This book is an account of the 1986 Royal Geographical Society expedition to the Wahiba Sands in Oman made by 30 scientists with the purpose of studying the people, animals and plants of a remarkable desert area about the size of Wales. The author tells of the preparations needed to get the project off the ground and the team's experiences in Oman, where part of its brief was to work closely with the local Bedu. As well as identifying new species of plants and insects, and using all the latest computer technology to study the formations of sand and forest, the team developed close ties with the Bedu communities, travelling across the sands by camel. The members gained an understanding which could be used to protect similar deserts under threat in today's world.