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Summary: fascinating blend of travelogue, history, and detection
Review: Fascinating story, alternating between the ancient past and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, using satellite photos to find the route to an ancient, lost trade center in the Empty Quarter of Arabia. I've read this book several times; it is still interesting.
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Summary: Mr. Clapp is truly interesting
Review: I had the opportunity to meet Mr.Clapp, as well as read this excellent book. He is truly amazing, and he is very dedicated to his work. A must-read!
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Summary: A fun real-life adventure story!
Review: I like reading real-life stories that are written with a sence of humor, and The Road to Ubar is one of these. I also like the feeling of being one of the people riding in the trusty trucks bouncing over the Omani sand dunes in search of one ancient civilization and finding much more than was expected. The most romantic scene was when the husband stood on a roof at midnight, watching the horizon for two dots of light. Once he saw them, he knew that his wife was on the way, and she would be there in about an hour. Talk about being far off in a lonely desert! I would like to thank the author for including maps and drawings of the adventure, for I hate reading stories like this and not knowing where they are or what they are talking about. And the King of Oman for letting them wander around in his desert for awhile!
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Summary: The kind of story movies are made of
Review: It wouldn't surprise me if a hollywood producer (Steven Spielberg perhaps?) decided to make a movie of this fantastic book--it's got adventure, mystery, discovery, a lost city, and interesting characters. And to top it off, it's absolutely true! This real-life "Indiana Jones" adventure will draw you in and not let go until the very last page. It's amazing that, a mere 10 years ago, a rather eclectic bunch consisting of an archaeologist, a geologist, and adventurer, and a documentary filmaker (the author and "hero" of the story) set off to find a lost city, one that, up until then, existed only in myth and legend. Through the use of NASA radar imagery, Nicholas Clapp was able to find the road to Ubar--a long, trampled path that snaked around the sand dunes of modern day Saudia Arabia and Oman, once used by thousands of camel caravans carrying precious incense from Ubar. Clapp and crew eventually do find the lost city, buried deep beneath the sands. It's a reminder to us all how quickly history can disappear beneath the sands of time. The book is an exciting read, and never drags. You will be captivated by their story and amazed that it's all completely true! And it all started with one man who dared to take a second look at an ancient myth, and found out it wasn't really a myth at all. Hollywood couldn't have written a better script!
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Summary: It was very captivating and very hard to put down.
Review: Mr. Clapp's writing is very captivating and the book reads more like a movie than a dry history text. His excitement about the project is exuded in the book. I was very drawn into the story and found myself hoping the answer was around each next turn he tried.
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Summary: Read "Road to Ubar" in two days
Review: Nick Clapp put together myth, archeology, technical locating devices, and theological research to compose a fascinating story of desert intrigue, history, religion, and archeology. Mr. Clapp knew that in every myth or oral tradition was a kernal of truth. He carried us along on his invetigative adventure and helped us find those kernals, in the process, he weaved an exciting tale. I couldn't put his book down and I want more of Mr. Clapp's Middle East investigations put into books. I love this book!
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Summary: fascinating blend of travelogue, history, and detection
Review: one page after another discovering the sinkhole where Ubar lost their life under centuries'sand in the Empty Quarter desert.Oh I wish I would be there.Congratulations to N.Clapp and his friends.
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Summary: intriguing as a mum's discovery
Review: one page after another discovering the sinkhole where Ubar lost their life under centuries'sand in the Empty Quarter desert.Oh I wish I would be there.Congratulations to N.Clapp and his friends.
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Summary: An engaging combination of archaeology and adventure
Review: Really enjoyable -- based in academia and historical fact, but and entertaining throughout. There's an amiable tone of "Hey, you could do this, too," that I think would inspire any reader.
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Summary: Excellent and engrossing
Review: This book has it all - the lost city of legend, the adventure of trying to find it, and fascinating information about both the legends and the site itself. This books shows the true power of careful research - simply by examining the ancient records in university libraries, an amateur was able to more or less crack a centuries-old mystery. Bravo, say I. There's some kernal of truth in many an ancient tale. The author's enthusiasm is contagious. Readers of this may also enjoy "Gods, Graves and Scholars" by C.W. Ceram.
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