The GOLD OF EXODUS

Amazon.com

When a millionaire adventurer goes in search of the true Mount Sinai, he gets more than he bargained for. Spies, missiles, and secret military installations are just some of the obstacles that Larry Williams and his sidekick Bob Cornuke must confront in their unprecedented journey to find the lost treasures of Moses. In The Gold of Exodus, award-winning journalist Howard Blum records a page-turning story of an adventure that makes history. While risking their necks by sneaking into the xenophobic Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, amateur archaeologists Williams and Cornuke become pawns in a game of international espionage that eventually leads them to the top of the most sacred mountain in the world, and into the hands of shotgun-wielding Bedouins. The Gold of Exodus is a true story that is too unbelievable to be fiction, too suspenseful to be put down, and too significant to soon be forgotten.

Book Description

Mount Sinai. For many, it is the most sacred place on Earth—the site where God descended to give Moses the Ten Commandments. Yet for centuries, mankind has not known its exact location. In this heart-pounding true story, award-winning journalist and bestselling author Howard Blum tells the enthralling account of two modern-day adventurers—Larry Williams, a two-time Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Montana and a self-made millionaire, and his friend Bob Cornuke, a retired policemen and former SWAT team member. Lured by the prospect of finding the fabled fortune in gold that the ancient Hebrews took with them when they fled from Egypt, the two men set out to find the true site of Mount Sinai—with only the Old Testament as a guide.

Eminent biblical scholars at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania have argued that Mount Sinai is not in the Sinai Peninsula at all, but rather in northwestern Saudi Arabia. However, they were never allowed into the kingdom to prove their argument. When Cornuke and Williams are also denied entry, they daringly sneak into Saudi Arabia. And what they discover at the mountain known as Jabal al Lawz will astonish the world—and inspire readers to rethink the role of the Bible in history. They find the remains of the stone altar at which the Golden Calf was worshiped, the twelve pillars that Moses ordered to be erected, the cave where Moses slept, and, most sensationally, the unnaturally scorched spot on the mountaintop where God gave Moses the two stone tablets. They also explain, in a fascinating account, the truth about the parting of the Red Sea waters. And not the least of their discoveries is the fact that one of the most sacred spots on earth is now a top secret Saudi military base. As these two adventurers follow in Moses' footsteps, they become pawns in a dangerous game of international power politics and intrigue, This action-packed tale—part high-tech treasure hunt, part modern-day spy thriller, and part biblical detective story—is riveting. And it is all true.

Download Description

Howard Blum tells the account of two modern-day adventurers - Larry Williams, a two-time Republican candidate for the U.S. Senate from Montana and a self-made millionaire, and his friend Bob Cornuke, a retired policemen and former SWAT team member. Lured by the prospect of finding the fabled fortune in gold that the ancient Hebrews took with them when they fled from Egypt, the two men set out to find the true site of Mount Sinai - with only the Old Testament as a guide. Eminent biblical scholars at Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania have argued that Mount Sinai is not in the Sinai peninsula at all, but rather in northwestern Saudi Arabia. However, they were never allowed into the kingdom to prove their argument. When Cornuke and Williams are also denied entry, they daringly sneak into Saudi Arabia. And what they discover at the mountain known as Jabal al Lawz will astonish the world - and inspire readers to rethink the role of the Bible in history. They find the remains of the stone altar at which the Golden Calf was worshiped, the twelve pillars that Moses ordered to be erected, the cave where Moses slept, and, most sensationally, the unnaturally scorched spot on the mountaintop where God gave Moses the two stone tablets. They also explain, in a fascinating account, the truth about the parting of the Red Sea waters. And not the least of their discoveries is the fact that one of the most sacred spots on earth is now a top secret Saudi military base. As these two adventurers follow in Moses' footsteps, they become pawns in a dangerous game of international power politics and intrigue.

Customer Reviews:

Treasure Now Found.......2005-09-28

In the book, there are two guys. Their names are Larry Williams, a self made millionaire, and Bob Cornuke, a retired police officer and a former Swat-team member. Larry Williams is also an archaeologist and he hears rumors that the real Mount Sinai (the mountain where god gave Moses the Ten Commandments) is actually in present day Saudia Arabian, on Mount Jabal al Lawz. They want to make sure that they are right, so they actually follow the route on which they believe the Hebrews used to get out of Egypt. After a couple of days, they realize that this must be the way that they took. Every single detail that is in the bible they find. When the get to what they believe is the Reds Sea, They go scuba diving in it. They find the prove that they need and Larry almost gets eaten by a shark.
They finally find a way into Saudia Arabian. They run into several problems like their rooms get broken into, someone is following them and their batteries are missing for their supplies. When their journey finally ends and they get to Mount Jabal al Lawz, they find that the mountain has actually been turned into a military base and is surrounded by guards. Will they survive? You have to read to find out.
I liked how the book switched between Larry and Bobs perspective. The only thing that I didn't like is how the book started the book by starting at the end and flashing back.
I would recommend this book to anyone who likes to research the bible or is interested in the bible.

Bad, bad book.......2005-04-22

This book is written like a 4th-rate children's adventure story. From the spy story to the lead "characters" furtive journey into Saudi Arabia to their diving expedition - it's all so full of hyperbole and exaggeration that the pictures of the book are needed to convince the reader that the trip happened at all.

The author's genius, if you could call it that, is taking real people and re-casting them as one-dimensional cardboard characters. The way these treasure-less "treasure hunters" go about the task of finding the Exodus treasure makes them appear more clueless and dumb than I believe humans could have been in real life.

In one passage, one of our heroes can't get his metal detector working. He painstakingly completely disassembles and re-assembles the machine and cannot figure out the problem. His genius partner suggests he checks the batteries. Wow, they're missing! And they aren't just missing. No, they were stolen from the machine by the mysterious unnamed spies that are constantly following the pair and attempting to thwart their journey. Right! It hurts to read this book.

Not to spoil the end of this ridiculous tale, but they don't find one ounce of gold or any other treasure. I searched on the web and found numerous point-by-point rebuttals of the "Sinai in Arabia" thesis of the book. The most concise I read was "Problems with Mt. Sinai in Saudi Arabia" by Brad Sparks. Look it up and read this free well-written paper rather than waste any time with the silly "Gold" book.

Unlikely tale with no research content.......2003-12-28

I have the hardest time getting rid of books, and every purge of the family library ends up being a long series of painful decisions. Yet I had no trouble giving away this book after the first reading.

I would like to give at least some praise before discussing the weaknesses of this book - but I have the hardest time finding any. The idea is entertaining and some of the travel scenes are exotic and unusual.

That said, the book as a whole is poor in many respects. The writing is, at most, unremarkable. The chapters of the book are poorly architected, and it is sometimes difficult to understand why one follows the other. The thesis in the story is both unlikely and unbelievable, and there is not an iota of proof to any of the many rather incredible assumptions. Finally, some of the "facts" in the story (i.e. what the authors say they actually did and saw) are somewhat difficult to believe.

I thought that this was about the narrative of a new set of biblical archeology finds along with some controversial analysis. What the book really is, is a poorly written travelogue along with the expose of a thesis whose theme is about as well proven as the idea that aliens built the pyramids.

I normally see some redeeming value, or a potential audience, for most of the books I read. In this case, I would say: by any means stay away, even shipping costs only would be too high a price for this book.

