Sahara

Though famous as a geographical location, the life, landscape and history of the Sahara are not so well-known. The emphasis of Michael Palin's latest journey is on his interaction with those he meets; periods of difficult travel are repaid with the magical appeal of the desert's sights and sounds.

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Michael Palin's epic voyages have seen him circumnavigate the globe, travel from the North to the South Pole and circle the countries of the Pacific Ocean, but perhaps the greatest challenge facing an intrepid explorer is crossing the vast and merciless Sahara desert. There is no easy way to do it, and Palin's experiences are like nothing he has encountered before. As the journey unfolds, the Sahara reveals not the emptiness of endless sand dunes, but a huge and diverse range of cultures and landscapes and a long history of civilisation, trade, commerce and conquest stretching from the ancient Egyptians to the oil-rich Islamic republics of today.