Travel

Arabian Sands

Arabian Sands

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  • Author：Wilfred Thesiger
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Summary

In the spirit of T。E。 Lawrence， Wilfred Thesiger spent five years wandering the deserts of Arabia， producing Arabian Sands， 'a memorial to a vanished past， a tribute to a once magnificent people'。 The Penguin Classics edition includes an introduction by Rory Stewart。

Wilfred Thesiger， repulsed by what he saw as the softness and rigidity of Western life - 'the machines， the calling cards， the meticulously aligned streets' - spent years exploring in and around the vast， waterless desert that is the 'Empty Quarter' of Arabia。 Travelling amongst the Bedu people， he experienced their everyday challenges of hunger and thirst， the trials of long marches beneath the relentless sun， the bitterly cold nights and the constant danger of death if it was discovered he was a Christian 'infidel'。 He was the first European to visit most of the region， and just before he left the area the process that would change it forever had begun - the discovery of oil。

This edition contains an introduction by Rory Stewart discussing the dangers of Thesiger's travels， his unconventional personality and his insights into the Bedouin way of life。

Sir Wilfred Patrick Thesiger （1910-2003） was a British travel writer born in Addis Ababa in Abyssinia （now Ethiopia）。 Thesiger is best known for two travel books: Arabian Sands （1959）， which recounts his travels in the Empty Quarter of Arabia between 1945 and 1950 and describes the vanishing way of life of the Bedouins， and The Marsh Arabs （1964）， an account of the traditional peoples who lived in the marshlands of southern Iraq。

If you enjoyed Arabian Sands， you might like T。E。 Lawrence's Seven Pillars of Wisdom， also available in Penguin Modern Classics

'Thesiger is perhaps the last， and certainly one of the greatest， of the British travellers among the Arabs'
Sunday Times

'Following worthily in the tradition of Burton， Lawrence， Philby and Thomas， it is， very likely， the book about Arabia to end all books about Arabia'
Daily Telegraph

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Reviews

محمد عطبوش ，

هذه ليست ترجمة للكتاب، وإنما تلخيص للفصول "بتصرف" المترجم، ولو كان ترجمه كما هو لكان خيراً، فوجود هذه التعريب المشوه يصرف تفكير أي شخص سيفكر في ترجمة الكتاب كاملاً。。 إلى الأبد هذه ليست ترجمة للكتاب، وإنما تلخيص للفصول "بتصرف" المترجم، ولو كان ترجمه كما هو لكان خيراً، فوجود هذه التعريب المشوه يصرف تفكير أي شخص سيفكر في ترجمة الكتاب كاملاً。。 إلى الأبد 。。。more

Pei-jean Lu ，

Wonderful travel memoir of an extraordinary journey though the desert sands of Arabia。

fourtriplezed ，

There is no doubt in my mind that this is top of the shelf travel/adventure narrative。 Thesiger could arguably be one of the last great explorers that this ever smaller world has seen。 His journeys into the unmapped areas of the Empty Quarters of the Arabian peninsula are told in this well written book that must surely be a must for anyone that is attracted to any kind of travel writing。 The writing is sparse but descriptive as he tells a tale of hardship by both himself and his Bedu （Bedouin） c There is no doubt in my mind that this is top of the shelf travel/adventure narrative。 Thesiger could arguably be one of the last great explorers that this ever smaller world has seen。 His journeys into the unmapped areas of the Empty Quarters of the Arabian peninsula are told in this well written book that must surely be a must for anyone that is attracted to any kind of travel writing。 The writing is sparse but descriptive as he tells a tale of hardship by both himself and his Bedu （Bedouin） companions。 Hardship comes in all shapes and forms， be it hunger and thirst or his struggles to make it known to hostile tribes that he was there to explore and not proselytise。 It took a recent trip to visit the edge of Australian desert country for me to understand that there is a deep beauty in these so called desolate lands and with that trip in my recent memories Thesiger’s descriptions of the various landscape he crossed and personally explored made his writings compelling。 Add to that his deep respect for and descriptions of his travelling companions and their lifestyle along with some history this is a must read for anyone that likes travel readings。 Thesiger’s travels took place in the late 1940’s， pre oil boom。 Places such as Abu Dhabi are but small towns of a couple of thousand people。 He does notice and comment on the change of life that is beginning to take place and is not impressed。 “I marvelled that Arabs should wish to ape our ways” “…。。I was averse to all oil companies， dreading the changes and disintegration of society which they inevitably caused” “I realised even then that speed and ease of mechanical transport must rob the world of all diversity” A big thanks to my great friend Gordon who gifted me this book on my recent visit to his wonderful part of the world。 You know me well mate。  Highly recommended to any one who has an interest in travel and exploration。 。。。more

