"No book could possibly describe the myriad different faces of twenty-first century Beirut better than Beirut Noir, yet another in the fabulous Akashic Noir series that should dominate at least one shelf of any crime fan's library."--CrimeReads, included in Paul French's Column on Beirut Crime Fiction"Humaydan writes in her introduction to this haunting anthology that 'all of the stories are somehow framed by the Lebanese civil war, which l...

Today, Dubai is a city of shimmering skyscrapers attracting thousands of tourists every year. Yet just sixty years ago Dubai's population scraped a living by picking dates, diving for pearls, or sailing in wooden dhows to trade with Iran and India.Dubai is everything the rest of the Arab world is not. Until recently it was the fastest-growing city in the world, with an economy whose growth outpaced China's while luring more tourists than all of India. The city has become a metaphor...

Our illustrated travel guide features of the best information from an experienced traveler as well as other local resources. It's just what you need to help you to plan your trip in advance and to accompany you on-the-ground. Finding Internet access when traveling can be a problem so carry your mobile guidebook in the palm of your hand. We include a fully linked Table of Contents to access context-specific information quickly and easily, even when offline. ...

The book describes the experiences of a single American woman teaching in a university in Saudi Arabia between 1980 and 1982, just as the Islamic world was experiencing a reversal of previously achieved steps toward womens rights. The loosening of restrictions on women which had occurred during the 1970s was overturned when the fear of the rulers was heightened after the attempted take-over of the Grand Mosque in Mecca. The author takes us there with her while the Epilogue brings us up to ...

The Sultanate of Oman occupies the southeastern part of the Arab Peninsula. The country is beautiful and is full of unspoiled nature. The sun shines almost every day. The temperatures are pleasant during winter, but it is often unbearably hot during summer. The country is as large as Italy but sparsely populated. It has oil, gas, and a variety of minerals. The rapid development of Oman takes place with respect for its cultural heritage. His Majesty Sultan Qaboos and the people of Oman are ...

An American woman determined to learn the Arabic language travels to the Middle East to pursue her dream in this “witty memoir” (Us Weekly).The shadda is the key difference between a pigeon (hamam) and a bathroom (hammam). Be careful, our professor advised, that you don’t ask a waiter, ‘Excuse me, where is the pigeon?’—or, conversely, order a roasted toilet . . .If you’ve ever studied a foreign language, you know...

Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821-1890) was a preeminent British explorer of Asia, Africa, and the Americas. His famed disguised pilgrimage to Mecca in 1853 made his name known. Burton helped demystify this exotic Eastern world to the West. In "Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah and Meccah", we are gifted with his personal account of his Haj. Full of insightful anthropological observations, Burton describes his encounters with Arab cultures and customs. This exciting tale revo...

Time Out: Bahrain says that this "helpful handbook" is humorous, tongue-in-cheek book and full of "interesting information."Others say:"OK - if you buy ONE book about Saudi Arabia before you go, make sure it's this one!!Don’t Forget to Tape the Toilets: The Missing Employee Orientation Manual for Saudi Arabia and Bahrain was written for those going to work or thinking of going to work in Saudi Arabia.The author is American, and writ...

With the images of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict so dominant in our minds, walking for leisure is the one activity probably least associated with the West Bank region. But Stefan Szepesi’s book wanders well off the beaten track of Palestine as only a synonym for occupation and strife, exploring its inspiring natural and cultural landscape, its intriguing past and present, and the hospitality of its people. The book takes first-time walkers and experienced hikers, as well as armchair exp...

Marthas desire in life has been to see the world. This book is about her travels to mainly two interesting countries Turkey and Southern Africa. She tells about staying in hostels, her experiences, the people she met and the unusual places she saw. If you like reading about adventures youll enjoy this book. She has written three other travel books.

A cartoonist follows reporters across the middle east, learning about journalism and how stories are told Cartoonist Sarah Glidden follows up her acclaimed debut, How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less, with Rolling Blackouts, which details her two-month long journey through Turkey, Iraq, and Syria. Glidden accompanies her two friends--reporters and founders of the journalistic non-profit The Seattle Globalist--as they research stories on the Iraq War's effect on the Middle East and, ...

In the summer of 1974, against the backdrop of the Lebanese Civil War, ceramics expert and Morgan sports car enthusiast John Carswell set off with his young family from their home in Beirut on an expedition across Asia and the Middle East. Their mode of transport was their beloved motor car, a Morgan 4/4 four seater, named 'Speedy'. Following in the steps of Ibn Battuta, their destination was the Maldives, where Carswell hoped to find evidence of the Chinese blue and white pottery which he...