Arabian Sands
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''Arabian Sands'' is a 1959 book by explorer and travel writer
Wilfred Thesiger Sir Wilfred Patrick Thesiger (3 June 1910 – 24 August 2003), also known as Mubarak bin Landan (, ''the blessed one of London'') was a British military officer, explorer, and writer. Thesiger's travel books include '' Arabian Sands'' (1959), ...
. The book focuses on the author's travels in the
Arabian Peninsula The Arabian Peninsula (, , or , , ) or Arabia, is a peninsula in West Asia, situated north-east of Africa on the Arabian plate. At , comparable in size to India, the Arabian Peninsula is the largest peninsula in the world. Geographically, the ...
between 1945 and 1950, and details his two crossings of the Empty Quarter undertaken between 1946 and 1948. Thesiger’s first crossing, from Mughshin in
Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...
to Liwa across the eastern sands, was followed by a crossing of the western sands from Manwakh in
Yemen Yemen, officially the Republic of Yemen, is a country in West Asia. Located in South Arabia, southern Arabia, it borders Saudi Arabia to Saudi Arabia–Yemen border, the north, Oman to Oman–Yemen border, the northeast, the south-eastern part ...
, via Laila, to
Abu Dhabi Abu Dhabi is the capital city of the United Arab Emirates. The city is the seat of the Abu Dhabi Central Capital District, the capital city of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the UAE's List of cities in the United Arab Emirates, second-most popu ...
. The book attempted to capture the lives of the Bedu people and other inhabitants of the Arabian peninsula. It is considered a classic of
travel literature The genre of travel literature or travelogue encompasses outdoor literature, guide books, nature writing, and travel memoirs. History Early examples of travel literature include the '' Periplus of the Erythraean Sea'' (generally considered a ...
. The book largely reflects on the changes and large scale development that took place after the Second World War and the subsequent gradual erosion of traditional Bedouin ways of life that had previously existed unaltered for thousands of years.


Context

Wilfred Thesiger Sir Wilfred Patrick Thesiger (3 June 1910 – 24 August 2003), also known as Mubarak bin Landan (, ''the blessed one of London'') was a British military officer, explorer, and writer. Thesiger's travel books include '' Arabian Sands'' (1959), ...
was born into a privileged English background, the son of a diplomat, educated at Eton and Oxford. As soon as he could, on his first summer holiday at university, he travelled to Istanbul, going out by tramp steamer, back by train: the first of many adventurous journeys. At age 23 he went on his first exploration, of the
Awash River } The Awash River (sometimes spelled Awaash; Oromo language, Oromo: ''Awaash OR Hawaas'', Amharic: ዐዋሽ, Afar language, Afar: ''Hawaash We'ayot'', Somali language, Somali: ''Webiga Dir'', Italian language, Italian: ''Auasc'') is a major river ...
in
Abyssinia Abyssinia (; also known as Abyssinie, Abissinia, Habessinien, or Al-Habash) was an ancient region in the Horn of Africa situated in the northern highlands of modern-day Ethiopia and Eritrea.Sven Rubenson, The survival of Ethiopian independence, ...
(now Ethiopia). He became a colonial officer in
Sudan Sudan, officially the Republic of the Sudan, is a country in Northeast Africa. It borders the Central African Republic to the southwest, Chad to the west, Libya to the northwest, Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the east, Eritrea and Ethiopi ...
, working in the desert region of
Darfur Darfur ( ; ) is a region of western Sudan. ''Dār'' is an Arabic word meaning "home f – the region was named Dardaju () while ruled by the Daju, who migrated from Meroë , and it was renamed Dartunjur () when the Tunjur ruled the area. ...
and then the swampy
Sudd The Sudd (, Nuer: Baki̱ec, Dinka: Toc) is a vast swamp in South Sudan, formed by the White Nile's '' Baḥr al-Jabal'' section. The Arabic word ' is derived from ' (), meaning "barrier" or "obstruction". The term "the sudd" has come to ref ...
, where he was responsible for shooting lions. While in Darfur he journeyed with local people by camel and visited the
Tibesti mountains The Tibesti Mountains are a mountain range in the central Sahara, primarily located in the extreme north of Chad, with a small portion located in southern Libya. The highest peak in the range, Emi Koussi, lies to the south at a height of and i ...
in the Sahara. In the Second World War he fought to liberate Abyssinia under the eccentric but charismatic
Orde Wingate Major-general (United Kingdom), Major General Orde Charles Wingate, (26 February 1903 – 24 March 1944) was a senior British Army officer known for his creation of the Chindits, Chindit deep-penetration missions in Japanese-held territory duri ...
, and in the
Special Air Service The Special Air Service (SAS) is a special forces unit of the British Army. It was founded as a regiment in 1941 by David Stirling, and in 1950 it was reconstituted as a corps. The unit specialises in a number of roles including counter-terr ...
behind enemy lines in the Western Desert of north Africa. After the war he joined the anti-locust unit of the
Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; . (FAO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger and improve nutrition and food security. Its Latin motto, , translates ...
, taking the chance between 1945 and 1949 to travel in the Empty Quarter of Arabia. ''Arabian Sands'' describes his two crossings of that region. Thesiger begins his Introduction by saying that if he had thought of writing a book about his journeys, he "should have kept fuller notes which now would have both helped and hindered me". He did however keep some kind of diary of his travels, later polishing his notes in letters to his mother, and then (years later) writing up his books from those. His two Arabian journeys described here took place between 1946 and 1948; the book appeared in 1959.