Shuaib Ahli ，

كتاب رائع وجميل، سطر من خلاله الكاتب ويلفارد ثيسجر رحلتيه عبر صحراء الربع الخالي في زمن كانت فيه ظروف الحياة صعبة جدا، يروي من خلاله مشاهداته ومعايشته للبدو في سرد تاريخي رائع يشد فيه انتباه القارئ ويبعث فيه الحماسة لمعرفة الأمور اللاحقة التي مرت بالكاتب وكأنه يسردها في تصوير فلم سينمائي。。 عن نفسي، فقد عاودت قراءة الكتاب مرة أخرى بمجرد ما انتهيت منه في المرة الأولى。。

Ryan ，

Arabian Sands is about the author， Wilfred Thesiger’s， experiences travelling by foot and camel through the Empty Quarter of the southern Arabian Peninsula， with local tribal members as escorts， between 1945-1950。 It is considered one of the best travel books ever written。Thesiger is very much a British aristocrat， but one who dislikes the conveniences of modern civilization and was looking for experiencing desolate wilderness where few people have ever been。 He adopts the tribal customs of the Arabian Sands is about the author， Wilfred Thesiger’s， experiences travelling by foot and camel through the Empty Quarter of the southern Arabian Peninsula， with local tribal members as escorts， between 1945-1950。 It is considered one of the best travel books ever written。Thesiger is very much a British aristocrat， but one who dislikes the conveniences of modern civilization and was looking for experiencing desolate wilderness where few people have ever been。 He adopts the tribal customs of the Bedouin during his travels and is trusted and accepted by many of the tribes who otherwise distrust westerners。Thesiger describes the culture and customs of his Bedouin tribal escorts before the modernization that came with the discovery of oil and widespread use of cars。 He also describes the Bedouin’s relationship and dependence on their camels， how they interact with their harsh environment and how they are excellent trackers in the desert - to the point that they are able to identify the tracks of individual camels。His trips were originally funded for the purpose of studying where African locust swarms were originating， but Thesiger was really just interested in exploring the desert wilderness and returns to the desert on his own for subsequent explorations。During his trips across the desert， he and his companions suffer hunger （going days without eating） and dehydration and evade hostile tribes， very nearly being killed by them。 After his second crossing of the Empty Quarter， he and his companions were arrested by King Ibn Saud’s men for being where infidels and enemy tribes were not allowed， but they were eventually released。Thesiger then began exploring Oman， but increasingly he needed delicate diplomacy to travel without being killed and eventually had to give up exploring the region altogether because tribal and religious leaders didn’t want an infidel in their territory。The book is a loving tribute to an ancient way of life that Thesiger knew was going to radically change with the discovery of oil and introduction of cars。 He despaired about that change and writes the book as a way to record the Bedouin customs and culture before it was forever changed。 。。。more

Florin Ocolisan ，

Fascinating book which contains detailed description of the life and habits of the bedouins。

Muhammad Fadel ，

Ever since I read The Road to Mecca by Mohamed Asad， my interest over the life of Arab grew。 Asad's description of the Arabs， especially the tradional/bedouin one is against typical one that I know。 Asad praise high standard of their value， their hospitality to strangers， the simplicity of life。 This （probably， still research） was the same type of people that lived during Prophet Muhammad time。 I came to saw this book recommended by Goodreads。 I read the short review on Wikipedia， and it is a tr Ever since I read The Road to Mecca by Mohamed Asad， my interest over the life of Arab grew。 Asad's description of the Arabs， especially the tradional/bedouin one is against typical one that I know。 Asad praise high standard of their value， their hospitality to strangers， the simplicity of life。 This （probably， still research） was the same type of people that lived during Prophet Muhammad time。 I came to saw this book recommended by Goodreads。 I read the short review on Wikipedia， and it is a travel diary of an Englishmen， Wilfried Thesiger during his time as map maker in Arabia。 Ever since Road to Mecca， i wanted to learn mode about the pre modern Arab and hope this book can gave me other insights。This book completely met my expectations。 It gave us a rich look into the life of the Bedouin Arab， Thesiger travel companions。 Thesiger did not write as an outsider who only observes from afar or rely on interviews but rather lives and travels with them for years。 He experiences firsthand the life of the Bedouin; their attitude， life value， even the dynamics of the tribe amongst Bedouin across Arabia from nowadays Saudi to Bahrain to Yemen to Emirates and Oman。Thesiger was far from having a comfortable life during his time in Arabia。 As a map writer， he needs to wander into the desert， and no， not using a car， but using a camel。 This was what makes his journey adventurous。 There were occasions of life and death。 Where they didn't have much water left， and water in the well was not drinkable （I just happened to know about this。 I was thinking that the well， or the oasis， is drinkable）。 Where they can't find grazing for their camel， the extreme Sandstrom， the steep dune， the rivalry between tribes that can cost them life。His observation of Bedu， his travel companion is also something that reader will be interested in。 At least for me， Bedu， like many local tribes， was often depicted as pre-modern， uncivilized， and somewhat rude。 We might do no justice by not mentioning the good qualities of Bedu。 Their hospitality to strangers， their loyalty to their travel companion， and their practicality in life that allows them to survive the hard life in the desert。Strongly suggested for someone who wanted to feel the experience of what is life in the Arabia desert （and yes， before modernity kicks in。 I heard that not many Bedu that are fully nomad remains。） 。。。more

