Editorial Review

In 1934, a 42-year-old Englishwoman named Freya Stark arrived in the British-governed Protectorate of Aden on a singular mission: to locate the fabled, long-lost city of Shabwa.Read more

Reviews (4)

Fascinating Tale of a Time of Adventure, Lost Forever
I found this book absolutely fascinating as it described a time, only 70-odd years ago, when there truly were unexplored reaches, where legend and history still co-existed, and where a culturally sensitive and aware, and properly respectful traveler could find peaceful and fulfilling adventure.This book is even more interesting now, given the changes in the Middle East in the past ten years.Can one imagine making the same kind of journey in Yemen now?Of course not; it would almost be suicide.That time has long since been destroyed, everything about this book but its pure physical setting gone, so this memoir is even more poignant and compelling.
existentialist trek through Hadhramaut
Trekking over the desolate, rocky plateau that lies between the coast and the interior valleys of Hadhramaut, Freya Stark travelled in 1935 with a group of Bedu and a government slave-soldier.The area has been known as Aden Protectorate,the Qu'aiti State of Shihr and Makalla, South Arabia, the People's Democratic Republic of South Yemen, and is now part of united Yemen.She visited several of the interior towns, almost never seen by Europeans at that time (though the RAF did maintain a presence), and has written beautiful descriptions of the unusual physical environment as well as a kind and sympathetic treatment of the people she met.She talked in Arabic with the ladies of the harim as well as with the rulers, scholars, and ordinary men of the communities.Stark aimed to travel to Shabwa, a long-lost ancient city much further in the interior of the Arabian peninsula, to an area then contested between Yemen and Saudi Arabia.Illness prevented her from doing so.This book then, is an account of her curtailed trip.She was evacuated by airplane from the interior, lucky to be alive.I always like travellers who respect the people they visit and who do not condescend.Freya Stark is certainly among them.For a travel book that describes a time long gone and a place still far from the beaten track-do you know many people who have been to Shibam, Makalla, Tarim, or al Qatn ?---you cannot do much better.You might use it as a guide as to how you could get along with people of a very different culture to your own---step number one, don't try to force them to adhere to your value system. a woman adept at cross-cultural encounters
As a Christian worker in China, I had first-hand opportunity to see how we "foreigners" interacted cross-culturally. (Usually, the most successful of us were those who were not on a Mission from God.) Having seen people badly suited to live abroad and admiring those who were very able to do so, the joy of this book by Freya Stark was reading about a woman operating cross-culturally with a world-class ability to encounter persons with a much different backround than her own. Her sheer delight in her Bedouin companions is vicariously enjoyable.Read more

Subjects:  1. Description And Travel    2. Essays & Travelogues    3. History    4. History: World    5. Middle East - General    6. Middle East - History    7. Travel - General    8. Arabian peninsula    9. Classic travel writing    10. History / Middle East    11. Yemen   

Reviews (2)

Excellent Overview
I spent three months in Yemen last year and bought this book before I went. I'm glad I did, because it turned out to be the perfect primer. A HISTORY OF MODERN YEMEN gives a clear, accessible account of the civil wars throughout the twentieth century that preceded the union of the two Yemens in 1990; and towards the end it offers penetrating insights into the way a new upper class has emerged along with a new desperate underclass. Paul Dresch is also good at highlighting how, despite unification, a north-south divide continues to plague a drive for a true national identity. This book struck me as unusally accessible for the general reader/traveller considering it is principally aimed at academics.

Rich with details
I first picked up this book to validate its' authenticity, being from Yemen myself. To be honest, I learned a few facts that I was able to impress my colleagues with. Thanks! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Middle East - General    6. Yemen    7. Asian / Middle Eastern history: from c 1900 -    8. History / Middle East    9. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    10. Social & cultural anthropology    11. Yemen--History--20th century   

Subjects:  1. Middle East - General    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. ASIA    5. Asian / Middle Eastern history    6. Cultural studies    7. Places & peoples: general interest    8. Yemen   

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General    2. Antiquities    3. Asia - General    4. Emigration and immigration    5. History    6. History - General History    7. Middle East - General    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Taråim (Yemen)    11. òHaòdramawt (Yemen : Province)    12. ASIA    13. Anthropology    14. Social Science / Anthropology / General   

Editorial Review

Englishman Tim Mackintosh-Smith was studying Arabic at Oxford when he visited Yemen, a forgotten country at the heel of the Arabian peninsula, and became obsessed with the place and its language. He's lived there since 1982, and this book--marketed as travel writing but more a blend of personal memoir and national history--is the result. There are certainly travel episodes, such as a trip to the remote island of Susqatra where the Gulf of Aden meets the Indian Ocean. Yet Read more

Reviews (7)

eh
I suppose I expected a bit more with this book, I mean, it was okay...the author provided a concise conveyance of the history and culture, but I have a hard time believing that the Yemenis are steeped in such ridiculous superstition (mostly because I'm of Yemenite descent myself.)I further was deeply annoyed by his generalist comments not only concerning the Yemeni people, but particularly the Hadramis; for me it bordered on rascist.I also which he spoke more about the people and customs of Socotra, and what the indigenous Socotri language sounded like as opposed to Arabic.But obviously the author loves his adopted homeland or he would've left it a long time ago.