A very Odd account.......2003-10-30

I'm not sure what to say here. THis is a very odd book from someone who has written two other great books. Blum's account of the Jewish Brigade in WWI and hisa account of the Yom Kippur War(Eve of Destruction) are both marvelous and TRUE accounts of the events. Having done extensive research on te Yom Kippur war I can vouch for 'Eve of Destruction's' authenticity. Yet this book seems oddly out there.

First of all the two men this book chronicles Larry Williams and Robert Cornuke have both written books on the subject detailing their adventure. Now the problem is that the books are in conflict. WIliams book details two trips while Cornukes book is ambivlent on whether he has found Mt. Sinai and he does not mention Israeli Mossad. So this deminishes the books credibility.

The Saudi archeological service cannot be trusted. Many people claim that the book must be wrong because the Kingdom of Saudi has destributed some pictures of the painting described in this book and these painting look more european then biblical. Well who trusts the Saudi internal government, which is a dictatorship and has no reason to release evidence about this mountain, especially if such evidence will bring millions of non-Mulsims to the kingdom for pilgrimage. Saudi already has one holy cty, it doesnt want another.

THis book is not racism as some claim nor is it 'offensive' it is merely an exploration of the Biblical site of Mt. Sinai. THose that accuse this book of being offfensive because these guys had to sneak into Saudi should instead accuse the Saudis of offense for not allowing international research teams to search their country for non-muslim archeology.

The Kingdom of Saudi does have a lax intelligence service if your an ex-SWAT member and this is clear from the many terrorist attacks on U.S installations in the kingdom so those that say this cant be true because oft he vaunted Saudi intelligence service are also wrong. Saudi, as the book shows, is a fuedal state that lives in the modrn world.

Those that say the discovery, if true, has ramifactions for the worlds religions are wrong. It has no ramification for any of the religions. Mt Sinai is where god gave the commandments and the laws to Moses.

An interesting book

Truth is Funner than Fiction.......2003-08-05

This book reads like the best of the best spy novels. It flows. It has suspense. It has shady characters and heroes. Espionage,danger, intrigue, exotic locations. Biblical artifacts. And it is all true! Makes the adventure come alive and reads like a ride on a roller coaster. I have put down works of fiction half read and implausible. I raced through this book. I gave it all the free time I could spare. It was simply wonderful. And I keep seeing evidence that a movie is on the way. Step aside, Indiana. These guys are real! And they are messing around in your playground.

Average customer rating:

Not Free SF Reader
Excellent Military Novel
Captivating and believable!
Robinson
Fact-loose and substance free

Hunter Killer
Patrick Robinson
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

War | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Action & Adventure | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Spy Stories & Tales of Intrigue | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Technothrillers | Thrillers | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Mystery & Thriller Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0060746890
Release Date: 2005-04-26

Download Description

Saudi Arabia, the world's leading producer of oil, is on the brink of revolution.

Inside the opulent palaces and lavish mansions, the royal family is ransacking the country's dwindling coffers while the desert kingdom seethes with unrest. Appalled at his family's extravagant lifestyle, Crown Prince Nasir vows to end the careless and destructive rule, and sets in motion a top-secret operation to destroy the Saudi oil industry and bankrupt the monarch. To do so, he must enlist the help of an ally, a naval power willing to help in return for a share of the wealth.

Nasir turns to France, with its fleet of lethal Hunter Killer submarines, capable of inflicting devastating damage on the massive oil installations along the shores of the Red Sea and in the Persian Gulf. Objective: To shift the power structure of the world's oil giant.

Under the command of the mysterious and lethally effective Colonel Jacques Gamoudi -- nicknamed ""Le Chasseur,"" or ""The Hunter"" -- the ferocious battle for the desert kingdom begins. As the world's oil markets plunge into chaos, Admiral Arnold Morgan, former Security Adviser to the President, and Lieutenant Commander Jimmy Ramshawe are summoned to the White House, where they learn that Gamoudi has been joined by none other than Morgan's archenemy, Hamas General Ravi Rashood, in the battle for the capital city of Riyadh.

Now Le Chasseur becomes the hunted, by both French and American Special Forces -- one trying to assassinate and silence him forever, the other desperate to take him alive and to force a public confession of France's subversive actions.

Customer Reviews:

Not Free SF Reader.......2007-09-03

Another of Patrick Robinson's submarine technothrillers. Not as much submarine action in this one, as a fundamentalist Saudi prince and the French government join forces to blow up the Saudi oil supply and cause a revolution. Crusty old Admiral Morgan, retired, is still calling the shots, with his aussie offsider. A French Special Forces major is at the heart of the action, pursued by everyone. This is basically all plot, reading like a description of a military mission, for large parts.

Excellent Military Novel.......2007-08-18

Patrick Robinson hits a home run every time. I love the way he incorporates submarine tactics and Navy SEALs!

His newest book is as the co-author of the tragic events surrounding SEAL Team 10 in Afghanistan: Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10

Another recent novel that includes these events is The Y Factor: The Y Factor

Captivating and believable!.......2007-07-26

This is a fast paced book and I really couldn't put it down. I finished reading it in two days, and on the second day stayed up till four in the morning in order to finish it. Only The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown succeeded in keeping me up so late!

The following is the plot of this book so if you haven't read the book please STOP READING THIS NOW!

The story takes place in 2009, and is about the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Nasir, planning to overthrow his cousin, the king. (Note: all the kings of Saudi Arabia are brothers, and the crown has always passed from one brother to the next). Prince Nasir flies to France on a secret mission to meet with the French President. The Crown Prince explains to the President how the Saudi King and the rest of the royal family live a life of excess, spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year just to support their lavish lifestyle. In fact, it is the king who picks up their tap at casinos where they gamble millions of dollars. It is the king who pays for their lavish spending. The 10,000 or so princes never have to work, having the king to cover all their expenses. According to the author, more than 100 billion dollars has been spent so far just to cover the lavish lifestyle of the Royal family!

The people of Saudi Arabia are on the brink of a revolution. Should this happen, the economies of the world will be affected since Saudi Arabia and its oil industry will fall in shambles and chaos. The Saudi Crown Prince proposed to the French President to destroy the oil fields, and thus cutting the source of income to the Saudi Royal Family. When the king becomes unable to spend on his family, entourage, and army, they would have no reason to support him! Money makes one popular and liked; the lack of money makes one unpopular and shunned.

Crown Prince Nasir promised France the contract to rebuild the oil industry as well as all military contracts which would amount in the billions of dollars. He also promised the President that he would stop spending on the royal family: they would have to get jobs to support themselves! Money will be invested on his people!

The French President agreed on the plan, seeing the benefit to France. He was eager to displace the Americans as the Saudi's chief ally. "The hell with America", the French President thought. France comes first. Of course, the plan would have to be carried out in secret, and it was imperative that the world should never suspect France of having played a role in overthrowing the King of Saudi Arabia. The whole affair should appear as a sole Arab job!

The French end up destroying the main oil fields in Saudi Arabia by firing missiles at them from two of their submarines. Arab troops trained by France and with the support of French Special Forces Col. Jacques Gamoudi (aka Le Chasseur or the Hunter), and with the help of a notorious Hamas terrorist, Ravi Rashood (an ex-SAS), storm the king's palace in the capital city, Riyadh. They kill the king, and hours later the Crown Prince appears on TV, proclaiming himself as the new king of Saudi Arabia. The plan worked as planned, or has it?

The French President decides to kill Col. Jacques Gamoudi in order to keep the whole affair a secret. That was a big mistake! He fails, and soon Gamoudi appears in front of the United Nations to reveal the evil plan of France. France is shunned by the whole world, and Saudi Arabia ends up having the US as its partner after all!

This story is very believable and not too farfetched. Qatar, a Gulf state on the border of Saudi Arabia, had its ruler exiled by his son, who later was also exiled by his own son!

During King Fahad's reign of Saudi Arabia, there were many rumors circulating on the internet that his son, Abdul-Aziz, had plans to overthrow the government and claim the thrown. Fact or fiction?

This is a captivating book that will leave you with many questions in the sort of "what if.......?" It also shows how politics really works. In the world of politics, your friends today are your enemies tomorrow, and vice-versa. Politics is also about one's own career and the accumulation of power. War is waged for the acquisition of state contracts, and we see this today in Iraq.

Will this book be as captivating to all readers?

Many readers who will not associate with the book or whose life is not part of the Middle East might just see this book as another original non-fiction thriller. However, readers with interest in Saudi Arabia and its surrounding region will associate themselves with the book and will keep asking themselves the same questions, "what if..." and "is this the way it will happen?"

Two things are for sure: Firstly, should the plot in the story happen, it will mean not only regional chaos but world chaos as well (look at Iraq. Was it better under Saddam, or now?); secondly, history repeats itself, and it seems we have no hand in it. God help us all!

Read this book and enjoy it. Hopefully it will remain as fiction!

Robinson.......2007-04-04

Another good book by a submarine-adventure author I enjoy. Amazon provides a good way to find early books by authors one enjoys. Books are consistently in the condition advertised and are shipped promptly.

Fact-loose and substance free.......2007-03-14

To me this book seemed fanciful, poorly researched, and poorly written. In contrast to Tom Clancy at his best, this contains few of the technical details that bring military or special forces operations to life. For example, whereas Clancy spent multiple pages describing in carefully-researched detail the series of events that took place within a single second in order to convey the awe of a nuclear explosion, this book deals with the catastrophic destruction of major oil installations with one or two sentences of vague, dull prose.

Characters, whether the US President, the French President, the "commander in chief of Hamas," or a former french legionnaire, all speak with the same odd mix of British and American slang. As a fairly close follower of national security issues I found the plot totally absurd.

The book may nonetheless appeal to the undemanding reader in search of a few hours of mindless escapist pleasure.

The Desert and the Sown: The Syrian Adventures of the Female Lawrence of Arabia

Average customer rating:

A very innocent time
Travels in Turkish Syria
Marvelous Book

The Desert and the Sown: The Syrian Adventures of the Female Lawrence of Arabia
Gertrude Bell
Manufacturer: Cooper Square Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Essays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Middle East | Travel | Subjects | Books

Syria | Middle East | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0815411359

Book Description

Passionate about Arabia, then an inhospitable land of nomadic and warring tribes under Turkish control, Bell wrote this account of her extraordinary 1905 trip across the Syrian Desert from Jericho to Antioch.

Customer Reviews:

A very innocent time.......2005-11-27

Bell was one of many "arabists" who traveled throughout the Middle East near the end of the Ottoman empire. This book is really an interesting travelogue and insight into Middle Eastern culture from the view of a privileged English woman who was viewed as curiosity by those she visited and traveled with. In a way, this is a fairly innocent view of that part of the world, but you could do worse than read this book. Much of the clannish nature of the cultures she wrote about is unchanged from her era (and indeed, from centuries before) and is worth the couple of hours it will take to read this book.

Travels in Turkish Syria.......2004-08-09

Gertrude Bell is probably one of the most interesting women of pre-World War I England. A daughter of privilege and she was educated and curious at a time when women of her class were expected to marry well and have children to police the Empire. Bell broke this mold and was the archetype of the "traveling Englishwoman" of the high British Empire.

Bell is today best remembered for her role in building modern Iraq. But the Desert and the Sown takes place before World War I, and details her adventures in Syria. Bell was not a professional archeologist and you will need to look elsewhere for detailed scholarly studies of the places she traveled. Her usual method was to go off and visit some famous or not so famous ruin, spend a day or two there taking pictures and etching inscriptions, and then moving on.

But this book is a remarkable travelogue of Syria and Palestine before World War I. She details her travels, the problems, the difficulties, who she met and what they talked about. The Turks rightly viewed her with suspicion - a child of the English ruling class, they saw her as an unofficial English agent, making contact with local tribal leaders who could be used against the Turks if war broke out.

The book is a quite remarkable insight into the politics of the near East, and given the current crisis, one that should be read by all looking to figure out where to go next.

My only compaint about the book is not Bell's writing, but rather the edition. The photographs would be better served on glossy paper, and better maps should be provided.

Marvelous Book.......2003-03-11

Having read a current bio about Gertrude Bell (Desert Queen), which I found a bear to get through due to the less than amazing quality of writing, I was curious about Bell's own writings and thrilled to find some still in print. Gertrude Bell could write!! What a wonderful book. Having an interest in archaeology and the history of ancient civilizations, I enjoyed the material she offered. But even if those aren't areas of interest to you, the people she met and talked to give one a better understanding of the midEast and of people in general. This was a hard book to put down. My only desires were that a map had been provided and that all of her wonderful pictures would have been printed on glossy paper so they could have been better appreciated. (I would have paid the extra!)

Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al Madinah and Mecca (Volume 1)

Average customer rating:

Classic adventure... and mostly true!
Sir Richard Burton - a man not of his time
bibliography & note
A Riot
Great finish to an exciting journey

Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al Madinah and Mecca (Volume 1)
Richard Burton
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

Essays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Middle East | Travel | Subjects | Books

Saudi Arabia | Middle East | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Mecca | Islam | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Fiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Reference Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0486212173

Book Description

Volume 1 of classic work. Posing as a wandering dervish, Burton gained admittance to the holy Kaabah and to the tomb of the prophet at Medina and participated in all the rituals of the Hadj (pilgrimage). A treasury of material on Arab life, beliefs, manners and morals, etc.

Customer Reviews:

Classic adventure... and mostly true!.......2004-09-18

I confess: Richard F Burton is one of my heroes. In part, it's because much of my life has been spent in his traces, from India, through the Middle East, to Baltimore and the Great Plains.

He's simply a fabulous story-teller. Whether he's commenting on the sexual proclivities of the people of a region, their food, clothing, culture or religious practices, he's just fascinating.

This book really should not be sold separately from the second volume; they go together. That said, this is an excellent introduction to 19th C. Arabia. It's an Arabia that exists only in the minds of traditionalists--foreign or Arab--but it informs so much of how the Arabs see themselves that it's "must reading."

Burton was in his prime when he wrote this, before his misadventures in searching for the source of the Nile. His observations are acute; his writing clear. Make no mistake, Burton was a member of Victorian English society, even if he could laugh at the barriers of class when out of the country. His insights into Arabia, though, cast a very clear reflection of his upbringing, as well as the new sense of anthropological research he adds to the process.

Sir Richard Burton - a man not of his time.......2002-12-18

Excellent writing about an arduous journey to meccah. While not the first European to enter the holy city, he was the first to pace off dimensions and publish an extensive survey of the area, the city and the muslims' sacred meterorite. Very interesting subject material particularly in the 21st century.

bibliography & note.......2002-03-09

India:
Goa, and the Blue Mountains, 1851
Scinde,or, The Unhappy Valley, 1851
Sindh, and the Races that inhabit the Valley of the Indus, 1852
Falconry in the Valley of the Indus, 1852
A Complete System of bayonet Exercise, 1853
Africa:
Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to El-Medinah and Mecca, 1855
First Footsteps in Africa: or an exploration of Harar, 1856
The Lake Regions of Central Africa: A Picture of Exploration, 1860
The Lake Regions of Central Equatorial Africa with Notices of the Lunar Mountains and the sources of the White Nile...1860
America:
The City of the Saints and across the Rocky Mountains, 1861
The Prairie traveler, 1863
Misc.:
Abeokuta and the Cameroon mountians, 1863
Wanderings in West Africa, 1863
A Mission to Gelele, King of the Dahomes,... , 1864
The Nile Basin, 1864
Wit and Wisdom from West Africa, 1865
The Guide Book: A Pictorial Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina, 1865
The Highlands of Brazil, 1869
Vikram and the Vampires, or Tales of Hindu Devilry, 1870
Letters from the Battlefields of Paraguay, 1870
Unexplored Syria, 1872
Zanzibar, 1872
The Lands of Canzembe, Lacerds's Journey to Cazembe in 1798, 1873
The Captivity of Hans Stade of Hesse, 1874
Ultima Thule; or, A Summer in Iceland, 1875
Etruscan Bologna, 1876
A New System of Sword Exercise for Infantry, 1876
Two Trips to Gorilla Land, Congo, 1876
Scind Revisited: With Notices of the Anglo-Indian Army; Railroads; Past, Present, and Future, 1877
The Gold Mines of Midian, 1878
The Land of Midian, 1879
The Kasidah, 1880
Os, Lusiads, 1880
Camoens:His Life and His Lusiads, 1881
A Glance at the "Passion Play", 1881
To the Gold Coast for Gold, 1883
Kama Sutra, 1883
The Book of the Sword, 1884
Perfumed Garden, 1886
1001 Nights, 1886-1888
Iracema, 1886
Priapea, 1890
Marocco and the Moors, 1891
Il Pentamerone, 1893
The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catallus, 1894
The Jew and the Gypsy, 1898
Wanderings in Three Continents, 1901

Its my opinion that though he wrote an amazing number of books none of them are really 5 star classics though there are some flawed masterpieces in there. He just wrote too fast to care about polishing his works.
As for racism, a charge that could be brought up against all Imperial Englishman, he is no doubt as guilty as his fellows. Not to excuse him for it but though writing within an anglo tradition and to a strictly anglo public he perhaps overstates his own anglo bias just to assure his readers he has not gone native, a charge which would be ruinous to any career, military or literary. I won't try to convince you one way or the other but any man who learns another mans language and his religion and his literature and pays so much mind to him that he can even drink a glass of water using his exact manner is paying that man and his culture some kind of compliment. I won't pretend to understand what exactly Burtons motives were from one moment to the next and one adventure to the next but his relation to all these cultures certainly cannot be reduced to a one word description. Burton is a man of immense learning , his enthusiasms are infectious and his appetites as well as his humor are outrageous. With Burton you always get more than you bargained for, you get the country he is in and all manner of localised detail but also you get Burton, his way of writing, his manners, and his customs.

A Riot.......2001-11-16

It's hard to take Richard Burton seriously nowadays. His sardonic humor and his hilarious deadpan observations about Middle Eastern life sound more like a satire on Victorian attitudes than an actual travel story. And yet, underneath the veneer one sometimes catches a glimpse of sympathy and actual respect for the people he writes about.

Under the veneer, too, there is a hard core layer of reality, and a surprising number of his observations are true even today. The thing that gets me is that he was able to pull off the pilgrimage at all! As a sometime traveler and student of languages, I have been in situations where I have tried to pass for a native, and regardless of where you go it is a difficult act to pull off for more than five minutes. How Burton got all the way to Mecca without being stoned to death is beyond me.

Which makes it a good adventure story as well as good travel literature. One of the most enjoyable books I have ever read. I recommend it highly.

Great finish to an exciting journey.......2001-03-16

Here Burton finds Mecca and the long-sought Ka'abah. Along with descriptions of the Badawin of "Al-Hijaz," the "Bedouins" to us who "haunt" the normal caravan routes, Burton describes the people of Mecca and the religious observances and practices of the "Haji's" first appearance (and subsequent appearances) at the Bayt Ullah, the House of God.

While Burton keeps his condescension and moral superiority (if not sublimity) in check, he will occasionally weary the reader and try their patience with such observations as "the pigeons of Mecca resemble those of Venice" -- and who is to say that differences exist in those that seasonally appear in downtown Cleveland?

Altogether, along with the first volume, an enjoyable read and an intriguing catalog of relevant observations, historical detail, biblical anecdotes and legends, and at the end of the volume, excerpts from earlier European "Hajis" (a "Gentleman of Rome" in 1503 and a semi-educated English youngster in 1680).

A first-rate travelogue, peppered at times with overbearing detail.

Average customer rating:

Tension-filled and conflict-driven narrative rings true!

So That's What They Do Over There With All Work And No Play

Exciting, entertaining, credible read

I found this book fascinating, but disturbing

The Empty Quarter is not empty!

The Empty Quarter
David Marion Wilkinson
Manufacturer: New Harbinger Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
General | United States | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Not Between Brothers: An Epic Novel of Texas

Oblivion's Altar:: A Novel of Courage

ASIN: 0965187926

Customer Reviews:

Tension-filled and conflict-driven narrative rings true!.......2001-08-05

I read this straight through, when it first came out, on non-stop flight from Houston to Seattle. I couldn't put it down. It's that good because it comes straight from David's heart and from his own personal experiences in the oil patch and because he skillfully crafts a spell-binding story that goes beyond a personal memoir. It's wrought with the universal themes of trust, faith and comittment (to name a few). David Wilkinson takes the reader on a fast-paced journey through the eyes of his main character Logan, from Austin to the god-foresaken desert known as The Empty Quarter. There, Logan finds himself as he engages the Arabian desert's ocean of oil with a drilling crew that's made up of the real-life characters you still find in the oil business. I felt like I was there! Moreover, there's some real first-rate writing here that reminds one of Conrad and Hemingway. I hope to see a follow-up to this one from David Wilkinson.

So That's What They Do Over There With All Work And No Play.......2001-07-26

I once pondered, from my squalid apartment in Boston, joining a friend who was heading down to Texas to get a job on an oil rig. He told me nothing could go wrong and the pay was stratospheric. The oil industry was in dire need of guys like us to help get their oil out of the ground and into gastanks where it belonged. Still, due to certain unanswered questions, I continued to hesitate. Then my friend went on a five week drinking binge and nothing ever came of the plan to go to Texas.