Dick Varga ，

read it several years ago， great account of how and why he travelled not just here but in general， best account i have read of travel by camel， unsupported by trucks or airdrops of supplies， travel as the locals knew it in the last days of camel travel， no radio， no outside support， he could have been killed for his rifle if his companions had not been honest & honourable， a dry waterhole could have left all of them to die of thirst， bandits or rival clans could have killed them， well worth the read it several years ago， great account of how and why he travelled not just here but in general， best account i have read of travel by camel， unsupported by trucks or airdrops of supplies， travel as the locals knew it in the last days of camel travel， no radio， no outside support， he could have been killed for his rifle if his companions had not been honest & honourable， a dry waterhole could have left all of them to die of thirst， bandits or rival clans could have killed them， well worth the read， look for his other books of travel， life in other parts of Arab world Iraq marshland especially， also Afghanistan。 Note: Eric Newby met Thesiger while trekking in Afghanistan。 'A Short Walk in the Hindu Kush。"。 。。。more

Will ，

A fascinating book written by a man who travelled back and forth across the Arabian desert in an era right before industrialization and modernization changed the people and culture forever。 Thesiger seems motivated solely by a desire to travel in the desert with people who know it intimately。 He crisscrosses the Rub' al Khali （the "Empty Quarter"） of the Arabian desert that makes up the lower third of the Arabian peninsula。 He does not attempt to provide an anthropological account， or even a geo A fascinating book written by a man who travelled back and forth across the Arabian desert in an era right before industrialization and modernization changed the people and culture forever。 Thesiger seems motivated solely by a desire to travel in the desert with people who know it intimately。 He crisscrosses the Rub' al Khali （the "Empty Quarter"） of the Arabian desert that makes up the lower third of the Arabian peninsula。 He does not attempt to provide an anthropological account， or even a geological one， of his travels， but instead focusses on his personal interactions with his travel companions， and their customs and habits at the personal level。 The book is fascinating， almost inspiring a desire to jump on a camel and head off into the dunes。 But it is also a mournful requiem; at the same time Thesiger is travelling， the first of the oil explorers are arriving， and Thesiger is well aware of what this will mean for the future of these desert people， and how much their culture will change。 A blend of cultures， rituals， beliefs of different desert tribes that have persisted for thousands of years before Christianity or Islam would suddenly come to an end with the development of oil， the arrival of the car。 Although this is very much a book from the era of colonial explorers trying to unlock and explain non-Western cultures， the author does so from a desire not to impress the reader， or even to explain a culture of way of life， but instead to be excepted by his companions on the camel train and talk about his adventures with them。 。。。more

Gary Eastwood ，

Almost lost me at "shot 70 lions。" Though his openess to Arabian cultures is refreshing。 Fascinating story and adventure。 The camels are the stars。 Almost lost me at "shot 70 lions。" Though his openess to Arabian cultures is refreshing。 Fascinating story and adventure。 The camels are the stars。 。。。more

Abu。Mansoor ，

الرمال العربية ذالك العمل الجبار والرحلة الخيالية التي قام بها ويلفرد ثيسنجر او المسمى مبارك بن لندن 。 كنت أسمع عن مبارك بن لندن كاسم ولكن عندما قرأت هذا الكتاب كبر في عيني هذا الرحالة الشجاع، كتابه من اروع ما قرأت في كتب الرحلات والتي قام بها في منتصف القرن العشرين على ظهر الجمال وقطع خلالها صحراء الربع الخالي مرتين برفقة بعض البدو، وسرده للأحداث التي حصلت معه ووصفه الصحراء وبدوها وحيواناتها واشجارها ورمالها。 كأنك تعيش معه كل تفاصيل أحداث تلك الرحلة الشجاعة 。 كتاب يستحق القراءة واعادة القراءه

