmony with all the denizens of our planet is attainable.
The Sahara is a wonderful natural museum. Thanks to its very aridity, delicate prehistoric rock paintings and very ancient fossil trees, some in growth position are beautifully preserved at widely scattered localities across the desert. In addition, the geological evidence of how the Sahara came into being is very accessible at or close to the surface and not hidden beneath a thick mantle of soil and vegetation. The emergence of the Saharan landscape was a gradual process and took place in fits and starts. It began a long time ago, well before the first appearance of complex life-forms about 540 million years ago. Author Martin Williams writes with passion about the Sahara.
The research is immense as he writes on how the Hoggar mountains evolved. With maps he describes the Arak gorges which point to wetter conditions in the past.
The book in its three parts takes us way back in time and then brings the reader to the present.
With quotes such as:
The human intellect cannot grasp the full range of causes that lie behind any phenomena. But the need to discover causes is deeply ingrained in the spirit of man. Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace I understand the author's reasoning as he embarked on this incredible journey.
5 star rating for this well-written book with complete details and references.
The plates includes a colour map of Africa showing the location of Adrar Bous in the heart of the Sahara --- he said it's taken from The Times Atlas of the World 1980. They are all amazing photographs. The El Berbera Oasis, Mauritania desert, western Sahara is appropriate for greenery. Even the Google Earth photography and the NASA images are well worth viewing here in Part II of the book.
Because our planet is about 4.6 billion years old, it's difficult to conceive what was happening to Earth. My curiosity like all humans makes this book so fascinating. Its as if I'm there with all the Scientists looking at the Archaeological digs.
When the dinosaurs roamed the Sahara for almost 200 million years, he said and the dinosaur era ended as we all know when an asteroid collided with Earth about 66 million years ago.
The author quotes Herodotus (484-425 BC) , the Greek historian, known as the Father of History,
The houses are all built of salt-blocks-an indication that there is no rain in this part of Libya; for if it there were, salt walls would collapse.
Paul and Anne Elrich wrote that faulty irrigation, deforestation helped make the Sahara dry but Martin Williams does not agree with this as the Sahara was in existence as adesert millions of years before ancestral humans first began to fashion tools some 2.5 million years ago in the Gona valley.
It is to note here of the possibility of the Sahara getting green again. Scientists at LiveScience report that there might be several ways:
One of the ways to turn parts of the Sahara into a green landscape is with massive solar and wind farms installed. Rainfall could increase in the Sahara and its southern neighbor, the semiarid Sahel, according to a 2018 study.....
Humans are an adaptable species and we can learn from our past, the author concludes. Education is important and living in harmony with all the denizens of our planet is attainable.
February 24, 2024
Between 15,000 and 5,000 years ago the Sahara was occupied by many rivers and large lakes and forests and grassland (including the associated animals).
This was one of many periodic greenings of the Sahara over the last couple of million years.
The next periodic greening is "scheduled" for around 5000 years from now.
Crocodiles, hippos, giraffes, elephants, lions, etc, etc, etc fossils spread all throughout the Sahara, associated with the periodic greenings.
This was one of many periodic greenings of the Sahara over the last couple of million years.
The next periodic greening is "scheduled" for around 5000 years from now.
Crocodiles, hippos, giraffes, elephants, lions, etc, etc, etc fossils spread all throughout the Sahara, associated with the periodic greenings.
January 10, 2025
I'd give this a 3.5 star rating. It's definitely an interesting book. For me the natural history of the Sahara is a fascinating and important subject since I come from the Sahara (Egypt). I would have loved to see the desert as a savanna or forest a few millennia ago. I imagine that my Ancient Egyptian ancestors probably saw a very different landscape back then. It's also fascinating to think that it might once again revert to that, but sadly maybe not in our lifetimes.
March 12, 2022
I learned so much from this book. The author debunks common misconceptions about the Sahara and why it exists in its present form. He uses his own research and the findings of many others in many scientific disciplines to explain the history of the area and its future. An easy read for the layperson like me and includes many photos, drawings and graphs. I recommend it!
February 17, 2025
I really enjoyed learning more about the Sahara desert!
Parts of the book were more engaging than others. I especially enjoyed the geological explanations and the parts where he described his personal experience doing research in the Sahara. The author includes various hand-drawn diagrams, which I admire.
Parts of the book were more engaging than others. I especially enjoyed the geological explanations and the parts where he described his personal experience doing research in the Sahara. The author includes various hand-drawn diagrams, which I admire.
August 15, 2022
When the Sahara Was Green is a well-illustrated and accessible introduction to the surprisingly complex geography of the Sahara. Read my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2022...
January 8, 2023
A good overview of a very interesting topic. All in, the book was probably drawn out a bit, it's not that long but could have been about a third shorter if some repetition had been left out. But still worth reading.
January 23, 2022
Whew, finally a story about climate change that man did not create.
May 2, 2022
Great for learning about the history of the Sahara.
May 22, 2022
A well-researched an informative book, but significantly more dense and geologically oriented than I expected. It is accessible to the lay reader, but only barely and with great effort.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews