Bright Sky Press is set to publish a book about the Middle Eastern nation of Qatar called “Qatar: Sand, Sea and Sky,” by Diana C.K. Untermeyer. The book will appear on the market in January 2012. It is an intimate account of the culture, the people and the landscape of the Muslim nation.

Against the backdrop of the Arab Spring, Qatar has emerged as an important partner to the U.S. and stands as a stable and open society in an era of seismic regional change. This prescient book depicts the dramatic landscape, Qatar’s ancient history and the country’s thoughtful path to the future. Untermeyer spent three years in Qatar as the wife of a U.S. ambassador. Her experience frames the anecdotal account of a geographically and politically significant nation as it grapples with change. Henry Dallal’s photographs tell the story visually. The book includes an introduction by Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the current chair of the Qatari Foundation Reach Out to Asia and daughter of Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the current Emir of Qatar.

Untermeyer lived in Qatar from 2004 to 2007. In Qatar, she served as an active volunteer and participated in numerous equestrian sports, particularly endurance horse racing. Born in Wyoming, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Virginia in 1984. After graduation, she became an avid whitewater kayaker and worked in the White House. She currently lives in Houston, Texas, with her husband, Chase, and their daughter, Elly. “Qatar: Sand, Sea, and Sky” is her first book.

Dallal has been passionate about photography since the age of 9, when his father gave him a Box Brownie. He has received commissions to photograph Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Anne, and his work has been exhibited at Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace, Blenheim Palace, the Naples Museum of Art (Florida), the Royal Geographic Society and the Smithsonian Institution. Born in Iran, he has made London his home since moving there from Colorado in 1994. For more information on Dallal’s work visit www.henrydallalphotography.com. For more information on Bright Sky Press, visit www.brightskypress.com.