 Cover of the first British edition, published by Longmans 1959 | |
| Author | Wilfred Thesiger |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Travel writing |
| Publisher | Longmans, London |
Publication date | 1959 |
| Media type | Hardback & Paperback |
| Pages | 330 pages |
| ISBN | 0-14-144207-7 |
Arabian Sands is a 1959 book by explorer and travel writer Wilfred Thesiger. The book focuses on the author's travels in the Arabian Peninsula between 1945 and 1950, and details his two crossings of the Empty Quarter undertaken between 1946 and 1948. Thesiger’s first crossing, from Mughshin in Oman to Liwa across the eastern sands, was followed by a crossing of the western sands from Manwakh in Yemen, via Laila, to Abu Dhabi.[1]
The book attempted to capture the lives of the Bedu people and other inhabitants of the Arabian peninsula.[2][3] It is considered a classic of travel literature.[4][5]
The book largely reflects on the changes and large scale development that took place after the Second World War and the subsequent gradual erosion of traditional Bedouin ways of life that had previously existed unaltered for thousands of years.[1]
- ^ a b Thesiger, Wilfred (2007). Arabian Sands. Penguin Classics. ISBN 978-0-14-009514-2.
- ^ Asher, Michael (27 August 2003). "Obituary: Sir Wilfred Thesiger". The Guardian. London.
- ^ Woodward, Richard (30 December 2007). "Armchair Traveler -'Arabian Sands' and 'The Marsh Arabs'". The New York Times.
- ^ "Wilfred Thesiger". Curtis Brown.
- ^ "The 86 Greatest Travel Books of All Time". Longitude Books. Archived from the original on 26 July 2012. Retrieved 5 February 2012.