This title features striking, unique aerial photography of the largest truly-deserted expanses of land on Earth. Aerial photographer George Steinmetz, shooting from a motorized paraglider, has created an unparalleled portrait of Rub'al-Khali, or 'the Empty Quarter', one of the largest - and harshest - sand deserts in the world. Although only a fraction of the size of its giant neighbour, the Sahara, the Empty Quarter's punishing terrain has rarely been captured on film and never from such a striking perspective.
Old maps, satellite images and a dose of Arabic hospitality enabled Steinmetz to venture where few had ever been before, revealing through his photographs a true wilderness, without a single permanent human habitation or known point of water and preserved by its harsh climate and extreme remoteness, as well as a fascinating tradition of a hardy people living at its edges. For experienced travellers or explorers who have heard of Rub'al-Khali, entering the heart of the Arabian Desert is truly the ultimate experience.
George Steinmetz has been a regular contributor to National Geographic and GEO magazines for more than twenty years. He has won numerous awards for photography including two first prizes in science and technology from World Press Photo, as well as awards and citations from Pictures of the Year, Overseas Press Club and the Eisenstadt Awards. He is also the author of Abrams' African Air.