Azzedine Downes moves between cultures, places, and time in this wryly comedic, at times mysterious, and always curious memoir of a lifelong nomad.The best strategy was to drink tea, smile, and enjoy the frustration of not knowing where the story leads. If time is endless, why rush to the point of a story? Now an international leader in the fight for animal welfare, Azzedine began his career as a volunteer teacher and later was appointed to leadership in the U.S. Peace Corps. An American Muslim with Irish roots, he's a natural cultural shape-shifter, immersing himself in the cultures of Morocco, Eastern Europe, Northwest Africa, Israel and his native United States. Along the way he befriends the glue-sniffing shoemakers of Fez, becomes the de facto manager of a traveling break-dance troupe, dodges bullets on his daily commute, and finds himself cursed over a feast of couscous gone very, very wrong. But his most powerful story recounts Azzedine's marriage to an elusive girl from Tangiers. Arranged after only two meetings their love story ultimately spans continents and withstands language barriers, international intrigue, and one very antagonistic State Department bureaucrat. A labyrinth of tales as complex as its namesake dish, The Couscous Chronicles is for anyone who believes that the only real failure is to remain unchanged and in place, that true love is always a blind leap, and that a good story over a cup of tea holds the power to change one's destiny. Read more

UNEARTH THE SECRETS OF SOCOTRA: THE PIONEERING 1834 EXPEDITION, BROUGHT TO VIVID LIFE.Journey back to a time when Socotra was a world apart, through the eyes of the intrepid British explorer, James Raymond Wellsted. This meticulously retyped edition of "Memoir on the Island of Socotra" offers the first comprehensive glimpse of this enigmatic island, captured in 1834.Wellsted's groundbreaking expedition, aboard the HMS Palinurus, peeled back the veil of mystery surrounding Socotra. Alongside Charles Cruttenden, he traversed the island, documenting its extraordinary flora, unique customs, and breathtaking landscapes. This is more than a historical account; it's a window into a world untouched by modernity.Rediscover Wellsted's Legacy: A detailed introduction illuminates the life and achievements of James Raymond Wellsted, placing his expedition in its historical context.A Visual Feast: Immerse yourself in the island's captivating beauty with stunning, modern Black & White photographs that complement Wellsted's insightful observations.Clarity and Accessibility: Experience Wellsted's engaging prose in a carefully retyped format, ensuring a seamless and enjoyable reading experience.A Timeless Treasure: Explore Socotra as it was before the modern age, a land of ancient traditions and unparalleled natural wonders. Socotra remains one of the world's most isolated and spectacular islands, a place where time seems to stand still. This book offers a rare opportunity to witness its untouched beauty and unravel its enduring mysteries. Whether you're a history enthusiast, a travel aficionado, or a lover of unique cultures, this remarkable account will transport you to a world unlike any other. Read more

Complementary to our new book A Traveller's Guide to Saudi Arabia, this colour picture book brings the amazing sites of this elusive country to life. Recently opened for tourism, Saudi Arabia is a revelation for discerning travellers and intrepid explorers. This vast country has a wealth of hidden treasures. Much more than empty desert, its truly astonishing sights include ancient mud cities and archaeological sites, Neolithic rock art, towering mountain ridges and exotic oases. Off-limits to non-Muslims, the holy shrines of Islam have seen a never-ending stream of pilgrims over the centuries. The vast empty desert has a special enchantment: strange outcrops, whispering dunes and eerie canyons lie silent under luminescent starry nights. The people are very welcoming; many live in the ever-growing modern cities, in contrast to the Bedouin who cling to older traditions. Oman also has rich traditions laced by colourful markets, forts, castles and historic old cities. Sadly Yemen, one of the most traditional cultures, is off-limits – its amazing sights are the Arabia of our imagination. This pictorial guide aims to open a colourful window on the Arabian peninsula, a region steeped in history, much of it still waiting to be discovered. Read more

I spent an unforgettable 48 hours in Yemen in 2008 and took over 500 photographs. I will never forget the feel of Sana'a - the stunning architecture, the lack of mod cons- it was like going back in time to a simpler and gentler way of life.I miss it. My heart goes out to the Yemenis. Read more

In 1869, Hayyim Habshush, a Yemeni Jew, accompanied the European orientalist Joseph Halévy on his archaeological tour of Yemen. Twenty years later, Habshush wrote A Vision of Yemen, a memoir of their travels, that provides a vivid account of daily life, religion, and politics. More than a simple travelogue, it is a work of trickster-tales, thick anthropological descriptions, and reflections on Jewish–Muslim relations. At its heart lies the fractious and intimate relationship between the Yemeni coppersmith and the "enlightened" European scholar and the collision between the cultures each represents. The book thus offers a powerful indigenous response to European Orientalism.This edition is the first English translation of Habshush's writings from the original Judeo-Arabic and Hebrew and includes an accessible historical introduction to the work. The translation maintains Habshush's gripping style and rich portrayal of the diverse communities and cultures of Yemen, offering a potent mixture of artful storytelling and cultural criticism, suffused with humor and empathy. Habshush writes about the daily lives of men and women, rich and poor, Jewish and Muslim, during a turbulent period of war and both Ottoman and European imperialist encroachment. With this translation, Alan Verskin recovers the lost voice of a man passionately committed to his land and people. Read more