Entertaining travelogue about Yemen
This is a travelogue of a Brit's visit to and exploration of Yemen.The author paints a beautiful and romantic picture of Yemen with text that is both easy and enjoyable to read.I knew virtually nothing about Yemen before reading this book, and I purchased it from Amazon on a whim.I was not disappointed.Although there is some discussion of history and politics in this book, the author's primary emphasis is describing the scenery, the people, and the culture that he has experienced on his travels.If the author's goal was to convey a bit of the complexity of Yemeni culture, some of the natural beauty of the Yemeni landscape to a Western audience, and a part of the rich history of Yemen, he has succeeded.I found the author's description of a sailing trip to Suqutra, an island off the coast of Yemen, to be particularly evocative.The `ritual' of qat was also surprising and interesting.I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn about Yemen from a Westerner's viewpoint, particularly if one looking for an entertaining, not scholarly, account.Some of the less enthusiastic reviews of this book state that the account is too idealistic.This is probably a fair criticism, but I do not view this as a drawback in this type of book.

decent book at best
Apparently a reprinted version of Travels in Dictionary Land (if it was different i didn't notice) it gives a good historical and social look at Yemen but mostly in an overly exotic manner. The book and its many anecdotes, however, are very useful as a basis for further research.The chapter on traveling to Socotra is fascinating as well.At times, the reading seemed difficult to an American who is not accustomed to British humor or idioms, but rarely is the meaning lost.While this book is good for light reading or to get an idea of some of the historical, geographical and social aspects of Yemen, the idealistic vision of traditionalism grows tiring.If you're looking for serious commentary on what it is like to live and work as a foreigner in modern day Yemen, look elsewhere. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - General History    3. History: World    4. Middle East - General    5. History / General   

Reviews (1)

Great introduction to Salafi ideology
I found this book to be an incredibly instructive introduction to Salafi thought and legal practice.Imam al-Shawkani, along with Sheikh Muhammad ibn Abd al-Wahhab, is one of the principal scholars of the Salafi movement.This book situates al-Shawkani's life in the intricate context of Yemeni history and politics, but do not be put off by this because it repays the effort.Haykel is able to show how and why some scholars adopt a Salafi methodology and in so doing accumulate an awesome degree of authority and power. Among the many things I learned from this book is why the Salafis are obsessed with expelling non-Muslims from Arabia and what arguments they put forth for this against Muslims who disagree on this point.This topic it turns out was hotly debated in 18th-century Yemen, well before Shaykh Usama Bin Laden brought it up in more recent times.
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Subjects:  1. 1759-1839    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Islam    6. Islam - General    7. Islamic renewal    8. Renaissance    9. Shawkani, Muhammad ibn Al    10. Shawkåanåi, Muòhammad ibn °Alåi,    11. Yemen    12. Asian / Middle Eastern history: c 1500 to c 1900    13. History / Renaissance   

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Travel    3. Travel - Foreign    4. Travel Guides    5. NATURAL HISTORY, COUNTRY LIFE & PETS    6. Travel / Africa    7. Yemen   

Reviews (2)

A Cure for Leftist Lunacy Concerning Islam
About this book, Daniel Pipes wrote: In her mid-40s, a successful executive just placed in charge of Xerox's Color Solutions Business Unit, Quin had a taste for exotic travel that took her in late 1998 to Yemen with a group of eighteen other Western tourists. She and they had the misfortune to have their Land Cruisers driven directly into a war between the government and an Islamist outfit called the Aden Abyan Islamic Army (AAIA). The entire tourist group was taken hostage on December 28 and held for more than a day before Yemeni military forces attacked the AAIA, leading to the deaths of four tourists, two terrorists, and one soldier. Quin herself had a close brush with death, but the terrorist holding the gun in her back was hit before he could do damage to her; in an act of daring-do, she managed to pull from his still-live hands his AK-47, an act which left her a changed person. (The mild-mannered, liberal feminist admits that as she exultantly fought for the gun, she had a revelation: "So this is why men like war.")
How life changes in one AK-47 moment.
Quin has an appealing writing style and writes on issues of great import.They say you should write what you know, and write real characters.Quin does both.
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Subjects:  1. Biography / Autobiography    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Kidnapping    6. Middle East - General    7. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    8. Terrorism    9. Travelers    10. United States    11. Women    12. Yemen    13. History / Middle East   

Features

• Illustrated

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Middle East - General    3. Pictorials    4. Travel    5. Travel - General    6. History / Middle East    7. Places & peoples: general interest    8. Travel & holiday guides    9. YEMEN   

Reviews (1)

The finest ethnomemoir I've ever read.
Tim Macintosh-Smith, Eric Hansen, and Kevin Rushby have all written excellent books vividly describing Yemen.They give us exciting travelogues and detailed descriptions of qat.And yet this book is the finest I've ever seen to describe what it's like to actually live there, and what modern Yemeni culture is.I felt like I was actually there, in a remote village to the East of Sana'a.I wanted to go to Yemen and experience more of the life Caton describes.
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Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Archaeology / Anthropology    3. History - General History    4. Middle East - General    5. Social Science    6. Sociology    7. Social Science / Anthropology / Cultural   

