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Saudi Arabia

READING AND TRAVEL GUIDE

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Click on Essential Reading for the featured set of Saudi Arabia books and a map. We offer free shipping on anything else you order with the travel books package.

Essential Reading

Item EXARB44. Buy these 5 items as a set for $90 including shipping, 15% off the retail price.
With free shipping on anything else you order.

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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)

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)

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, $17.95)

Arabia Map

Arabia Map

by Geoprojects

  • MAP

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

 
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, $20.00)

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, $22.95)

Beyond the Facade, Political Reform in the Arab World


by Marina Ottaway

  • HISTORY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 395 PAGES

These essays provide careful, detailed considerations of reform in ten countries (Algeria, Egypt, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Yemen), highlighting the diversity of processes and problems. (ARB112, $22.95)

In the Shadow of the Prophet, The Struggle for the Soul of Islam


by Milton Viorst

  • HISTORY
  • 2001
  • PAPER
  • 306 PAGES

A wideranging analysis based on interviews with key figures in Iran and the Arab world. (ISL18, $17.50)

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, A Short History

Islam, A Short History


by Karen Armstrong

  • HISTORY
  • 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. The best short introduction to the subject. (ISL15, $15.95)

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, $54.95)

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)

Saudi Arabia, Guarding the Desert Kingdom

Saudi Arabia, Guarding the Desert Kingdom


by Anthony Cordesman

  • CULTURAL PORTRAIT
  • 1997
  • PAPER
  • 240 PAGES

Saudi Arabia and its national security since the Gulf War. (ARB04, $54.00)

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, $29.95)

The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?

The Islamic Threat: Myth or Reality?


by John L. Esposito

  • RELIGION
  • 1999
  • PAPER
  • 328 PAGES

An insightful survey of Islam, its history and contemporary politics. (ISL03, $19.99)

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)

Thicker Than Oil, America's Uneasy Partnership With Saudi Arabia


by Rachel Bronson

  • HISTORY
  • 2008
  • PAPER
  • 353 PAGES

In this chronicle of America's relationship with Saudi Arabia over the decades, Bronson reveals how shared interests have sowed the seeds of Islamic radicalism in the region. (ARB108, $17.95)

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)

At the Drop of a Veil

At the Drop of a Veil


by Marianne Alireza

  • BIOGRAPHY/MEMOIR
  • 2002
  • PAPER
  • 270 PAGES

In this highly readable memoir, Alireza recounts her experience as an American woman living in Saudi Arabia as the wife of a Saudi. (ARB89, $15.00)

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 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)

Girls of Riyadh

Girls of Riyadh


by Rajaa Al Sanea

  • LITERATURE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 320 PAGES

The tale of four young women at a university in Riyadh, striving to live according to the traditions of Saudi society. This first novel by 24-year-old Al Sanea created a stir upon publication in Arabic. (ARB88, $16.00)

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)

Wolves of the Crescent Moon, A Novel


by Yusuf Muhaymid

  • LITERATURE
  • 2007
  • PAPER
  • 180 PAGES

The short, poetic tale of three misfits -- and the power of storyselling, set in in Riyadh. (ARB115, $14.00)

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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.