This collection examines the Sahara holistically from the earliest (prehistoric) times through the âhistoricalâ period to the present and with political direction into the future. The contributions cover palaeoclimatology history archaeology (cultural heritage) social anthropology sociology politics and international affairs. Structured chronologically the volume can almost be read as a narrative of the Sahara from the earliest times to the present i. e. from the past climates of the Sahara in prehistoric times to the current âwar on terrorâ and its implications for the peoples of the Sahara. Importantly the collection shows how the region must be approached âholisticallyâ highlighting the importance of each of these subject areas (palaeo-climates history politics etc. ) in relation to each other. Indeed the first contribution is a remarkable (and unique) paper bringing together the work of some 8-9 internationally recognised scientists to tell the story and show the relevance to the present day of the Saharaâs past climates etc. Nearly all the contributions stand in their own right at the cutting edge of research in their respective fields (e. g. archaeology history politics etc. ). This book was previously published as a special issue of the Journal of North African Studies. . Language: English