"Archaeologists know that Fred Wendorf's expeditions produced most 
of what we know about the stone age prehistory of northeastern Africa. 
They also realize that he contributed centrally to the archaeology of the 
American Southwest before he focused his talents on Africa. They know 
he's consistently reported his research in timely, thorough, and lucid 
monographs. In this book, they'll discover he can also describe, with 
modesty and candor, the circumstances that shaped his extraordinary 
career."—Richard Klein, Professor of Biology and Anthropology and 
Bass Professor in Humanities and Sciences, Stanford University

"Celebrated by his colleagues in the Americas, Europe, and Africa as 
a brilliant innovator who made significant advances in archaeological 
method and theory, Fred Wendorf has been a dominant figure in 
American and North African archaeology in an extremely productive 
career spanning nearly six decades. His engaging autobiography 
chronicles his personal and professional lives—warts and all."—Don 
D. Fowler, Mamie Kleberg Distinguished Professor of Anthropology 
Emeritus, University of Nevada-Reno

"Fred Wendorf is an archaeological Midas. He and his collaborators 
have written the prehistory for vast swaths of the Sahara, work that 
involves adventure, decades-long persistence, and the ability to piece 
together seemingly irreconcilable small pieces of a very large jigsaw 
puzzle."—John Yellen, president of the Paleoanthropology Society 
and for many years an excavator in Kenya, Ethiopia, and the Congo

"Wendorf's rousing good story of archaeological adventures in harsh 
desert environments demonstrates that real archaeological adventures 
are only made possible by good planning, sound organization, 
scientific discipline, and hard work."—Raymond H. Thompson, 
Riecker Professor of Anthropology Emeritus, University of Arizona, 
and Director Emeritus, Arizona State Museum

"Fred Wendorf's memoir is unique in the literature of American 
archaeology. A fascinating read."—Lewis Binford, University 
Distinguished Professor Emeritus, Southern Methodist University

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FRED WENDORF, Henderson-Morrison Professor of Prehistory 
Emeritus, Southern Methodist University, grew up in Terrell, Texas, 
was wounded as a lieutenant serving in Italy during World War II, 
received his Ph.D. from Harvard, and spent more than sixty years as 
a field archaeologist in this country and in Africa. In 1987 he was 
elected to the American National Academy of Sciences.



What people are saying about this book

"Laymen will find Wendorf's interpretations of what was discovered, 
collected, and excavated an interesting story."—Ofer Bar-Yosef, 
Professor of Prehistoric Archaeology, Harvard University

"At times hair-raising, self-deprecating, funny, humbling, and even 
painfully self-critical, Desert Days is a life honestly appraised."—
David Meltzer, Henderson-Morrison Professor of Prehistory, Southern 
Methodist University, and Director, QUEST Archaeological Research 
Program