Osama Siddique ，

'Arabian Sands' has an iconic status in travel literature。 And very rightly so。 Skeptical as one is of adventurous accounts of European explorations of the east - contribute as they prominently did to the consolidation and expansion of Empires through cartography， intelligence gathering and espionage （with prominent names such as T。E。Lawrence）， as well as through the instrumentality of self-serving categorizations， stereo-typing， othering and even demeaning of several cultures and people - Thesi 'Arabian Sands' has an iconic status in travel literature。 And very rightly so。 Skeptical as one is of adventurous accounts of European explorations of the east - contribute as they prominently did to the consolidation and expansion of Empires through cartography， intelligence gathering and espionage （with prominent names such as T。E。Lawrence）， as well as through the instrumentality of self-serving categorizations， stereo-typing， othering and even demeaning of several cultures and people - Thesiger stands distinct and disparate in his account。 " I shall always remember how often I was humbled by those illiterate herdsmen who possessed， in so much greater measure than I， generosity and courage， endurance， patience， and light-hearted gallantry。 Among no other people have I felt the same sense of personal inferiority。" These are telling words that he shares towards the end of the book and they denote both a deep admiration for the bedu as well as a certain humility that was rather rare in the ruling race of the time。 But this is not the exception。 Time and again in his travelogue he gushes over the free spirited bedouin way of life， its hospitality and simplicity， its ruggedness and fearlessness and its sense of community and loyalty。 The book is dedicated to bin Kabina and bin Ghabaisha whose character sketches he draws with loving precision and who were to remain his closest companions and friends in his Arabian journeys。 The Sands it is evident is where he was truly happiest and his wanderlust found its pinnacle of happiness as he embarked on another， largely impulsive journey across a new sandy wilderness， with some trusted companions and barely enough provisions for survival。The book focuses on two crossings of the Rub-ul-Khali or the Empty Quarter - an enormous， desolate desert within an even larger desert， named as such for its aridity， remoteness and difficulty of passage。 However， it also narrates other journeys， either in preparation of these crossings， after them or earlier， in Abyssinia， The Sudan， Oman， the Trucial Coast （the Trucial States later became UAE）， Yemen and Arabia。 The places and locations have such evocative names - Sands of Ghanim; the Quicksands of Umm-al-Samim; the Sand dunes of Uruq-al-Shaiba; the Wahiba Sands; and the various individually names wells。 Indeed， as do the tribes - Bait Kathir， Rashid， Saar， Manahil， Awamir， Mahra， Junuba， Wahiba， Duru， and so many more。 Thesiger's knowledge of local flora and fauna was as impressive as his ability to describe geographical formations， geological features and the local habitats， at a larger scale as well as in minutest details。 Also， his book has all that you could ever wish to know about camels。 Their habits， types， temperaments and attributes， which is quite natural considering how integral they were to his adventures。 What can drive someone to go again and again into the desert on journeys rife with uncertainty？ Is it a death-wish or escape from something or a certain inclination towards masochism？ Sandstorms; far-flung wells with often undrinkable water; largely trackless sands over unimaginably vast distances with hardly any nourishment for man or camel; the barest of meals， constant hunger and risk of starvation and illness; hostile tribes， brigands and outlaws; towering and seemingly untraversable dunes and treacherous quicksands; wild animals; extreme temperatures， risk of exposure and acute discomfort; and hour upon hour of slow and uncomfortable progress accompanied by those with a very different outlook， culture and manner of living。 However， it comes across very clearly that it was not just the thrill of discovering places where no non-native and very few natives had gone before but also the very cumbersomeness of the process， its precariousness， the hardship involved， and the company of a very different people from one's own。 The very freedom and flexibility of it， the remoteness of the locations from modernity， and the joy of pushing the limits are what galvanized Thesiger to undertake journey after remarkable journey。 Hs escapades would have definitely been noteworthy but perhaps not memorable were it not for his minuteness of observation and his spectacular and often lyrical power of description that make even ordinary and mundane happenings turn into high prose。 I read the book pencil in hand for I love how he writes。 The book is rich in topographical description， painstaking capturing of landscapes and people， social and anthropological observations， and even the political economy of the time。 The last is quite interesting as Dubai， Sharjah， Abu Dhabi etc。， were at that time minor settlements with rulers whose influence didn't extend far beyond their habitats and who were only just observing， with alarm as well as avarice， international oil companies sniffing around for the eventual bonanzas。 Thesiger's book is a veritable encyclopedia of the different tribes in the region， their characters and personalities， their alliances and feuds and has many an interesting episode to narrate about his encounters with them。 While the Rashid were his constant guides， companions and friends， he met many more who displayed varied levels of friendliness and hostility。 The Duru， for instance， were a constant menace and the following local saying that he quotes subtly conveys why so: “You cannot trust the Duru。 Too many people who travel with them die of snake-bite。” However， the antipathy on part of many towards his travels in the land is completely understandable。 The encounters with Europeans had been disastrous for many in Asian and African lands and the greedy oil companies were also looked upon with great suspicion。 While disappointed at times to have his progress thwarted， Thesiger fully appreciates these reasons and is even otherwise highly apprehensive of and averse to the wiping out of traditional ways of living and their normative frameworks due to the juggernaut of the progress and modernity that he saw advancing with great resentment。 At the same time， he often voices admiration for Arab Muslim culture and civilization and its deep and lasting contributions to humankind。I share here some of the passages that convey the sense of wonder and awe that Thesiger describes so well during his journeys across the sands: "Hour after hour， day after day， we moved forward and nothing changed; the desert met the empty sky always the same distance ahead of us。 Time and space were one。 Round us was a silence in which only the winds played and a cleanliness which was infinitely remote from the world of men。" "It was a place where men live close together。 Here， to be alone was to feel at once the weight of fear， for the nakedness of this land was more terrifying than the darkest forest at dead of night。 In the pitiless light of day we were as insignificant as the beetles I watched laboring across the sand。 Only in the kindly darkness could we borrow a few square feet of desert and find homeliness within the radius of the firelight， while overhead the familiar pattern of the stars screened the awful mystery of space。"" The deserts in which I had traveled had been blanks in time as well as space。 They had no intelligible history， the nomads who inhabited them had no known past。 Some bushmen paintings， a few disputed references in Herodotus and Ptolemy， and tribal legends of the recent past were all that had come down to us。""We encamped on a floor of hard sand in the shelter of a small dune。 Two twisted abal bushes， one of them with a broken branch drooping to the ground， three clumps of qassis， beside which I had placed my saddle-bags， a pile of camel-droppings， and a low bank of sand， marked with a tracery of lizards tracks， combined with our scattered possessions to become our home。"" The valleys when I woke at dawn were filled with eddying mist， above which the silhouettes of the dunes ran eastwards， like fantastic mountains towards the rising sun。 The sky glowed softly with the colors of the opal。 The world was very still， held in a fragile bowl of silence。 Standing at last on this far threshold of the Sands I looked back， almost regretfully， the way we had come。"Thesiger's iconic book of travels across the sandy wastelands of Arabia is a memorable chronicle of an age and a place that has irrevocably altered; a heartfelt tribute to a people and a culture that he got to intimately know and deeply admire; and a sterling example of the human spirit of adventure and exploration and search for meaning that persuades us to collectively experience， respect and appreciate other and diverse ways of living。 。。。more