Now, twenty years later, "The Empty Quarter" answers all my questions, questions like: Are there girls on oil rigs? Do roughnecks really mix their drinks with screwdrivers like it says in Trivial Pursuit? Does one have to be physically strong to be a roughneck? Is the title literal, i.e., is the employment contingent on the condition of the neck. Is roughneck related in any way to redneck? Or is the condition of the neck a result of the job, and if so, does it happen to women, too, or are their necks protected by long silky hair tumbling luxuriantly from under their hardhats? If there are no women on oil rigs, do they work close by in some sort of air-conditioned office, or, in the case of an offshore rig, on a boat moored within shouting distance of the platform? What is the social status of a roughneck? Is he or she afforded the same level of personal dignity as, say, a busboy in a New Wave dance club?

The story takes place on a rig in Saudi Arabia, where the protagonist, Logan, struggles to escape from the smothering influence of his onetime mentor, Jamie Strong. They are not roughnecks, having moved up a few notches on the oilfield ladder. They command a crew of roughnecks, who are from India. Far from being rednecks, these roughnecks are practicing Muslims, who send their earnings home to destitute families, much as Mexicans do from their jobs in the US. The Indians are treated less than respectfully by the Americans and Europeans, much as Mexicans are treated in Texas or California. In fact, the whole scenario is reminiscent of Texas of the Fifties, with Strong playing a sort of Lyndon Johnson, a powerful and demented yokel, with no thought of anything outside his own gluttonous appetites.

On a previous job in the North Sea, Strong had manipulated some machinery so as to deliberately maim some English roughnecks whom he felt did not show him the proper deference. During the investigation of the crime he switches tactics from swaggering to sniveling, and suborns the callow Logan to perjure himself. In this way he at once evades punishment and brings Logan further under his power by involving him in the crime.

Sadly enough, there are no women on oil rigs, and this could partially explain the tolerance of and connivance in racism and mayhem, since men do trend more toward bestiality when women are not present. It's unclear whether their nonpresence is due to Saudi strictures on mingling of the sexes, or to the heavy nature of the equipment used. "Empty Quarter" is full of huge and deadly machinery: tongs, drawworks drum, slug tank, rotary table, cathead... but none of it is never defined or explained in any way, which lends a patina of historicity to the story, as though it were an actual journal dug out of a roughneck's battered locker in the aftermath of an industrial accident.

So, too, does the story of "Empty Quarter" play out: inexplicable yet seemingly inexorable. The men on the rig rank themselves by race in an era when race has been discredited as a means to determine quality; they settle their differences by brawling in an age when lawsuits and subterfuge have been shown more effective in vanquishing foes. Most puzzling of all is that all the brawling and race-baiting and hatred is in the quest of a commodity that they won't even own, that their own nations won't even own when it is finally gotten out of the ground, so that these poor myopic men are at each other's throats for a few bucks an hour, like Treasure of the Sierra Madre set in a Taco Bell. All in all, it seems a tale of a world that is already disappearing. Probably by now there is software that can do Strong or Logan's job better than either of them--and not fly into a murderous rage when the roughnecks disobey it.

Exciting, entertaining, credible read.......1999-12-25

This excellent thriller set in the uninhabited desert of Saudi Arabia on a drilling rig tips you off right away that the writer has both been in the situation himself and done meticulous research. The book is packed with action and fascinating interaction, between men from various countries working for an American/Arabian oil company. There are constant clashes of culture, race, religion, nationality and personality in one of the most isolated situations possible, where the people involved are forced to work aas a team, no matter how they may feel about each other. I particularly enjoy fiction that teaches the reader something about a new subject, in this case oil and gas drilling. The author thoughtfully provided a picture of the works at the front of the book, with many of the parts labelled. Even though it is fiction, I would have also liked some kind of glossary of technical terms. But I sure can't fault the writing--this is one of those books I just blasted through without wanting to put down, and one I can't wait to lend to family and friends. Good books are made to share!

I found this book fascinating, but disturbing.......1999-04-24

I was intrigued by the title of this book as I had lived in Saudi Arabia and been out to rig sites in the Rub Al Khali (the empty quarter). The characters in the book seem very real, if not very likeable. The characterization of the TCN's rang true. The American's came across poorly, but perhaps that too was true. I found the harshness of rig life and the undercurrent of violence to conflict with my exposure to this enviornment, however I will admit to limited knowledge. The writing made you care about the characters and read on. I found the character of Strong to be almost a caricature, drillers normally are party on types but have a great deal more self-control, professionalism, and discipline by the very nature of their work. The technical details were woven into the story in such a way as to make the rig and the well almost characters of their own. On the whole well written, it made me want to visit Hofuf again!

The Empty Quarter is not empty!.......1999-02-09

David Wilkinson has given the reader an insider's look at an industry that is about as politically incorrect as exist today. There is, however, no "holier than thou" preaching. Wilkinson's masterful storytelling pushes one effortlessly past any political position. It was wonderful to be caught up in the people as well as the plot. A must read.

Lost Cities and Ancient Mysteries of Africa and Arabia (The Lost City Series)

Average customer rating:

I hope no one takes this book seriously
Lots of flavor, little facts...
Very interesting read
Sublimely Goofy Entertainment
A very interesting historical travelogue

Lost Cities and Ancient Mysteries of Africa and Arabia (The Lost City Series)
David Hatcher Childress
Manufacturer: Adventures Unlimited Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

General | New Age | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Occult | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Africa | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0932813062

Customer Reviews:

I hope no one takes this book seriously.......2006-01-02

A synopsis of the first chapter: around 12,000 BCE, three very powerful civilizations existed in and around the Mediterranean. Atlantis was a mini-continent in the Atlantic Ocean west of the Straight of Gibraltar. The Osirian Empire was located in the basin of what is now the Mediterranean Sea and the Rama Empire existed throughout Persia and into India. The civilizations of both Atlantis and Rama possessed flying airships, very similar to those commonly reported as modern-day UFOs. In addition, the Rama Empire had some type of laser-based weapon. They used anti-gravity technology to levitate giant cut stones weighing three million pounds into position at a site in modern-day Lebanon as a landing pad for their airships.

According to Jared Diamond, a preeminent cultural anthropologist, the development of agriculture did not occur until around 11,000 BCE and was localized in the Fertile Crescent until 7,500 BCE. Since one can trace food surpluses as a requirement for the settlement of cities and subsequent development of technology in cultures all over the world, it seems unlikely, at best, that the Rama Empire possessed airships, laser weapons and anti-gravity technology before humans domesticated the pea (in 8,500 BCE). It just seems a little difficult to believe that in between hunting and gathering, people had time to construct flying ships, weaponize lasers and employ anti-gravity technology. This is especially remarkable given that it took humans 14,000 years to redevelop the technology for flight and we still haven't been able to weaponize lasers or develop anti-gravity technology.

The book may appeal to people looking for an interesting read, but it should not be taken as a scholarly work. In fact, the author's attempts to cite scholarly sources and research to justify his claims are laughable. Also, there are numerous typographical errors (mostly omitted prepositions and possessives as well as punctuation errors).

Lots of flavor, little facts..........2002-05-05

Ok, let's get one thing out of the way. David Childress is not an archeologist. Some people seem to get hung up on this, so let's make that real clear. I always see his books in the "Travel Narrative" section of the bookstore, and that's exactly what they are... great travel narratives.

