An Arabian journey One man's quest through the heart of the Middle East

Levison Wood, 1982-

eBook - 2019

Following in the footsteps of famed explorers such as Lawrence of Arabia and Wilfred Thesiger, British explorer Levison Wood brings us along on his most complex expedition yet: a circumnavigation of the Arabian Peninsula. Starting in September 2017 in a city in Northern Syria, a stone's throw away from Turkey and amidst the deadliest war of the twenty-first century, Wood set forth on a 5,000-mile trek through the most contested region on the planet. He moved through the Middle East for six months, from ISIS-occupied Iraq through Kuwait and along the jagged coastlines of the Emirates and Oman; across a civil-war-torn Yemen and on to Saudia Arabia, Jordan, and Israel, before ending on the shores of the Mediterranean in Lebanon. Like his ...predecessors, Wood travelled through some of the harshest and most beautiful environments on earth, seeking to challenge our perceptions of this often-misunderstood part of the world. Through the relationships he forges along the way-and the personal histories and local mythologies that his companions share-Wood examines how the region has changed over thousands of years and reveals a side of the Middle East we don't often see in the media. At once a thrilling personal journey and a skillful piece of cultural reportage, Arabia is a breathtaking chronicle of an epic journey through the land at the root of all civilization.

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Published
[United States] : Grove/Atlantic, Inc 2019.
Language
English
Corporate Author
hoopla digital
Main Author
Levison Wood, 1982- (author)
Corporate Author
hoopla digital (-)
Online Access
Instantly available on hoopla.
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Physical Description
1 online resource
Format
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
ISBN
9780802147332
Access
AVAILABLE FOR USE ONLY BY IOWA CITY AND RESIDENTS OF THE CONTRACTING GOVERNMENTS OF JOHNSON COUNTY, UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, HILLS, AND LONE TREE (IA).
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Review by Library Journal Review

London-based travel writer (Walking the Nile), photographer, and explorer Wood embarks on a journey similar to his hero Lawrence of Arabia. He travels to Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, the Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel, concluding in Lebanon, using local guides and townsfolk to accompany him despite the danger, particularly from the ever-present ISIS (Daesh). Descriptions of some of the most magnificent places on earth occur beside accounts of Daesh and those trying to defeat them. These details are horrifying to read, while hearing place names such as Mosul and Basra, familiar to most, are equally compelling. Readers will meet kind as well as terrifying individuals. Fortunately, Wood possesses the ideal temperament to deal with everyone, whether a sultan or an illiterate nomad. Throughout the expedition, he resolves to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem with family and friends, a heartwarming event after so many dangerous encounters on the road. VERDICT Ideal for those interested in Middle Eastern history, current events, or world history, as well as lovers of superlative writing.-Susan G. Baird, formerly with Oak Lawn P.L., IL © Copyright 2019. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.