Editions

''Arabian Sands'' first appeared in 1959 in London (Longmans) and New York (Dutton). It was reprinted in 1960, 1963, 1964 (concise and Penguin editions), 1965, 1971, 1974, 1977, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1990 (Collins), 1991 (with second preface), 2000, 2005 (Folio Society), 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010. It has been translated into languages including Swedish (''Arabisk öken'' 1960) Spanish (''Arenas de arabia'' 1963, 1998, 1999, 2003, 2008), Italian (''Sabbie arabe'' 1984, 2002), German (''Die Brunnen der Wüste'' 2002), French (''Le Désert des Déserts'' 1978) and Arabic (1994).


Book

Thesiger tells of his love for a hard life in the desert, and how he got the chance to travel into the Empty Quarter ( Rub al Khali) from Middle East Locust Control. While waiting for his Arab escorts, he travels in the Qarra mountains of
Dhofar The Dhofar Governorate () is the largest of the 11 governorates in the Sultanate of Oman in terms of area. It lies in southern Oman, on the eastern border with Yemen's Al Mahrah Governorate and the southern border with Saudi Arabia's Easter ...
on the southern coast of the Arabian peninsula. He records that the English travellers Bertram Thomas and St. John Philby both crossed the Empty Quarter (in 1929 and 1930), and that he had read Thomas's ''
Arabia Felix Arabia Felix (literally: Fertile/Happy Arabia; also Ancient Greek: Εὐδαίμων Ἀραβία, ''Eudaemon Arabia'') was the Latin name previously used by geographers to describe South Arabia, or what is now Yemen. Etymology The Latin term ...
'' and T. E. Lawrence's '' Revolt in the Desert'', which had provoked his interest in the Arabs. Thesiger describes how he spent five months growing used to the life of the Bedu Arabs in the region to the south of the Empty Quarter, travelling in the Sands of Ghanim and to the
Hadhramaut Hadhramaut ( ; ) is a geographic region in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula which includes the Yemeni governorates of Hadhramaut, Shabwah and Mahrah, Dhofar in southwestern Oman, and Sharurah in the Najran Province of Saudi A ...
. On his return to
Salalah Salalah () is the capital and largest city of the southern Omani Governorates of Oman, governorate of Dhofar Governorate, Dhofar. It has a population close to 331,949. Salalah is the third-largest city in the Sultanate of Oman, and the largest ...
(in Dhofar, Oman) a year later, he arranges to travel from south to north across the Empty Quarter with
Rashid Rashid or Rachid ( ) and Rasheed ( ), which means "rightly guided", may refer to: *Rashid (name), also Rachid and Rasheed, people with the given name or surname *Rached, a given name and surname *Rashad, a surname *Rishad, a given name Places * ...
Arab help. He puts together a group of Bait Kathir Arabs to travel to Mughshin. He meets up with the Rashid party at Shisur; they journey to Mughshin at the edge of the Empty Quarter. One of the Rashid falls from his camel, breaking his leg; the party is split, leaving Thesiger with only two Rashid. They take on water from a well in Ghanim and journey northwards across the sands to Ramlat al Ghafa. They know they are short of food. After four days they find a well in the desert at Khaur bin Atarit, with brackish water that was only slightly purgative. Thesiger calculates they can carry water for 20 days, that being the limit the camels can go without water, at a quart per person per day. The party again divides. With three companions, short of both food and water, they travel across the sands of Uruq al Shaiba to the well at
Khaba Khaba (also read as Hor-Khaba) was a pharaoh of Ancient Egypt, active during the 3rd Dynasty of the Old Kingdom period. The exact time during which Khaba ruled is unknown but may have been around 2670 BC,Thomas Schneider: ''Lexikon der Pha ...
, near
Liwa Oasis The Liwa Oasis () is a large oasis area in the Western Region of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates. Geography Liwa Oasis is about south of the Persian Gulf coast and southwest of the city of Abu Dhabi, on the northern e ...
