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Books for

Enrich your travels with reading! Here's a hand-picked list prepared for your journey in conjunction with the book experts at Longitude.

Essential Reading

Item EXMDE69. Buy these 5 items as a set for $96 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
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Lonely Planet Oman, UAE, & Arabian Peninsula

Lonely Planet Oman, UAE, & Arabian Peninsula

by Lonely Planet Publications

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 596 PAGES

A practical guide to the gulf states including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen. (ARB87, $31.99)

A History of the Arab Peoples

A History of the Arab Peoples

by Albert Hourani

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 624 PAGES

Called a landmark, masterpiece and essential to understanding the Middle East, Hourani's acclaimed chronicle of the political, spiritual, religious and cultural traditions of the Arab peoples is brought up to date with an afterword by noted Islamic scholar Malise Ruthven. (MDE11, $18.95)

Arabian Sands

Arabian Sands

by Wilfred Thesiger

  • EXPLORATION
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 400 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

The last of the great British traveler-explorers, Thesiger (1910-2003) journeyed among the nomadic camel-breeding peoples of Southern Arabia in the late 1940s, falling in love with the desert and ways of life of the Bedouin. This eloquent book is his tribute to them. (ARB15, $16.00)

Islam, A Short History

Islam, A Short History

by Karen Armstrong

  • RELIGION
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 230 PAGES

Armstrong brings authority and experience to this vivid, clear-headed survey of the history and impact of Islam from the birth of Muhammad to present-day challenges. (ISL15, $15.95)

Arabia Map

Arabia Map

by Geoprojects

  • MAP

Saudi Arabia and the Arabian Peninsula at a scale of 1:3,500,000. (ARB39, $21.95)

 
Dubai, UAE, Qatar & Bahrain Dubai and United Arab Emirates Map

Dubai, UAE, Qatar & Bahrain Dubai and United Arab Emirates Map


by World Mapping Project

  • 2009
  • MAP

A double-sided map of these Arabian Gulf countries at a detailed scale of 1:470,000. (ARB71, $11.00)

Oman, United Arab Emirates Map

Oman, United Arab Emirates Map


by Gizi Map

  • MAP

Oman and the UAE at a scale of 1:1,250,000. (ARB48, $15.95)

Bradt Guide Oman

Bradt Guide Oman


by Diana Darke | Sandra Shields

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES

A comprehensive guide in the popular Bradt series. (ARB80, $25.99)

Culture Shock! United Arab Emirates

Culture Shock! United Arab Emirates


by Gina Benesh

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER

Subtitled A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette, this pocket reference covers culture and society. (ARB119, $17.99)

Culture Smart! UAE

Culture Smart! UAE


by John Walsh

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 168 PAGES

This concise and practical guide introduces local customs, etiquette and culture for the traveler. (ARB100, $9.95)

Lonely Planet Dubai

Lonely Planet Dubai


by Terry Carter | Lara Dunston

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 236 PAGES

A practical guide to Dubai featuring maps and detailed information on excursions, accommodations and sightseeing. With a few color photographs and excellent travel information. (ARB65, $19.99)

Say It in Arabic (Egyptian)

Say It in Arabic (Egyptian)


by Farouk El-Baz

  • LANGUAGE & PHRASEBOOKS
  • 1968
  • PAPER
  • 185 PAGES

A guide to common words and phrases in the widely spoken Cairo dialect. (ARB54, $4.95)

Behind the Veil in Arabia, Women in Oman

Behind the Veil in Arabia, Women in Oman


by Unni Wikan

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1991
  • PAPER
  • 314 PAGES

An insightful and remarkable look at the role of women in Oman based on Wikan's fieldwork as well as her personal experiences and impressions of the place. (ARB05, $25.00)

Crusade, The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War

Crusade, The Untold Story of the Persian Gulf War


by Rick Atkinson

  • HISTORY
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 520 PAGES

An extensive account of the 42-day Persian Gulf War and how it single-handedly transformed modern warfare. (ARB46, $17.95)

Islam, The Straight Path

Islam, The Straight Path


by John L. Esposito

  • RELIGION
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 304 PAGES

A well-written survey of the faith, practice and beliefs of Islam. It's a balanced tone intended for an undergraduate audience, yet it also functions as an excellent overview for the general reader. (MDE22, $47.95)

Nine Parts of Desire, The Hidden World of Islamic Women

Nine Parts of Desire, The Hidden World of Islamic Women


by Geraldine Brooks

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1996
  • PAPER
  • 256 PAGES

A highly readable overview of the role of women in Islamic society, drawn from the author's many interviews with women throughout the Arab World. (ARB06, $15.00)