The books has two modes. Mr. Childress' travel stories, and his telling of "wacky" theories of the places he visits. Within the first 25 pages, you have stories of ancient nuclear weapons, flying machines, and continent spanning civilizations that no one has heard of! And he explains that this is the "easiest" way of rationalizing the things he has seen! (Such as, giant blocks of stone that are too big to move, "even by modern engineering").

On the whole, this is a great read if you want some insight into the crazy ideas that exist out there. Childress seems to have a mainline into most of them. His travel writing is pretty good too.

One note: the editing is terrible. Spelling and typos all over the place. The typography & layout of the book do leave something to be desired.

Very interesting read.......2002-03-11

I picked up this book not realizing that I had already read excerpts from it in another of Childress' books. I was headed for Jordan and was interested in reading up on Petra when I found this book. As I read more, it began to get really interesting. His broad coverage of various theories of ancient civilizations is fascinating, if sometimes hard to believe. But, that being said, there are so many unexplained civilizations out there that, however fanciful the explanations may be, who knows, some may even be correct!! It's an entertaining read, and really causes you to reconsider some very basic historical facts that may turn out to be in error. How DID those guys at the Temple of Ba'al move 2 million pound stones?!? Makes you wonder!!

Sublimely Goofy Entertainment.......2000-05-04

Let's face it: this isn't a very good book. Then again, "Godzilla vs. Monster Zero" wasn't a very "good" (if we must assign labels) movie. Childress, a "maverick archaeologist" who seems to spend most of his time floundering around grimly impoverished Third World locales and getting nowhere with evasive women at bars, provides an insanely amusing travelogue of his journeys through the jungles and exotic landscapes of Africa and Arabia, commenting along the way on the unknown Atlantean, Lemurian, and other civilizations that flourished once upon a time and were responsible for the Pyramids, THE MAHABHARATA, and presumably Jimmy Hoffa's and D.B. Cooper's whereabouts. The most insane thing about this book is that a lot of it might be true. So far as I know, we still know very little about the Neolithic era, and the concept of "lost" civilizations would imaginably appeal to many readers depressed at the state of the world (including myself). However, I must agree with the other negative reviewer that Childress offers no convincing evidence to support his theories (and not very much UNconvincing evidence, either). The only sources he uses are hopelessly mossbound Victorian "explorers" (who knows how many African bearers' lives they may have used up to supply this book with fodder for speculation?) who had their own "issues" to deal with. Don't even get me started on the possible cultural-studies implications of this book. That being said, it WAS a lot of fun, and he does occasionally come up with some exciting memories and fantastical theories that NEARLY make up for my having read this book.

A very interesting historical travelogue.......2000-04-10

David Hatcher Childress' Lost Cities series has proven to be consistently interesting, and Lost Cities and Ancient Mysteries of Africa and Arabia is no exception. Taking the everyman approach to travel writing, Childress' accounts of his travels through Arabia and Egypt are very interesting and insightful, full of both interesting travel advice relevant to the regions he travelled through and accounts of personal experiences that make his stories very interesting to read. He thoroughly covers all of the major and most of the minor historical sites to be found throughout Africa and Arabia, often at great personal risk. It took guts to make the journeys he has made, many of which were in areas very dangerous for Americans, and a talent for writing to make them interesting. I thoroughly recommend this and all of the other Lost Cities series of books to all would-be travelers with an open mind and an interest in the unusual.

Sand Dance: By Camel Across Arabia's Great Southern Desert

Average customer rating:

Fantastic Voyage
desert experience

Sand Dance: By Camel Across Arabia's Great Southern Desert
Bruce Kirkby
Manufacturer: McClelland & Stewart
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Expeditions & Discoveries | World | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0771095651
Release Date: 2001-02-01

Book Description

For forty days and forty nights during the winter of 1999, three Canadians, Bruce Kirkby, Jamie Clarke, and Leigh Clarke, along with three Omani Bedu, travelled by camel across Arabia’s great southern desert – the legendary Empty Quarter. Journeying from Salala in Oman on the Arabian Sea, they headed north and east for 1,200 kilometres across remote and largely unexplored desert wilderness, where ranges of sand dunes tower to over three hundred metres in height. When they finally reached Abu Dhabi on the Persian Gulf, they were received as heroes. Theirs was the first camel crossing of the Empty Quarter in over fifty years.

The expedition had historic roots, since the team sought to retrace for the first time the original 1947 crossing by world-famous explorer and adventurer Sir Wilfred Thesiger. In the years since Sir Wilfred’s journey, Arabia and the Bedu have faced enormous upheaval. The discovery of oil precipitated rapid and irreversible changes to a nomadic society that had existed in relative isolation since the time of Mohammed. Travelling with their three Bedu companions, the team was afforded a rare glimpse of how these changes have affected the last of the Arabian nomads.

During the desert crossing the team was determined to travel and live as authentically as possible, on camels, taking Arabic names and wearing traditional clothing, drinking their water from rank goatskins and eating mainly unleavened bread and dried camel meat. The cultural insights they were afforded are constantly fascinating – but so are the cultural clashes, since the party was often followed by Land Cruisers full of well-meaning supporters who threatened to destroy the spirit of the journey.

The expedition was also full of adventure and incident – such as a hundred-foot descent down a narrow, snake-infested well, a three-day sandstorm, the sting of a desert scorpion, and the challenge of living with inescapable heat and nagging dehydration.

The Empty Quarter Traverse received considerable media coverage, both nationally and internationally. In nineteen countries around the world, 22,000 school children enrolled in the team’s Internet education program, and 4.8 million people visited the expedition Web site. The trek was reported widely and was the subject of a feature story on the CBC National and a front-page colour photo story in the National Post.

Now Bruce Kirkby has written a thoughtful and deeply felt account of this challenging expedition – and has illustrated it with twenty-four pages of his stunning colour photographs. Anyone interested in remote areas of the world or stirred by the romance of old-fashioned adventure and daring will find Sand Dance constantly engaging.

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic Voyage.......2001-07-15

This book is a really interesting account of the three Canadians' journey across the Empty Quarter on the Arabian Peninsula. I followed the news reports of their journey back when it was under way, so it was really interesting to read this personal account and get more of a close-up view. I felt like the book basically had three focusses: the desert environment, the camels, and the Bait Kathir Bedouin. The book describes all three in personal detail, and you get a sense for how these three elements all interact. I found the observations of the Bedouin culture very interesting. I also liked having the bits of Arabic dialogue because I study Arabic but I was unfamiliar with this dialect. All around it's a very interesting book.

desert experience.......2001-05-26

I was fascinated by the experiences of the three adventurers. I particularly enjoyed the photographs included in the book. I returned to them quite often to get more of a feel of what they were experiencing. I regret that, as a woman in these countries, I would be unable to come close to anything like this. The camels were delightful and I take back all those horrible things people say about them.

Incidents of Travel in Egypt, Arabia Petraea and the Holy Land

Average customer rating:

The most eloquently written travel book ever!
Egypt hasn't changed much after all these years! (circ.:1995
A great book, fun and simple, easy reading.

Incidents of Travel in Egypt, Arabia Petraea and the Holy Land
John LLoyd Stephens
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Travel | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Asia | Travel | Subjects | Books

Essays & Travelogues | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0486291553

Book Description

Great 19th-century travel classic by discoverer of Mayan ruins. Recounts author's year-long journey through the Middle East, with detailed observations of the Pyramids, temple of Karnak, red-rock city of Petra, along with charming accounts of a Turkish bath, a night in a tomb, Arab hospitality, more. 38 illustrations, 3 maps.