. On the way, they do not drink until sunset, when each person receives a ration of one pint of water mixed with camel's milk. On arrival, Thesiger reflects that the journey was not important, however excited he had been at the chance to do it. He feels it was a personal experience, rewarded with a drink of clean water without the usual bitter desert taste, and claims he is content with that. The party returns the long way around the gravel plains of western Oman, avoiding the desert sands. The journey is not easy as the tribes there do not trust them, and they still have little food. They keep secret the fact that Thesiger is not an Arab. After resting at Salala, Thesiger travels easily to
Mukalla Mukalla, officially the Mukalla City District, is a seaport and the capital city district of Yemen's largest governorate, Hadhramaut Governorate, Hadhramaut. The city is in the South Arabia, southern part of the Arabian Peninsula on the Gulf of A ...
with the Rashid, though they post sentries as there is a strong raiding party of Dahm Arabs in the area; they hear shots but see no raiders. Once in the town, he shaves and puts on European clothes; his companions barely recognise him. Thesiger goes back to Arabia hoping to cross the desert further to the west, passing near the Jebel Tuwaiq mountains (south of
Riyadh Riyadh is the capital and largest city of Saudi Arabia. It is also the capital of the Riyadh Province and the centre of the Riyadh Governorate. Located on the eastern bank of Wadi Hanifa, the current form of the metropolis largely emerged in th ...
) without the permission of the King,
Ibn Saud Abdulaziz bin Abdul Rahman Al Saud (; 15 January 1875Ibn Saud's birth year has been a source of debate. It is generally accepted as 1876, although a few sources give it as 1880. According to British author Robert Lacey's book ''The Kingdom'', ...
, and then going northeast to Abu Dhabi. He arranges to meet his Rashid companions and they prepare for the journey at the well at Manwakh. They travel across the western sands of the Empty Quarter to the well at Hassi and the town of Sulaiyil. The people are hostile and the party is effectively arrested and imprisoned; Thesiger sends a telegram of apology to the King. In Sulaiyil, a Yam Arab shows Thesiger an English rifle, which he had taken from a man called bin Duailan, 'The Cat', whom he had killed; bin Duailan had been one of Thesiger's companions the previous year. Thesiger and his party are released; they are unable to obtain a guide at Laila, and instead travel on their own to Abu Dhabi. He is disturbed to find he is hated as a 'Christian' alien. Without a guide, Thesiger navigates the party for eight days to the next oasis at Jabrin, 150 miles to the northeast, using St. John Philby's map. They learn that two months before, raiders from
Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...
had killed 52 Manasir Arabs from Abu Dhabi. They stay in Abu Dhabi for 20 days; Thesiger describes it as a small town with about 2000 inhabitants. They travel to Buraimi and stay there for a month with the Sheikh (Zayid bin Sultan) before journeying on to Sharja. Thesiger sails from Dubai to
Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...
in a
dhow Dhow (; ) is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with settee or sometimes lateen sails, used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Typically sporting long thin hulls, dhows are trading vessels ...
; a gale blows up, and the four-day journey takes eleven days. He comments again that travel is for him a personal venture, not to collect plants or make maps; he claims that writing or talking about it tarnishes the achievement. Thesiger goes back to Buraimi via Dubai and Abu Dhabi, and spends a quiet time visiting the oasis at Liwa and going hawking with Sheikh Zayid. Thesiger decides to finish his travels in the Arabian peninsula by exploring the
quicksand Quicksand (also known as sinking sand) is a colloid consisting of fine granular material (such as sand, silt or clay) and water. It forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it crea ...
s of Umm al Samim in Oman. He takes Rashid Arabs with him on the journey past the quicksands to the south coast. Thesiger travels to the Wahiba sands and makes his way back, this time with permission from the Imam, to Buraimi. A year later, in 1949, he goes back to Buraimi hoping to explore the Jabal al Akhadar mountains, but the Imam of Oman refuses permission, and he leaves Arabia for what he realizes is the last time. He expresses sorrow at leaving behind something he greatly loved and was sure he would not find elsewhere. He regretted, too, the fate of his Bedu companions who would soon lose the desert for a more secure but less free world.


