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Summary: OUTSIDE MAGAZINE
Review: "Clapp's tale of triumph proves that today's cutting-edge desert explorer should possess a genius for historical research and technical ingenuity -- not to mention a tolerance for scorpions, carpet vipers, and 120-degree heat."--Outside Magazine
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Summary: LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER...
Review: "He rounds up archaeologists, adventurers and others and head for the forbidden sands. There's no wondering how Clapp pulled all this off. His contagious enthusiasm blazes through his prose. He's also a masterful storyteller, able to maintain dramatic tension through business that might easily bog down in esoterica and complexities. But, then, this tale's roots are in the oral poetic traditions of the dunes."--Bob Sipchen, The Los Angeles Times (The Road to Ubar is #2 on their bestsellers list)
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Summary: PUBLISHERS WEEKLY praises UBAR:
Review: "Like Indiana Jones, Clapp is as comfortable in the library as in reconnaissance helicopters or on the sands, and his efforts to separate myth from possible reality make for a gripping intellectual adventure....What they found was not only Ubar but also a fitting resolution to Clapp's engaging story of the excitement of discovery, of a mystery solved, and of the spirit of adventure." (1/19/98)
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Summary: A *Starred* review from KIRKUS:
Review: "The captivating story of documentary filmmaker Clapp's search for the lost, fabled city of Ubar....Clapp knows when to keep to the facts and when to get fanciful (though never extravagant), as in his enchanting speculations on the history of Ubar....A stupendous archaeological achievement, doubtless, but Clapp's ability to conjure the power of a mythological landscape drives this book." (1/15/98)
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Summary: Outstanding Reading!
Review: ...this is a must read book. The author's handling of how the ancient city was found and the subsequent discoveries should give anyone with interest in history reason to spend a few hours with this book. As someone who has spend considerable time in North Africa and the Middle East (since 1982) I was astonished by his understanding of the peoples of the Arabian pennisula. For once, somebody actually portrayed these mischaracterized peoples for who they are and not what the stateside pundits think they should be. Well done and congratulations.
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Summary: Superb
Review: A brilliantly written book - puts you right back into the days of yester-year Arabia and what life may have been like. Much historical digging has been done in order to find Ubar. The tale of it all is well told. Highly recommended.
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Summary: A TRUE ADVENTURE
Review: An excellent true adventure in the "mysterious east." The author shows how much we in the west do not know about this part of the world. The roasted goat with taco sauce recipe and the experiences in Yemen (skyscrapers) are but two examples.
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Summary: Applause for Clapp.
Review: Applause for Clapp. This book is a wonderful adventure of mythic bedtimes stories that are now being Archaeologically confirmed by NASA from space. Slight undulations at eye level are revealed as busy routes during biblical times. Shards of pottery confirm their ancient lineage. In many ways Clapp's enthralling book reminds me of the equally myth-breaking and wonderful "THE Autobiography of Jesus of Nazareth and the Missing Years" by Richard G. Patton. In both books, icons are reinvested with present day relevance through driving passion rather than detached erudition. That is not to say that they are not validated by twentieth century 'science'. In both cases archaeological evidence is coming to the surface almost daily to support their, previously assumed, wild allegations. Ubar is also where Paul is said to have spent most of his two years after his experience on the road to Damascus - prior to coming forward to create "Christianity". Being the heart of the Incense Route, both these books compliment each other as though different hues of the same color. A wonderful and exciting read.
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Summary: An absorbing tale.
Review: Arab legends, and the Koran itself, speak of an ancient city of great wealth and great wickedness. This city was Ubar, the "many-columned city." In punishment for its idolatry and wickedness, Allah destroyed Ubar. Legends further tell that a number of people, lost in the great Arabian desert, have seen the ruins of the great city and told of the wealth that it still contains. In the 1980s, Nicholas Clapp, a noted filmmaker, became absorbed with the legend of Ubar. Searching ancient manuscripts, and using ultramodern techniques, Clapp set out to uncover this "Atlantis of the Sands." This is the story of that search.I found myself really enjoying this book, much more than I had ever expected. It is well-written, dramatic, and succeeds in keeping you in suspense. When I first picked the book up, I was interested in the subject, but the author succeeded in making me very interested indeed.
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Summary: Gripping, informative, and inspiring.
Review: Clapp delivers for both the scholar and the layperson. My only regret is that I would have liked to have seen more photos. I eagerly await a follow-up work from Clapp as this one was so thoroughly enjoyable.
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