The Road to Ubar: Finding the Atlantis of the Sands

by Nicholas Clapp

Book Overview

No one thought that Ubar, the most fabled city of ancient Arabia, would ever be found-if it even existed. Buried in the desert without a trace, it had become known as "the Atlantis of the Sands." Many had searched for Ubar, including Lawrence of Arabia. Then in the 1980s, Nicholas Clapp, a documentary filmmaker and amateur archaeologist, stumbled on the legend of the lost city while poring over historical manuscripts. Filled with overwhelming curiosity,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0395957869
• ISBN13: 9780395957868
• Release Date: June 1999
• Publisher: Harper Paperbacks
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.84 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.3" x 8.8"

Customer Reviews

The kind of story movies are made of

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!

An absorbing tale.

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.

fascinating blend of travelogue, history, and detection

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.

Superb

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.

Read "Road to Ubar" in two days

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!