The Sahara: The Forgotten History of the World's Harshest Desert (History Channel)
It is the size of the United States and the hottest place on earth. It has seen caravans of up to 12,000 camels lumber from oasis to oasis along ancient trade routes. It has witnessed the journey of ten million slaves from West Africa to the Mediterranean. Its sands have hosted the tanks of Rommel and Patton. Its modern nations are tinderboxes of high-tension, oil-fueled politics.