- 288 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About This Book
Broadly this book is about the Arabian desert as the locus of exploration by a long tradition of British travellers that includes T. E. Lawrence and Wilfred Thesiger; more specifically, it is about those who, since 1950, have followed in their literary footsteps. In analysing modern works covering a land greater than the sum of its geographical parts, the discussion identifies outmoded tropes that continue to impinge upon the perception of the Middle East today while recognising that the laboured binaries of "East and West", "desert and sown", "noble and savage" have outrun their course. Where, however, only a barren legacy of latent Orientalism may have been expected, the author finds instead a rich seam of writing that exhibits diversity of purpose and insight contributing to contemporary discussions on travel and tourism, intercultural representation, and environmental awareness. By addressing a lack of scholarly attention towards recent additions to the genre, this study illustrates for the benefit of students of travel literature, or indeed anyone interested in "Arabia", how desert writing, under the emerging configurations of globalisation, postcolonialism, and ecocriticism, acts as a microcosm of the kinds of ethical and emotional dilemmas confronting today's travel writers in the world's most extreme regions.
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Table of contents
- Cover Page
- Endorsement Page
- Half Title page
- Series Page
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- Acknowledgements
- Preface
- Introduction: Arabia, the land of legend
- 1 In literary footsteps: The prevalence of âsecond journeysâ
- 2 Desert and sown: The narration of progress and modernity
- 3 Gendering the desert: Women and desert narratives
- 4 Wonderment and wilderness: Desert science writing
- 5 Desert as shared space
- Conclusion: Barren legacy?
- Bibliography
- Index