Phoebe ，

This is a generally obscure little book and because of the taint of colonialism its British author couldn't shake off， may not be required reading on anyone's list--however， it is completely fascinating。 Thesiger was a bit of a dinosaur who hated modern inventions like cars and machines （"They made the road too easy"）。 He crisscrossed the Arabian peninsula （as a mapmaker， ostensibly， for the British government） and the Empty Quarter （250，000 square miles） multiple times during his active years b This is a generally obscure little book and because of the taint of colonialism its British author couldn't shake off， may not be required reading on anyone's list--however， it is completely fascinating。 Thesiger was a bit of a dinosaur who hated modern inventions like cars and machines （"They made the road too easy"）。 He crisscrossed the Arabian peninsula （as a mapmaker， ostensibly， for the British government） and the Empty Quarter （250，000 square miles） multiple times during his active years but always either on foot （barefoot！） or via camel。 He experienced incredible physical hardship （and takes us without emotion through these instances， where cold， hunger， thirst， and heat， not to say imminent danger from warring factions and because he was an infidel often in territories without official permission--were pretty near things） and yet was happiest out in the Empty Quarter and unhappiest in the green surrounds of England。 His dispassionate descriptions of Bedu （Bedouin） customs are sometimes horrific in their content， not for the weak of stomach--but he manages pretty well to avoid the paternalistic tone that is present in a lot of the accounts from the times from British citizens living and working in that part of the world。 He wrote， "For me， exploration was a personal venture。 I did not go to the Arabian desert to collect plants no to make a map; such things were incidental。 At heart I knew that to write or even to talk of my travels was to tarnish the achievement。 I went there to find peace in the hardship of desert travel and the company of desert peoples。 I set myself a goal on these journeys， and although the goal itself was unimportant， its attainment had to be worth every effort and sacrifice。。。No， it is not the goal but the way there that matters， and the harder the way the more worth while the journey。" Just one of many thoughtful passages sprinkled through this astonishing， unembroidered travelogue。 Adult， for graphic passages。 。。。more