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Civil society    3. Contemporary Politics - Middle East    4. General    5. History - General History    6. Middle East - Saudi Arabia    7. Political Sociology    8. Political participation    9. Politics and government    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Social Science    12. Sociology - General    13. Yemen    14. Yemen (Republic)    15. Civil rights & citizenship    16. Civil society--Yemen    17. Political Science / General    18. Political economy   

Reviews (2)

Who is Kathleen Guillaume?
I want to know more about the translator before buying the book.
Intimate study of the forms, styles and colours
This book is unlike other photographic books on Yemen, it oes not attempt to tell the whole story but rather examines in closeup the details that form the whole such as the styles, patterns and forms that together distinguish Yemen as a bridge between Arabia and Africa.Similary it looks at the way the Yemenis have sculpted their environment from houses to faces.Remarkable in its detail.This book keeps Yemen's secrets but exposes it's character. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Architecture    2. History    3. History - Specific Styles    4. International Architecture - Middle Eastern    5. Middle East - General    6. Middle East - History    7. Pictorial works    8. Travel    9. Yemen    10. Yemen (Republic)    11. History / General    12. Photography / Travel    13. Travel / road maps & atlases   

Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. Antiquities    3. Art, Yemen    4. Civilization    5. Exhibitions    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Sheba,    10. To 628    11. Yemen    12. Yemen (Republic)    13. Ancient Near East    14. Ancient World    15. BCE to c 500 CE    16. Exhibition catalogues and specific collections    17. Myths & mythology   

Subjects:  1. Arabia, Southern    2. History    3. International Relations - General    4. Political Science    5. Politics - Current Events    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics and government    8. Politics/International Relations    9. International relations    10. Oman    11. Political Science / International Relations    12. Saudi Arabia    13. Yemen   

Reviews (2)

ample documentation of the British side of the "Aden Insurgency"
Jonathan Walker, presumably an old boy of Downside, and the son of Sir Gervas Walker, to whom he dedicated this book, has written a good history of the British efforts to quell what they deemed the "Aden Insurgency," the efforts in the 1960s by some inhabitants of South Yemen to end the presence of the British empire in their country.
I was there
A well researched, honest, truthful and well written account of a difficult time in one of England's far-flung colonies. A worthwhile read for budding historians. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1962-    2. Aden    3. Europe - Great Britain - General    4. Foreign relations    5. Great Britain    6. History    7. History - Military / War    8. Insurgency    9. Middle East - General    10. Military    11. Military - Other    12. Yemen    13. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    14. History / Military / Other   

Subjects:  1. Charities    2. Egypt    3. General    4. History    5. History: World    6. Jordan    7. Middle East - General    8. Social institutions    9. Sociology    10. Sociology - General    11. Yemen   

Reviews (1)

The Land of Frankincense
Present day Yemen conceals one of the most enigmatic ancient cultures; the land of Sheba, or Arabia Felix, whence (supposedly) came the Great Queen who visited Solomon, and (more historically)the great spices of the Orient, including cinnamon andFrankincense.The wealth of Arabia Felix owed itself to the highly sophisticated irrigation systems that captured and channeled the flash-floods that periodically pouring down the mountain-sides.This was a remarkable people who built cities on the cliff-faces, commanded huge caravan fleets, monopolized the spice trade and commuted across the Indian Ocean.They evaded BOTH the Alexandrian and the Roman conquests.For all whose imagination is captured by ancient, brilliant civilizations, this is pure escapism. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Middle East - General    6. African studies    7. Ancient Near East    8. Ancient World    9. BCE to c 500 CE    10. Empires & historical states    11. Yemen   

Reviews (1)

Only presents one opinion
I am a Yemeni Jew who was born and raised in the U.S.After my granparents left Yemen for Israel, they realized that they had made a huge mistake.In Israel, they were subjected to even more racism and bigotrythan they had been in Yemen.Babies born to Yemeni Jews in Israel weresold to adoption agencies abroad. This book, although well writen, givesthe reader the wrong idea.That is that Yemen was a terrible place forJews, and that Israel was an escape from bigotry and racism.I would notrecommend this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History Of Jews    2. Immigrants    3. Israel    4. Jews    5. Jews, Yemeni    6. Jews, Yemenite    7. Sociology    8. Yemen    9. Yemen (Republic)    10. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT   

Subjects:  1. 1945-    2. Europe - Great Britain - General    3. Foreign relations    4. Great Britain    5. History    6. History: World    7. International Relations - General    8. Politics - Current Events    9. Yemen    10. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    11. Civil war    12. United Kingdom, Great Britain    13. c 1960 to c 1970   

Subjects:  1. Customs & Traditions    2. History - General    3. History - General History    4. Middle East - General    5. Travel    6. Iconography, subjects depicted in art    7. Places & peoples: general interest    8. Prints & printmaking    9. Yemen