Toubons, Touaregs, Maures, Arabs... Desert tribes are probably the most ancient social groups of the world. Caravans crisscrossed the Sahara desert even before the pharaohs of Egypt. At that time, the main cargo was Sudanese natron, a product used for embalming the dead. Then it was dates, wheat flour, sugar and tea, transported by camelback to isolated desert camps and villages. Philippe Frey has accompanied a dozen modern caravans, a tradition still very much alive that functions in much the same way as it has for centuries. The author has learned the secrets of this ancient tradition: how they navigate with neither compass nor watch, why they never lose their leader, how they protect themselves from the blazing heat, and how they find water. In this book, he shares his fascinating travels, rich in human discovery and esthetic imagery. Philippe Frey holds a doctorate in ethnology and is passionate about travel. He has crossed all the largest deserts of the five continents and has become a specialist of the dry lands and their inhabitants. He has written numerous works, among which, Nomade blanc (R. Laffont, 1992) and 50° deserts brûlants (Lattès 2007).
