as their #6 Best History Book of 2004. Media coverage The book garnered reviews in hundreds of publications such as The Sunday Times, The Times, The Seattle Times, The San Diego Union-Tribune, the Minneapolis Star, Time, Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, The Washington Post, Publishers Weekly, the San Francisco Chronicle, Variety.com, The Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Los Angeles Times, and Entertainment Weekly. In February 2004 National Geographic Adventure Magazine included a write-up of King's travels in Africa. Entertainment Weekly wrote that "King is almost pornographic in his description of physical pain: skin bubbles, eyeballs burn, lips blacken, and men shrivel to less than 90 pounds…It's sensational stuff." Film version Screenwriters Doug Miro and Carlo Bernard, writers of the 2005 film The Great Raid, were behind King's project since they first saw his book proposal in 2001. They wrote a screenplay based on King's proposal, and with King's blessing, they shopped it around to Hollywood Studios. Intermedia executive Alex Litvak brought the book to his company in 2001, and they optioned the rights. In April 2004 it was announced that Steven Spielberg's film production company DreamWorks had bought the movie rights from Intermedia. DreamWorks was set to co-finance the project and provide distribution, while Intermedia was set to produce with Paula Weinstein and Barry Levinson. Shooting was intended to begin before the end of 2004, though a director and crew were never decided upon. In September 2010 it was announced that Roman Bennett, the screenwriter for Public Enemies, is writing a new script based on the book. The London-based sales company Independent is developing and producing. Previously responsible for the film Moon, Independent has not named a cast or director, though they claim to be seeking a prominent American actor to play Captain Riley. References External links Skeletons on the Zahara at Amazon.com Skeletons on the Zahara at Barnes & Noble King's 2005 records of the trip Dean King Lecture by The Virginia Historical Society Historical novels 2004 novels Fiction set in 1815 Non-fiction novels Books about the Sahara