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READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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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 EXARB23. Buy these 5 items as a set for $87 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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Lonely Planet Middle East

Lonely Planet Middle East

by Lonely Planet

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 684 PAGES

A practical guide to the North African and Mediterranean countries of the Middle East. (MDE30, $28.99)

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)

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)

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

by David E. Long

  • HISTORY
  • 2010
  • PAPER
  • 176 PAGES

A comprehensive look at modern Saudi Arabia and the complex issues facing the nation. Drawing from extensive research and Long's personal experiences as a Foreign Services officer, this book surveys the land, politics, religion and people of the region. (ARB29, $21.95)

Northeast Africa

Northeast Africa

by Reise & Verkehrsverlag

  • MAP

A map of northeast Africa, including the Red Sea and entire Arabian Peninsula. (ARB14, $11.95)

 
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)

Insight Guide Oman and the UAE

Insight Guide Oman and the UAE


by Insight Guides

  • GUIDEBOOK
  • 2012
  • PAPER
  • 288 PAGES
  • COMING IN JULY

A guide to the history and culture of Oman and the United Arab Emirates. (ARB24, $23.99)

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)

A Peace to End All Peace

A Peace to End All Peace


by David Fromkin

  • HISTORY
  • 2009
  • PAPER
  • 688 PAGES

Indispensable to understanding current tensions, alliances and the colonial legacy of the region, Fromkin's vivid tale of the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the making of the modern Middle East is out in a 20th anniversary edition. (ARB13, $22.00)

Al-Qur'an: A Contemporary Translation

Al-Qur'an: A Contemporary Translation


by Ali Jamale Ahmed

  • RELIGION
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 571 PAGES

A handsome bilingual edition of the Holy Book of Islam as elegantly translated by the Pakistani novelist, critic and diplomat Ahmed Ali. (ISL02, $19.95)

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)

Islam and the West

Islam and the West


by Bernard Lewis

  • RELIGION
  • 1994
  • PAPER
  • 217 PAGES

In this illuminating collection of essays, one of the great authorities on the Middle East explores the common ground shared by Islam and the West. (ARB12, $19.99)

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)

Mecca the Blessed, Medina the Radiant: The Holiest Cities of Islam


by Kazuyoshi Nomachi | Seyyed Hossein Nasr

  • RELIGION
  • 1997
  • HARD COVER
  • 192 PAGES
  • OUT OF PRINT

Outstanding photographs of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina. (ARB38, $50.00)

Multiple Identities of the Middle East

Multiple Identities of the Middle East


by Bernard Lewis

  • HISTORY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 176 PAGES

Lewis illuminates the clash of old and new in the Middle East in this collection of essays on the many layers of language, history and religion in the region. (MDE29, $12.00)

Politics in an Arabian Oasis: The Rashidis of Saudi Arabia

Politics in an Arabian Oasis: The Rashidis of Saudi Arabia


by Madawi Al Rasheed

  • HISTORY
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 300 PAGES

A study of the Rashidi rulers of 19th-century Central Asia. (ARB30, $39.00)

Princess: A True of Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia

Princess: A True of Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia


by Jean P. Sasson

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 283 PAGES

A sensational account of everyday life in a Saudi royal family as told to an American friend and writer. It's a powerful indictment of a society where women are chattel and the threat of violence is real. (ARB31, $12.99)

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 Arab World: Society, Culture and State


by Halim Barakat

  • HISTORY
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 348 PAGES

A scholarly study of Arab culture, thought and literature. (ARB32, $27.95)

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 Islam: An Introduction to the Muslim World

Understanding Islam: An Introduction to the Muslim World


by Thomas W. Lippman

  • RELIGION
  • 1995
  • PAPER
  • 198 PAGES

A concise introduction to the Muslim world and Islamic faith. (ISL04, $15.00)

Baghdad Without a Map and other Misadventures in Arabia

Baghdad Without a Map and other Misadventures in Arabia


by Tony Horwitz

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1992
  • PAPER
  • 285 PAGES

The madcap tale of a modern journey through 14 countries of the Arab world by an unusually entertaining reporter. Horowitz captures the social and economic realities of the region with razor-sharp wit. (ARB07, $16.00)

Muhammad, A Biography of the Prophet

Muhammad, A Biography of the Prophet


by Karen Armstrong

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 290 PAGES

The life of the Prophet in the context of seventh-century Arabia. (ARB09, $15.00)

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)

Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Mecca

Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Mecca


by Richard Francis Burton

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1993
  • PAPER
  • 436 PAGES

A fascinating account of adventures in religious capitals Madinah and Mecca. (ARB37, $16.95)

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 Hadj, An American's Journey to Mecca

The Hadj, An American's Journey to Mecca


by Michael Wolfe

  • TRAVEL NARRATIVE
  • 1998
  • PAPER
  • 352 PAGES

Wolfe's mesmerizing account of his journey from Morocco to Mecca. (ARB01, $16.00)

The Road to Ubar, Finding the Atlantis of the Sands

The Road to Ubar, Finding the Atlantis of the Sands


by Nicholas Clapp

  • EXPLORATION
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 342 PAGES

A fascinating day-by-day account of Clapp's search in the 1980s for the ruins of Ubar, an ancient Arabian trading center on the frankincense route in Oman's Empty Quarter. (ARB49, $19.95)

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.