Reception


Contemporary

''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...
'' gave the book a favourable review on its publication in 1959, describing Thesiger as 'the last of a great line of Arabian explorers', and his book as 'the most readable' of books written by British explorers about the Gulf.


Modern

One of Thesiger's biographers, Michael Asher, wrote in ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' that "his description of the traditional life of the Bedu, ''Arabian Sands'' (1959), asprobably the finest book ever written about Arabia and a tribute to a world now lost forever." The critic
Michael Dirda Michael Dirda (born 1948) is an American book critic, working for the '' Washington Post''. He has been a Fulbright Fellow and won a Pulitzer Prize in 1993. Career Having studied at Oberlin College for his undergraduate degree in 1970, Dirda ea ...
commented that "for years I meant to read ''Arabian Sands'' ... Now that I have, I can sheepishly join the chorus of those who revere the book as one of the half dozen greatest works of modern English travel writing." He calls the book "the austere masterpiece", comparing it with
Apsley Cherry-Garrard Apsley George Benet Cherry-Garrard (2 January 1886 – 18 May 1959) was an English explorer of Antarctica. He was a member of the Terra Nova Expedition, ''Terra Nova'' expedition and is acclaimed for his 1922 account of this expedition, ''T ...
's ''
The Worst Journey in the World ''The Worst Journey in the World'' is a 1922 memoir by Apsley Cherry-Garrard of Robert Falcon Scott's ''Terra Nova'' expedition to the South Pole in 1910–1913. It has earned wide praise for its frank treatment of the difficulties of the exped ...
'', C. M. Doughty's '' Travels in Arabia Deserta'' and
T. E. Lawrence Thomas Edward Lawrence (16 August 1888 – 19 May 1935) was a British Army officer, archaeologist, diplomat and writer known for his role during the Arab Revolt and Sinai and Palestine campaign against the Ottoman Empire in the First W ...
's ''
Seven Pillars of Wisdom ''Seven Pillars of Wisdom'' is the autobiographical account of the experiences of British Army Colonel T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") while serving as a military advisor to Bedouin forces during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empi ...
''. He notes that Thesiger's writing can be vivid, "but in general his prose is terse, declarative, coolly observational." Dirda contrasts this coolness with the passion in his photographs, which "make clear his love for this bleak, unforgiving terrain" or the handsome young men such as Salim bin Ghabaisha. The ''
Telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas ...
'' called the book a "precise yet emotionally charged account of his desert journeys", adding that it "gained him a new reputation in late middle age as a writer, albeit one influenced by the romanticised prose of Lawrence and Doughty." ''
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
'' includes the book in its "100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time", commenting that it is "written with great respect" for the Bedouin, "a door opening on a vanished feudal world."


Legacy

In 2008, the
Emirates Emirates may refer to: * United Arab Emirates The United Arab Emirates (UAE), or simply the Emirates, is a country in West Asia, in the Middle East, at the eastern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is a Federal monarchy, federal elective ...
film director Majid Abdulrazak produced a film version of ''Arabian Sands'' with actors from the UAE and
Oman Oman, officially the Sultanate of Oman, is a country located on the southeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in West Asia and the Middle East. It shares land borders with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen. Oman’s coastline ...
in major roles.


References

{{reflist, 26em


Bibliography

* ''Arabian Sands'' (1959) Great Britain: Longmans, Green; USA: E. P. Dutton. ::--- (1964) Penguin Books ::--- (1984) Penguin Books, with new preface ::--- (1991) Penguin Books, second preface ::--- (2008) Penguin Books, with introduction by
Rory Stewart Roderick James Nugent Stewart (born 3 January 1973) is a British academic, broadcaster, writer, and former diplomat and politician. He has taught at Harvard University and at Yale University. He currently teaches and co-directs the Brady-Jo ...
1959 non-fiction books British travel books Books about Saudi Arabia Books about Oman Books about Yemen British adventure books English non-fiction books