author
John Ball
1872–1941
An English geologist and desert explorer, he became known for detailed surveys of Egypt and Sudan and for writing clear, practical studies of remote landscapes. His work helped map places that were still little known to many readers in the early 20th century.
3 Audiobooks
Baharia Oasis : Its topography and geology
by John Ball, H. J. L. (Hugh John Llewellyn) Beadnell
The geography and geology of south-eastern Egypt
by John Ball
Problems of the Libyan Desert
by John Ball
About the author
Born in Derby in 1872, he trained in mining and geology at the Freiberg University of Mining and Technology and later earned a doctorate from the University of Zurich. He went on to build a career that combined scientific study with demanding fieldwork.
Much of his life’s work centered on the deserts of Egypt and Sudan. He traveled in the Sahara as early as 1897 and became known for surveying and exploring difficult terrain, including the Qattara Depression and the oases of Egypt. His books, such as Baharia Oasis: Its Topography and Geology and The Geography and Geology of South-Eastern Egypt, reflect that close attention to the physical character of the land.
He died in Port Said in 1941. Today, he is remembered less as a literary figure in the usual sense than as a careful observer whose writing opened up the geology and geography of northeastern Africa to scholars, travelers, and general readers alike.