Manuel Cantón-Garbín ，

Monótono。

Iulia ，

[After much deliberation， finally settled on 3。5*]I am definitely in the minority here， for I didn’t love this classic of travel literature。 I found the subject matter and the landscape fascinating but， overall， it seemed to me that Thesiger’s storytelling abilities didn’t quite match the story。 It’s too matter-of-fact and too stark for my liking。 I would also have preferred fewer journeys crammed into one book - there were too many moments where Thesiger rushed through， and this didn’t make for [After much deliberation， finally settled on 3。5*]I am definitely in the minority here， for I didn’t love this classic of travel literature。 I found the subject matter and the landscape fascinating but， overall， it seemed to me that Thesiger’s storytelling abilities didn’t quite match the story。 It’s too matter-of-fact and too stark for my liking。 I would also have preferred fewer journeys crammed into one book - there were too many moments where Thesiger rushed through， and this didn’t make for a particularly compelling narrative。 Still， it’s a deeply haunting lanscape and I am grateful books like this one exist to tell us about a past and a way of life gone forever。 。。。more

Gabriel Clarke ，

Extraordinary。 A man quite possibly out of not only his own time but anyone else’s。 There is a clarity and truthfulness to this memoir which is very different to the usual travel book of this period。

Colby Mcmurry ，

4。5 stars; Thesiger's account of his travels through the Empty Quarter of the Middle East and other desert regions is one of the best travel/exploration reads I've read。 While not necessarily as dramatic and engrossing as T。E。 Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" （though immensely more factual）， "Arabian Sands" presents a detailed examination at Bedouin life: its customs， beliefs， and struggles。 Thesiger's writing is clear and concise， so the descriptions he provides paint a clear picture for th 4。5 stars; Thesiger's account of his travels through the Empty Quarter of the Middle East and other desert regions is one of the best travel/exploration reads I've read。 While not necessarily as dramatic and engrossing as T。E。 Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" （though immensely more factual）， "Arabian Sands" presents a detailed examination at Bedouin life: its customs， beliefs， and struggles。 Thesiger's writing is clear and concise， so the descriptions he provides paint a clear picture for the reader to follow。 It is also clear that he truly cares for the people he interacts with and covets their way of life （even to the extent of calling his return to his native England an exile）。 Overall， if you have any remote interest in Middle Eastern culture or anthropology at large， this book is a valuable read that I would highly recommend。 。。。more

Ashley Chesnut ，

It reads like a desert version of a hiker bio。 So if you’ve read the journals or accounts of people who have hiked the AT or PCT， this is comparable to that - but with camels， Bedouins， and a different cultural context。 Fascinating insights about the Arabian culture pre-WWII before modern technology became popular there。

Adventure Bookshop ，

Arabian Sands is a classic c20th account of physical endurance by Wilfred Thesiger， one of the great adventurers。The book describes Thesiger’s travels across the Empty Quarter on the Arabian Peninsula。 It was published more than 60 years ago but the writing is understated， with short sentences。 This simultaneously makes it feel modern， and is reminiscent of Victorian British travellers who were very matter–of-fact and wrote lots of precise information。 His writing style contrasts with his contem Arabian Sands is a classic c20th account of physical endurance by Wilfred Thesiger， one of the great adventurers。The book describes Thesiger’s travels across the Empty Quarter on the Arabian Peninsula。 It was published more than 60 years ago but the writing is understated， with short sentences。 This simultaneously makes it feel modern， and is reminiscent of Victorian British travellers who were very matter–of-fact and wrote lots of precise information。 His writing style contrasts with his contemporary Eric Newby’s style of comic dialogue and faux-timidity （a style developed further by writers such as Bill Bryson）。Thesiger was substantial， and a model to other adventurers。 He was born in Addis Ababa， which perhaps makes him impressed by superficial exoticism than his contemporaries。 He came out of the high British Imperial culture （son of the British Consul General in Ethiopia， nephew of a Viceroy of India）。 He is sometimes seen as an inevitable Victorian explorer。 Rory Stewart wrote the introduction to the recent Penguin edition， where he points out that Thesiger was younger than Picasso and Proust， and younger than his fellow Etonians Orwell （who fought for the Communists in Spain） and Aldous Huxley （who was taking drugs in California）。Thesiger had physical courage。 He compared himself with British colonial officials who understood the local culture and undertook physical demanding， dangerous journeys without making a fuss about it。 Jan Morris said it was “the clean hard matter of physical challenge that inspired [Thesiger]， and his rejection of all contemporary palliatives took on a semi-mystical character of renunciation。” Thesiger himself writes: “I would rather be here starving as I was than sitting in a chair， replete with food， listening to the wireless and dependent on cars to take me through Arabia。”He never stopped travelling – perhaps the aim was punishing travel itself， or exploration。 He chose to renounce almost everything for the sake of freedom。 Perhaps Stewart is correct that Thesiger’s belief of how a human life should best be lived is what makes him matter as a writer and a man。 。。。more

