Inside Sahara [Hardcover]

Basil Pao (Author), Michael Palin (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 28, 2003

In the spring of 2001, photographer Basil Pao accompanied actor (and former Monty Python member) Michael Palin and a BBC film crew into the heart of the world's largest desert--the Sahara. The result of that journey is these remarkable pictures of landscapes and people, taken on a route that covered nine countries and an astonishing variety of cultures. Even when in some of the most hostile conditions known to man, Pao succeeds in capturing the awe-inspiring beauty of the region. Here is Tangier, known for its incredible light; scenic old towns, such as Chefchouen in the Jabala Mountains, barely changed since the 15th century; men, working in tanneries, their bodies balanced over gigantic holes filled with dye; an oil refinery aflame; the River Niger bathed in a golden glow; the beautiful faces of pastoral nomads; the magnificent glory of endless sand dunes; and other unforgettable pictures. Plus: behind the scene photos of Michael Palin and the film crew.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Michael Palin established his reputation with MONTY PYTHON'S FLYING CIRCUS and RIPPING YARNS. His work also includes several films with Monty Python, as well as THE MISSIONARY, A PRIVATE FUNCTION, an award-winning performance as the hapless Ken in A FISH CALLED WANDA and, more recently, AMERICAN FRIENDS and FIERCE CREATURES. His television credits include two films for the BBC's GREAT RAILWAY JOURNEYS, the plays EAST OF IPSWICH and NUMBER 27, and Alan Bleasdale's GBH. He has written books to accompany his six very successful travel series, AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS, POLE TO POLE, FULL CIRCLE, HEMINGWAY ADVENTURE, SAHARA and HIMALAYA. He is also the author of a number of children's stories, the play THE WEEKEND and the novel HEMINGWAY'S CHAIR. Basil Pao took up photography in 1980, since when his work has appeared in books and magazines all over the world. Michael Palin is one of the most popular comic figures of our time, his exploits with the Monty Python team being the stuff of legend. It is as the adventurous traveller of his major television series, however, that he has acquired a vast and loyal following.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 200 pages
• Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson; 1St Edition edition (April 28, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0297843044
• ISBN-13: 978-0297843047
• Product Dimensions: 12.7 x 10.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,960,511 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful pictures of people living in a beautiful and harsh environment, July 26, 2006

By 

Rennie Petersen (Copenhagen, Denmark) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inside Sahara (Hardcover)

This is a very beautiful coffee-table-style book containing almost 200 pages of pictures taken by photographer Basil Pao. It is large format (31 x 25 cm) and hardcover and printed on glossy paper. A pleasure for anyone with an eye for beautiful pictures and/or an interest in the Sahara area of northern Africa.

This book should not be confused with the book "Sahara" by Michael Palin. That book also contains a lot of pictures by Basil Pao, but in that book the pictures are secondary to the text written by Michael Palin.

"Inside Sahara", on the other hand, is exclusively Basil Pao's book. Michael Palin's name is featured on the cover, but his contribution consists only of a 2-page introduction.

Both books are, of course, based on the trip that Michael Palin and a film crew did, traveling around the Sahara Desert in 2001 making a television program for the BBC.

Most of the pictures in "Inside Sahara" feature people in one way or another. This may seem surprising - I had expected more pictures of landscapes and edifices and statues, etc. But on reflection aren't people what we people really find the most interesting, wherever we go?

The best pictures are featured as stunning two-page spreads. All of the pictures have captions explaining what is happening in the picture and where it was taken.

My only criticism is that there are 12 pages that feature 75 "behind the scenes" photos of the filming crew that accompanied Michael Palin on the trip. These pictures are so small (6 x 4 cm) that it's difficult to see what they are supposed to show. These 12 pages could have been omitted, or used for better purposes.

Highly recommended for anyone who loves beautiful photographs, especially photographs of interesting people in a largely unknown part of the world.

Rennie Petersen

PS. For those who might be interested, I've written an Amazon "So You'd Like To" guide about Basil Pao and his participation in the Michael Palin trips and the books that have been produced by Basil Pao and Michael Palin. You can find it by clicking on my name and then finding the link to my "So You'd Like To" guides a little ways down on the left of my profile page.

5.0 out of 5 stars Sahara, January 10, 2007

By 

ANDREW K. DUNCAN "Movielover" (San Antonio, TX) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Inside Sahara (Hardcover)

Superb pictures, illustrating the reality of desert life, and the people of the desert in their many ways of life. Great book!