Sprawling over 3.5 million square miles, from the Atlantic Ocean to the Red Sea, the Sahara is a mythical land, enchanting not only for its extreme beauty but also for its complex culture. Wrapping its arid terrain around Africa, this vast desert is shared, and sometimes fought over, by some dozen countries.

Enraptured by the desert's magical light and amazingly diverse terrain, its spectacular dunes, stone fortresses, and Edenic oases, photographer Philippe Bourseiller embarked on the first truly comprehensive photographic exploration of this enormous territory. Here, in 200 compelling images ranging from the white sands of Arguin (Mauritania) to the colorful banks of the Niger river (Mali), from the rock paintings of Tassili n'Ajjer (Algeria) to the lakes of Ennedi (Chad), Bourseiller communicates his powerful experience of the desert. A series of texts by Sahara specialists deepens our understanding of the history, people, and landscape of this fascinating area. An invitation to travel the Sahara, this beautiful book will attract fans of the region, of photography, and of world exploration.