Karina Cortes ，

So interesting！ Great insight into Bedouin life in Arabia。 Props to the author for traveling through the desert on a camel。 I couldn’t do it。

Eldon ，

He went all in and lived it。

Gaz Watson ，

Loved this book， Wilfred thinks like me， and his experiences are the sort of thing I was looking for when I moved to the Middle East， but somehow I ended up living in Dubai， a lifestyle I was trying to avoid。

Will Goldbeck ，

Perhaps a little tedious and repetitive in parts， but I found it very enjoyable to go along with Thesiger as he traveled across the deserts of Arabia。 Would recommend for anyone curious。

Michael Flick ，

Accounts of 5 years （1945–1950） spent traveling in the remote deserts of Arabia among Bedu people before it all was changed forever by the discovery of oil。 Memorial to a vanished past and a once magnificent people。

Haifa ，

Poignant ending。

Bill ，

The imagery is stunning， and it is a moving read。

Abdulla ，

very nice

Vladimiro ，

Si dice spesso di uno scienziato， intellettuale o pensatore che è "in anticipo sui tempi"， sottintendendo che ciò sia un complimento。 Nel caso di Wilfred Thesiger， invece， è l'esatto contrario。 Il nostro， per sua stessa ammissione， è un uomo in "ritardo sui tempi" non di qualche decennio， ma di qualche secolo！Thesiger è un inglese che nasce nelle colonie （Sudan） e vive in un ambiente particolare。 Da subito si sente attratto dalla vita dei "coloniali" che non da quella dei colonizzatori。 Ciò lo p Si dice spesso di uno scienziato， intellettuale o pensatore che è "in anticipo sui tempi"， sottintendendo che ciò sia un complimento。 Nel caso di Wilfred Thesiger， invece， è l'esatto contrario。 Il nostro， per sua stessa ammissione， è un uomo in "ritardo sui tempi" non di qualche decennio， ma di qualche secolo！Thesiger è un inglese che nasce nelle colonie （Sudan） e vive in un ambiente particolare。 Da subito si sente attratto dalla vita dei "coloniali" che non da quella dei colonizzatori。 Ciò lo porta alla voglia di esplorare prima il Sudan e l'Africa， poi dopo la guerra， l'Arabia， dove c'è uno dei deserti più grandi， inaccessibili e aridi al mondo: il "Quarto Vuoto"， Empty Quarter， il Rub Al Khali。 L'importanza dell'opera sta nel fatto che l'autore visita questi posti， ne descrive la geografia， la fauna， la flora， le popolazioni， il clima ecc。 un attimo prima che la modernizzazione dell'Arabia abbia inizio。 Cioè egli coglie la vita dei Bedu （i beduini） prima che essa venga "rovinata" dalla modernità。 Thesiger è infatti il prototipo dell'esploratore europeo innamorato dei costumi degli "autoctoni" che visita， senza che ciò gli impedisca di tacere i difetti dei suoi compagni di viaggio。Ciò che eleva il libro da un qualsiasi altro resoconto di avventure in condizioni estreme è l'afflato spirituale del nostro。 Il deserto che descrive non è solo un luogo geografico estremo e durissimo， ma anzitutto una condizione umana di sfida verso se stessi， di vivere una vita non tecnologica， più "autentica"。 Lo stile mi ha sorpreso in positivo。 E' asciutto senza essere arido， preciso e mai ridondante， e ogni tanto si eleva a considerazioni poetiche。 La ricchezza di dettagli mi ha sorpreso: i diversi tipi di sabbia di cui è fatta una duna; la descrizione dei cammelli; le note psicologiche sul carattere beduino。 Decisamente promosso。 Unico difetto， forse， è che è inevitabile fare confusione tra i nomi arabi dei suoi molti compagni d'avventura。Lo consiglio sia se volete leggere un "romanzo d'avventura" che descriva veramente com'era la vita nel deserto， in condizioni estremissime， sia se volete saperne di più sulla storia dell'Arabia。 。。。more