Customer Reviews:

The most eloquently written travel book ever!.......2005-10-10

I'm so glad that I found this book after having been to Egypt and Jordan/Petra because this book has given me insight into the original means of transportation within the Middle East. Stephens' writing style is pure poetry and is a true joy to read. The English language has evolved, but has not improved since his day. To read this book is a true treat for the mind and adventurer.

After having had a private guided tour where we did not have to secure a boat that had been scuttled to save it from indentured service to the Pasha, and we did not have to obtain camels and goods as well as questionable guides that might slit our throats in the desert for our money, I could appreciate our accommodations much more.

To have been an adventurer then was much more of a true adventure. While I may have had a massage on the top deck of the cruise ship on the Nile at dusk, which made me feel like Cleopatra, I by no means was an adventurer of Stephens' stature and could appreciate the true effort it was to make the same trip 150+ years ago.

The Bedouins of today are not much different than the days of yore. We did not have to sneak into Petra from over the mountains, but did sit down to coffee and tea provided by them. They still live in tents, but many are now driving top end Mercedes instead of camels. :)

After reading that he shot a pigeon at Denderah and shot out an eye of Hathor, I had to go back and look at my pictures to see if I could find that statue at the temple!

If you go to Egypt or Petra, I recommend reading this book after the trip because it has much more meaning then.

This book is a true treasure and I can see why a book written by a man who was born over 200 years ago is still in print! I can only hope that it will stay in print for another 200 years so that "modern" people can appreciate the arduous travails of yore.

Egypt hasn't changed much after all these years! (circ.:1995.......2002-07-07

At the very beginning of Stephens' travelogue, he explains to the careful reader the methodology he used to validate the legitimacy of his writing. I thought it brazen of him, and since he falsified this "rationalization for writing" under such a guise, at times I did not know whether to believe him or not. He did have a quaint deadpan, tongue-in-cheek demeanor.
I thought it funny that just after our returning from Poughkeepsie, (New York) I was reading about his traveling through Poughkeepsie!
Little nuances such as "... with all the extravagance of Eastern hyperbole..." (page 233) dot the pages.
Throughout the book, there are many wonderful learning experiences such as "...I remember I had a long discourse about the difference between the camel and the dromedary. Buffon gives the camel two humps, and the dromedary one; and this, I believe is the received opinion, as it had always been mine; but, since I had been in the East, I had remarked that it was exceedingly rare to meet a camel with two humps. I had seen together at one time, on the starting of the caravan of pilgrims to Mecca, perhaps twenty thousand camels and dromedaries, and had not seen among them more than half a dozen with two humps. Not satisified with any explanation from European residents or travelers, I had inquired among the Bedouins; and Toualeb, my old guide, brought up among camels, had given such a strange account that I never paid any regard to it. Now, however, the sheik told me the same thing, namely, that they were of different races, the dromedary being to the camel as the blood-horse is to the cart-horse; and that the two humps were peculiar neither to the dromedary nor the camel, or natural to either; but that both are always born with only one hump, which, being a mere mass of flesh, and very tender, almost as soon as the young camel is born a piece is sometimes cut out of the middle for the covenience of better arranging the saddle; and, being cut out of the center, a hump is left on either side of the cavity; and this, according to the account given by Toualeb, is the only way in which two humps ever appear on the back of a camel or dromedary. I should not mention this story if I had heard it only once; but, precisely as I had it from Toualeb, it was confirmed with a great deal of circumstantial detail by another Bedouin, who, like himself, had lived among camels and dromedaries all his life; and his statement was assented to by all his companions. I do not vie this out as a discovery made at this late day in regard to an animal so well known as the camel; indeed, I am told that the Arabs are not ignorant of that elegance of civilized life called "quizzing." I give it merely to show how I wiled away my time in the desert, and for what it is worth.2 In spite of Stephens' information, zoologists still classify camels as Dromedary (one hump) and Bactrian (two humps)." (Pages 241-242).
I never quite understood the evacuation and continuous abandonment of Petra until Stephens stated: '...in reference to the interpretation of the prophecy, "None shall pass through it for ever and ever,'I can say that I have passed through the land of Idumea..."(Page 306)."...because the Bedouins would always be lying in wait for travelers..." (Page 266.)
Do absorb the explanation and vivid description of POOLS OF SOLOMON on page 327 and The traditions of prayer at The Wailing Wall on pages 368-369.
I had just gotten half-way through this book the night (5-27-02) my father own died, and how I wished that I could be able to share my findings, my questions I need answered, and discuss this book with him!

A great book, fun and simple, easy reading........1999-07-27

Mr. Sthepens was a great traveler and writer too, he made easy to follow his travels and gave his very personal point of view ot those days. In particular I like his graphic description of the conditions that people lived in the past. I recomend it to everybody all ages.

THE KINGDOM OF MELCHIOR: ADVENTURE IN SOUTH WEST ARABIA.

Average customer rating:

THE KINGDOM OF MELCHIOR: ADVENTURE IN SOUTH WEST ARABIA.

Manufacturer: John Murray
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HL06DS

Travels in Arabia Deserta: Selected Passages

Average customer rating:

Doughty was not fair with the Bedw
Living and writing Bible-style
Lend me a grip of thy five?
Gives Meaning to the Phrase "Travel Classic"
Travelogue as Tea; Sand as History

Travels in Arabia Deserta: Selected Passages
Charles M. Doughty
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Middle East | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Travel Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0486431584

Book Description

This excellent selection is ideally suited to a wide audience of general readers. Written after the author had spent two years wandering among the Bedouin nomads, the remarkable book describes Doughty's attempt to reach Mecca, his endurance of extraordinary hardships, and his first-hand observations of Arab life and culture in the 1870s.

Customer Reviews:

Doughty was not fair with the Bedw .......2006-04-04

Doughty had reflected his belief throughout his journey and I am not surprised. He decreased the Bedw traditions and tried to link it completely to the teaching of Islam. He knew from the beginning that the Bedw tradition especially in the northern part of the Arabian Peninsula has nothing to do with the teaching of Islam. It was basically their culture. He did used the Bedw to serve his purpose since he wrote this book only to the western readers at that time to capture their imagination of the Arabian desert and to lay down the first step toward the colonization period that took place 30 years later.
Doughty in his book has described the Bedew life with many details that have shocked me. Since he lived with my great grandfather (Tollog) during his stay on al Harra, I was able to tell how close he was to reflect the real life of my tribe.
If we ignore his belief's reflection in his writing, we can conclude that his book is truly a masterpiece in detailing the life of one of the most isolated part of the world in 1800 century.

Living and writing Bible-style.......2005-06-23

I must, grudgingly, give this monumental classic work of travel and adventure five stars, despite the fact that I don't really like the author. Doughty was probably not a very nice, friendly person; his life and opinions seem centered around a strict, almost fanatical and unforgiving, religiosity (he was a very fervent christian). Nevertheless, what he set out to do, he did with ample success and eficiency; and what he set out to do is not so simple as it seems at first sight,in my opinion, except for one of his main, but most superficial goals: to redeem the English language from the poverty and oversimplicity it had fallen into (Doughty believed the English language had fallen from grace since Spencer: I wonder, what would he think of it now?).

