Michael Palin, President of the Royal Geographical Society wrote of
the author, in his book "Sahara": 'Tom Sheppard, doyen of the
desert.' '...a passion...for this part of the Algerian desert';
'...quick, elfin-like energy'; '...boyish...'. Sheppard's passion,
sense of wonder and energy show through in this book. Algeria is
bigger than Western Europe but the Sahara's landscapes are known to
few. This book is a hymn to their beauty and pristine majesty. No
mere picture book, it is a personal account with a strong message
at the end. To get the feel of Algeria there is first a little on
the non-wilderness - the places against which to compare the
majesty of the remote areas: the towns, settlements, people, the
transport. And the weather, water, trees - the tools that create,
nurture and perfect the wonder of the wild places. The author
travelled alone, many miles off known tracks - six solo expeditions
over an eight year period, and many before; in solitude, awe,
wonder and supreme contentment. His defence of and passion for this
unspoiled environment is matched by his passion to protect it. It
features superb photography and the highest print and production
standards. Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the moon,
exclaimed 'Magnificent desolation!' when he stepped down from the
lunar lander. He would have been moved by the Algerian Sahara. But
desolation is not the ideal word for this majestic, pristine
wilderness. Such raw, dignified landscape touches a nerve in all
who encounter it - especially, and ideally, if they are alone to
savour the solitude without distraction. Such rare good fortune was
Tom Sheppard's in journeys and explorations most recently spanning
eight years in Algeria's remotest regions. Many years' desert
expeditioning preceded these journeys - years in which the magical
combination of landscape and light became embedded in his very
soul. The success of Sheppard's recent book "Quiet for a Tuesday",
the story of his 2006 trip in which the confiscation of his maps
and satellite images led to a carefully considered but challenging
700-mile off-tracks sector without either, has led to this book -
following on from the acclaimed photography illustrating the
earlier publication. Here, whilst eschewing the ungainly
proportions and over-enlargement too often associated with books of
this type, full rein is given to the breathtaking scenery the
Algerian Sahara has to offer. Sheppard, in a sensitive and
well-reasoned final section, has proposed Protected Area status for
a large area of Algeria's south eastern Sahara. We have gone to
exceptional trouble in the printing standards and binding of this
book - super-fine, stochastic ('screenless') printing and,
exceptionally, sewn 12-page sections to facilitate lie-flat when
viewing the many double-page spreads. The photography that depicts
Saharan landscapes' beauty, solitude and tranquillity - the very
core of the book and the author's motivation in making his solo
desert expeditions over the years - has been rendered with accuracy
and a full tonal range.
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