Paul ，

Weeb for Arabian nomads tells all！ This guy is hilarious。

Romany Arrowsmith ，

It took me a long time to work through these 300-or-so pages， I think because there is so much meticulous lingering on logistical details of how camels were acquired and which dates this-or-that deal was made with the locust people or whatever， but this is a strength， not a fault of the book。 The dry details were necessary to evoke a picture of how much single-minded focus is required to undertake a pioneering "adventure" of this sort。 Movies tend to distill this stuff down to the exciting parts It took me a long time to work through these 300-or-so pages， I think because there is so much meticulous lingering on logistical details of how camels were acquired and which dates this-or-that deal was made with the locust people or whatever， but this is a strength， not a fault of the book。 The dry details were necessary to evoke a picture of how much single-minded focus is required to undertake a pioneering "adventure" of this sort。 Movies tend to distill this stuff down to the exciting parts， and that's how you get the embarrassing real-life Everest phenomenon， a not particularly difficult mountain that is nevertheless littered with idiots' corpses and the trash of the bored and wealthy。Thesiger seems like he would have been a difficult man to get along with。 Exacting with himself and others， unbearably priggish in that particular English way， intransigent， hardened by war and by a discontinuous identity in terms of both nationality and sexuality。 I admire the enormity of what he did; how he used his platform to bring light to a place and a people vilified as savages then as now; his understanding that his own lust for adventure hastened the civilizing ruination of the Bedu people。 I like that he discredits the idea that living in poverty is a matter of animalistic hustling 24/7 for your well-being without a single moment of rest。 Some forms of poverty may be like that， but in pre-TV/radio times it seems to generally have been quite boring - that is， boredom is one more enormous thing to endure on top of hunger， thirst， loneliness， preparation for attack， illness， etc。 "The news" was a huge deal to the Bedu。 Arguing was a pastime。 Every individual camel track and dune type was known to them， as were the idiosyncratic presentations of each tribe。 And yet they had no idea what a Jew was， or how to read a map unless it was oriented to the land， or that they should call the King of Saudi Arabia anything other than his name Abdul Al Aziz （"We are Bedu。 We have no king but God"）。 Loved the part where Thesiger is trying to shoot an Oryx and gets into a furious whispering argument with one of his Bedu companions who's all like "you're going to give yourself away to the Oryx because you're upwind" and Thesiger's like "I've been shooting animals since before you were born so stfu because YOU'RE going to scare them away by all this damn TALKING"。 It was just a sweet real little moment beyond the more sterile "I， the outsider， respected the noble savage's customs" shtick。Also love how dudes will literally walk across an entire desert and almost starve to death or be executed as an infidel instead of going to therapy。A favorite passage:"One night there was a terrific storm， which started soon after dark and revolved around us until dawn。 On that bare plain there was no sort of shelter。 We could only lie cowering on the ground while the lightning slashed through the darkness of driven clouds， and the thunder crashed about our ears。 I had placed my rug and sheepskin over my sleeping-bag。 On other nights these had kept me fairly dry， but tonight the weight of water was too great to be turned aside。 It flowed over me like an icy torrent。 Sometimes the rain stopped and I peered out to see， silhouetted against the night by the almost continuous flashes of lightning， the dark shapes where the others lay beneath their coverings， like grave-mounds on a wet seashore; and the group of sodden animals， squatting tail to storm。 Then I would hear the muffled drumming of the rain as it came down once more。 I was certain that some of our camels would die that night， but in the morning they were still alive。Next day was fine and sunny and our spirits rose as the sun dried our clothes and warmed our bodies。 My companions sang as we rode across sands which looked as if they had been uncovered by an outgoing tide。 They were Bedu and it had rained， not scattered showers， but downpours which might well have covered all the desert。 ‘God’s bounty’ they called it， and rejoiced at the prospect of rich grazing that would last for years。 As I rode across these interminable naked sands it seemed incredible that in three months’ time they would be covered with flowering shrubs。 Eskimos enduring the cold and the darkness of the arctic winter can count the days till the sun appears， but here in southern Arabia the Bedu have no certainty of spring。 Often there is no rain， and even if there is， it may fall at any time of the year。 Generally the bitter winters turn to blazing summers over a parched and lifeless land。 Bin Kabina told me now that he only remembered three springs in his life。 Occasional springtimes such as these were all the Bedu ever knew of the gentleness of life。 A few years’ relief from the anxiety of want was the most they ever hoped for。 It seemed to me pathetically little and yet I knew that it was magnificently enough。" 。。。more

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Arabian Sands

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Arabian Sands&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Arabian Sands&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0