"Travels..." is an account of Doughty's two years of wandering through the Desert, in the 2nd half of the 19th century, with Hejaz and Nejd nomads. Unlike many other travellers before him (such as Sir Richard Burton), he never even tried to pretend he was a muslim, but admited to the nomads he travelled with that he was christian....and then went on, once and again for two years, to argue christianity's superiority over Islam and to explain how the fact that they were muslims excited his pity at seeing them fooled by their fraudulent Islamic beliefs. We know that traveleng in Arabia in those times was quite risky and dangerous, so it is a wonder that he was not killed by the nomads he was travelling with after they had to hear, for the hundredth time, how their faith was a fraud!!! This pious propensity, or even thirst for martyrdom (some times the provocations seem to point at that), is also quite trying for the reader.

However, if you can stomach the religious dissertations in his very special saintly style, the reading is rewarding indeed. Doughty had the (undeserved, I think with envy)luck to find the remains of the Nabataean town of Hegra, which he describes in some depth, with sketches of the tombs and copies of the inscriptions he found there. Who doesn't dream of finding the abandoned, lost, ancient town, built by a mysterious half-forgotten people? His descriptions of life with a Nomadic tribe of those times, with its unbelievable hardships, due to the famine-level subsistence usual among nomads, are an etnographic work of first rank. His report of the abuse, threats and indignities he had to suffer at the hands of the nomads because of his refusal to deny his christianity are unintentionally funny, in spite of himself.

But it is when we see that Doughty constantly compares the nomads of the desert with the Patriarchs of the Bible, and we know he can imagine himself in the company of Abraham's or Ishmael's tribes, when we learn the extent of the religious significance that this journey had for him. The ignorance and fanaticism that he finds in these nomads, he imagines in the Patriarchs of the Bible. For him Christianity, his own faith, was the light and salvation that took people out of the pitiful and primitive state these nomads live in. In fact, his journey is actually a pilgrimage to invest his religion with a significance that maybe he had been in the process of losing from sight.

And it is this, the fact that this author had set out for a journey with the intention of profoundly despising the people he was going to live with, what makes me despise him as a person, even though I see the importance of his work. Although Doughty repeats, now and then, the common, admiring expressions that were usual and fashionable to speak about the nomadic Arabs of those times -all the usal "noble savage" stuff-, we can read between lines (and later on, directly) that he thinks they are repulsive, inferior creatures. He goes to Arabia thinking he will be a superior among primitives, and he leaves Arabia, two years later, convinced that this has, indeed, been the case. In my opinion, the one who comes out the worst from the experience, is himself, although I have to thank him for recording his experiences and so, giving me the oportunity of reading between lines and learning from that.

I would like to add that this is not a complete edition of Doughty's work, which I read in the Dover two-volume edition, with an introduction by T.E.Lawrence and translations (of the Nabatean inscriptions) by Ernest Renan, and with some beautifully drawn maps.

Lend me a grip of thy five?.......2005-06-04

After reading this work detailing the 1870s [mis]adventures of the legendary Charles M. Doughty, one comes to understand much better why T.E.Lawrence so admired the Bedu and mistrusted the Arab city dweller. Doughty's "travels" really amounted to being "driven" through hostile lands occupied by "fanatics," continuously handed off from one group of outlaws and thieves to another. "I found in them an implacable fanaticism," wrote Doughty. "All their life is passed in fraud and deceipt." Sacred oaths, swearing in the name of God out of mere habit, traditional mores of protecting the fellow-traveller in one's charge honored mostly in the breach. One friendly Arab acquaintance along the tortured path tells Doughty, "I hope that your life may be preserved: but they will not suffer you to dwell amongst them! You will be driven from place to place. As many among them as have travelled, are liberal; but the rest, no." Abdullah el-Kenneyny advised Doughty, "I am even now in amazement! that in such a country, you openly avow yourself to be an Englishman; but how may you pass even one day in safety. You have lived hitherto with the Bedu; but it is otherwise in the townships."

Early on, the strange language seemed humorous and distracting, but it soon grows on you. "Give me a hand" becomes "Lend me a grip of thy five." Robbed, stripped, insulted, the intrepid Doughty gives the evil-doers the back of his hand as often as he dared, many times with his hand on a revolver hidden under his robes. One bluff carried off successfully against fellow travellers, who were sworn, of course, to defend him -- "By the life of Him who created us, in what instant you show me a gun's mouth, I will lay dead your carcasses upon this earth."

Occasionally some paragraph seems to be the obvious inspiration for a like passage in Lawrence's "Seven Pillars of Wisdom," an exquisitely detailed description of how a camel comes to a halt and lies down being one of the most obvious examples.

A major feature of this work is the great care taken by the author to use and then explain the Arabic vocabulary for places and things unique to the Arab culture. Each and every page is peppered with these terms. There is a fine glossary, praise God, the Merciful One!

The first half of this collection of selected passages from the massive original work will give readers warm feelings for the Bedouin and sweet dreams of wandering amongst them at peace with God and nature. The second half will likely wipe out any such urge. Civilizations still clash, 130 years later. Extremists rear their ugly heads on both sides of a vast chasm. Will the next 130 years bring much fundamental change?

Gives Meaning to the Phrase "Travel Classic".......2001-11-16

There are few travel books that can stand up to the depredations of time - indeed, travel literature by its nature tends to be ephemeral. We may peruse the Victorian travelers, but mainly to get a sense of the exotic, from a time when it still was that way.

Fewer travel books still can claim to have had a conscious impact beyond their own genre. One thinks of Stendahl's travels in the South of France, Radishchev's journey from Petersburg to Moscow, or Stephens and Catherwood in the Yucatan. But Doughty is in a class by himself.

This remarkably eccentric man with the remarkably eccentric writing style set off into one of the last fringes of society, to a world where the art of the word was cultivated and where a man's worth was set by his speech. He is not an easy read. Yet his writing reflects the sense of a major intellect from one culture confronted by a tradition which is very old, very venerable and yet totally alien from that in which he was raised. That he sought to explain it by creating a new way of writing is perhaps not remarkable.

Many writers of the last century have been quite vocal about the debt that they owe him; one sometimes wonders if this is honored more in the breach than we would like to believe. But try him on for size, but be prepared to be patient. You will find that his style will win you over if you are.

Travelogue as Tea; Sand as History.......2000-01-13

Doughty, who had many disciples, including the sphinxlike T.E.Lawrence, wrote in a style which he described as a response to the confines presented by the Victorian language. Lawrence, when composing his great oasis "Seven Pillars of Wisdom," too, offered his own form of revelling, a sort of aversion to the literal strictures of Edwardianism which the former described as "granular." Here, "Travels in Arabia" is instructive, even highly enjoyable; the two-volume set (some of which include maps) is replete with Doughty's self-styled descriptions of the then still-remote middle eastern world as well, what was once considered a great adventure story for the well-read. No, he did not dictate the specifics of the type on the page, but he did manage to produce something to Travel and History as comparable to Fraser's "Golden Bough" was to anthropology; easy to admire but impossible to believe. It is very enjoyable, erudite in its own way and meant to be digested as with Henry James or tea, slowly to fully appreciate. Strongly recommend

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books