Book title: Kalahari
Subtitle: Life's Variety in Dune and Delta
Author: Mike Main
Publisher: Southern Books Publishers
2nd. edition, Johannesburg 2002
ISBN-10: 1868122859
ISBN-13: 9781868122851
Hardcover with dustjacket, 18x26 cm, 265 pages, numerous color photos, 2 maps
Good. Few traces of usage. Rare copy.
The Kalahari, the largest continuous area of sand in the world, occupies much of central southern Africa. Even today, there are places in it where man seldom ventures. It is called a desert, which really it is not; it is a semi-arid area with various depths of wind-blown sand, held in place by vegetation. Paradoxically, it also contains the aquatic wonderland of the Okavango Delta. Beyond the fact of its existence, the Kalahari is relatively little known by the outside world. For centuries the Kalahari desert has remained a place of mystery; remote, apparently inhospitable and largely unknown. What little has been reported is often inaccurate, out of context or misleading in many cases, this has served to mask the true fascination of its vastness. This book is about the real Kalahari, its life, its people, events past and present. Mike Main takes us on an exhilarating exploration of its hidden secrets; its strangely adapted inhabitants, animal, vegetable and human; its slowly e therging prehistory; its geological shaping. Perhaps the most important and disquieting part of this book is that which deals with the future of mis last frontier whose fragile ecosystem is under enormous pressure from all sides. Will the creatures and plants of this unique land go the way of the Bushmen, or will it remain a haven and inspiration to those who love the world's forgotten places?