The Sahara

Chronicling the history of the enormous African desert Sahara, from millennia ago when the area was lush and well-watered to present-day efforts by Libya to construct a “river of pipes” to tap vast underground aquifers, Sahara boasts the virtues typical of History Channel productions, skillfully linking together narration, on-location filming, dramatic recreations, interviews with experts and local residents, maps, paintings, and other artifacts to present an instructive, visually engaging survey. Subjects such as the Roman destruction of Carthage, the seventh-century Arab conquest, and the commercial significance of the fabled Timbuktu are nicely handled, while segments on U.S. intervention in the early19th century, the role and practices of the French Foreign Legion, and the North African battles of World War II add color and intrigue to the mix. A bonus disc features two hour-long biographies produced for the A&E Biography series: a 1997 profile on Erwin Rommel (a.k.a., the Desert Fox) and a 2004 piece on T.E. Lawrence (a.k.a. Lawrence of Arabia). While both are reasonably good, their relationship to the broader history is strained: Rommel commanded German forces in North Africa, but much of the documentary is devoted to other facets of his career, and Lawrence's famed exploits took place in desert areas, but not the Sahara. Still, even though a single-disc release would have been more appropriate, the quality of the main program alone is enough to recommend this set. Aud: H, C, P. (F. Swietek)