“Island of the Blessed is superbly researched, Thurston’s scholarly offering takes us on a surprising exploration of a forgotten corner of the
ancient world.”—Heather Pringle, The Mummy Congress

“Even as Thurston sculpts a rich chronological account of the multi-layered history of Dakhleh, the ‘oldest continuously inhabited community on the planet,’ in Island of the Blessed he crafts a sobering environmental parable that could change the way you look at a simple glass of water.”
—Vancouver Sun

“Island of the Blessed is an enchanting historical tour of Egypt’s deep Saharan oasis . . . Juicy archaeological journalism, brimming with facts and speculation about the deep desert’s critical influence on Egyptian history.”
—Kirkus Reiews

“Thurston . . . has created quite the page-turner in Island of the Blessed . . . He’s got mummies, myth and mysticism, all wrapped up in a timely concern about the welfare of the planet itself, and uses those gifts well.”
—The Toronto Star

“This is a story of the drying up of the Sahara, the birth of our own species, the invention of agriculture, and the rise and fall of ancient civilizations. And it makes for a jolly good read.”—The Globe and Mail
 
“Harry Thurston’s meticulous recreation of the long history of the Dakhleh Oasis is fascinating. He is particularly good on tracing the effects of the desert environment on human development, and on humankind’s carelessness with our natural heritage. His final chapter is a warning cry to us all.”
—Marc de Villiers, author of Water and Sahara