Storm from the East: The Struggle Between the Arab World and the Christian West

Storm from the East: The Struggle Between the Arab World and the Christian West


by Milton Viorst

  • HISTORY
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 224 PAGES

A brief history of contemporary Arabia and the uneasy relationship with the West in the excellent Modern Library Chronicles series by a journalist and senior scholar at the Middle East Institute. (ARB75, $13.95)

The Arab World, Forty Years of Change

The Arab World, Forty Years of Change


by Elizabeth Warnock and Rob Fernea | Thomas Hartwell

  • HISTORY
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 432 PAGES

An award-winning look at life in the Middle East, updated in the 1990s. The authors revisit towns and cities, paying close attention to how changes such as the Gulf War and Arab-Israeli peace negotiations have impacted daily life. (ARB33, $17.95)

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power

The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money and Power


by Daniel Yergin

  • HISTORY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 908 PAGES

Master storyteller Yergin conjures a large and fascinating cast of tycoons, sheiks and politicians in this monumental and thoroughly researched history examining the story of petroleum and the West's dependence on the oil-rich Middle East. (ARB36, $22.00)

Understanding Arabs, A Guide for Modern Times

Understanding Arabs, A Guide for Modern Times


by Margaret K. Nydell

  • HISTORY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 264 PAGES

The fourth edition of Nydell's classic, concise and readable introduction to Arab society and culture, including chapters on attitudes toward America and fundamentalism. (ARB67, $21.95)

Women and Community in Oman


by Christine Eickelman

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1985
  • PAPER
  • 251 PAGES

A lively firsthand account by an American woman of life in the remote Omani village of Hamra. (ARB120, $21.50)

Islamic Arts

Islamic Arts


by Jonathan Bloom | Sheila Blair

  • ART & ARCHITECTURE
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 445 PAGES

A comprehensive survey of 1,000 years of Islamic architecture, design and decoration. Illustrated throughout with color photographs, maps and site plans. (ISL01, $27.95)

Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations

Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations


by Georgina Howell

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 481 PAGES

The tale of intoxicating, intrepid Major Miss Bell, who made her home in Baghdad. She created modern Iraq with T. E. Lawrence and Churchill. (ARB82, $16.00)

Motoring with Mohammed, Journeys to Yemen and the Red Sea

Motoring with Mohammed, Journeys to Yemen and the Red Sea


by Eric Hansen

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES
  • FAVORITE

Shipwrecked en route from the Maldives, rescued with his buddies by Eritrean goat smugglers, and an accidental tourist in Sana'a, Hansen's misadventures make a terrific story. Even better, he provides a rich portrait of a little-known region. (ARB11, $16.00)

One Thousand Roads to Mecca, Ten Centuries of Writing about the Pilgrimage to Mecca

One Thousand Roads to Mecca, Ten Centuries of Writing about the Pilgrimage to Mecca


by Michael Wolfe

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 620 PAGES

An American convert to Islam, Wolfe combed the large volume of literature of the Hadj to compile this diverse and fascinating anthology of writings over the centuries. (ARB02, $20.00)

Sandstorms, Days and Nights in Arabia

Sandstorms, Days and Nights in Arabia


by Peter Theroux

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1991
  • PAPER
  • 281 PAGES

As a journalist in Saudi Arabia, Peter Theroux (Paul's brother) learned the language and immersed himself in the realities of day-to-day life. This book is a memoir of his experiences, both a revealing collection of anecdotes and a humorous portrait of a place. (ARB08, $21.00)

The Road to Mecca

The Road to Mecca


by Muhammad Asad

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 372 PAGES

The extraordinary account of how Leopold Weiss, born in Lvov in 1900, became a Muslim. A journalist, Asad writes of his travels, transformation and attachment to Islam and the Arab world. (ISL23, $17.95)

The Anchor Book of Modern Arabic Fiction

The Anchor Book of Modern Arabic Fiction


by Denys Johnson-Davies

  • ANTHOLOGY
  • 2006
  • PAPER
  • 512 PAGES

A sweeping and remarkably diverse collection of the work of 79 writers representing 14 countries. (ARB86, $17.00)

The Arabian Nights

The Arabian Nights


by Husain Haddawy

  • LITERATURE
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 518 PAGES

Translator Husain Haddawy grew up hearing his grandmothers' friends re-tell these tales on winter nights in Baghdad. A wonderful introduction to Islamic Andalucia, the tales, translated from the oldest remaining Arabic version, bring to life the culture and society of the Islamic world at its height. (ARB10, $17.95)

More Recommendations

Here are some other groups of books that might be of interest

Longitude provides recommended reading for travelers in partnership with the leading tour operators and travel programs for hundreds of destinations worldwide. We've got the classic, new and hard-to-find books and maps to help you get the most out of your adventures.