Wilfred Thesiger was born in Addis Ababa in 1910 and educated at Eton and Oxford. Though British, he was repulsed by the softness and rigidity of Western life, "the machines, the calling cards, the meticulously aligned streets, etc." In the spirit of T.E. Lawrence, Thesiger spent five years exploring and wandering the deserts of Arabia. With vivid descriptions and colorful anecdotes he narrates his stories, including two crossings of the Empty Quarter, among peoples who had never seen a European and considered it their duty to kill Christian infidels. Read more

Modern international business has its origins in the overseas trade of the Middle Ages. Of the various communities active in trade in the Islamic countries at that time, records of only the Jewish community survive. Thousands of documents were preserved in the Cairo Geniza, a lumber room attached to the synagogue where discarded writings containing the name of God were deposited to preserve them from desecration. From them Professor Goitein has selected eighty letters that provide a fascinating glimpse into the world of the medieval Jewish traders. As the letters vividly illustrate, international trade depended on a network of personal relationships and mutual confidence. Organization was largely through partnerships, based usually on ties of common religion but often reinforced by family connections. Sometimes the partners of Jews were Christians or Muslims, and the letters show these merchants working together in greater harmony than has been thought, even in partnerships that lasted through generations. The services rendered to a friend or partner and those expected from him were great, and the book opens with an angry letter from a merchant who believed he had been let down by his friend.The life of a trader was full of dangers, as the letter describing a shipwreck illustrates, and put great strain on personal relationships. One of the most moving letters is that written to his wife by a man absent in India for many years while endeavoring to make the family's fortunes. Although never ceasing to love her and longing to be with her, he offers to divorce her if she feels she can wait for him no longer. A decisive event in the life of the great Jewish philosopher, Moses Maimonides, was the death of his brother David, who drowned in the Indian Ocean. Printed here is the last letter David wrote, describing his safe crossing of the desert and announcing his intention to go on to India, against his brother's instructions. Professor Goitein has provided an introduction and notes for each letter, and a general introduction describing the social and spiritual world of the writers, the organization of overseas trade in the Middle Ages, and the goods traded. The letters demonstrate that although it reached from Spain to India, the traders' world was a cohesive one through which these men could move freely and always feel at home.Originally published in 1974.The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905. Read more

Arguably the most fascinating but least known country in the Arab world, Yemen has a way of attracting comment that ranges from the superficial to the wildly fictitious. In Yemen: Travels in Dictionary Land, Tim Mackintosh-Smith writes with an intimacy and depth of knowledge gained through over twenty years among the Yemenis. He is a travelling companion of the best sort - erudite, witty and eccentric. Crossing mountain, desert, ocean and three millennia of history, he portrays hyrax hunters and dhow skippers, a noseless regicide, and a sword-wielding tyrant with a passion for Heinz Russian salad. Yet even the ordinary Yemenis are extraordinary: their family tree goes back to Noah and is rooted in a land which, in the words of a contemporary poet, has become the dictionary of its people. Every page of this book is dashed - like the land it describes - with the marvellous. Read more

Are you ready to explore one of the most historically rich and culturally diverse countries in the world? Yemen Travel Guide 2024 is your key to unlocking the hidden treasures of a land where ancient history meets stunning landscapes. This ultimate guide takes you through the bustling streets of Sana’a, the serene beauty of Socotra Island, the towering mudbrick structures of Shibam, and the coastal charm of Aden. Whether you're a seasoned traveler or a first-time visitor, you'll find everything you need to plan your perfect trip.Inside, you'll find a detailed map of Yemen, helping you navigate its remarkable cities and natural wonders with ease. We've also included useful phrases in Arabic to help you communicate with locals, from greetings to essential travel terms. Whether you need directions, are booking a room, or simply want to engage with Yemen’s warm people, this guide has you covered.With practical advice on visa requirements, transportation, safety tips, and more, Yemen Travel Guide 2024 ensures you’re well-prepared for an unforgettable journey. Ready to experience Yemen like never before? Get your copy now and start planning the adventure of a lifetime! Read more

Yemen, 1935. Jama is a "market boy," a half-feral child scavenging with his friends in the dusty streets of a great seaport. For Jama, life is a thrilling carnival, at least when he can fill his belly. When his mother―alternately raging and loving―dies young, she leaves him only an amulet stuffed with one hundred rupees. Jama decides to spend her life's meager savings on a search for his never-seen father; the rumors that travel along clan lines report that he is a driver for the British somewhere in the north. So begins Jama's extraordinary journey of more than a thousand miles north all the way to Egypt, by camel, by truck, by train, but mostly on foot. He slings himself from one perilous city to another, fiercely enjoying life on the road and relying on his vast clan network to shelter him and point the way to his father, who always seems just a day or two out of reach.In his travels, Jama will witness scenes of great humanity and brutality; he will be caught up in the indifferent, grinding machine of war; he will crisscross the Red Sea in search of working papers and a ship. Bursting with life and a rough joyfulness, Black Mamba Boy is debut novelist Nadifa Mohamed's vibrant, moving celebration of her family's own history. Read more

THIS BOOK DOESN'T CONTAIN ANY WORDS IN THE ARABIC ALPHABET! ALL ARABIC WORDS, IN BOTH THE KINDLE AND PAPERBACK VERSION OF THIS BOOK, WERE WRITTEN IN ENGLISH-TRANSLITERATION!Have you always wanted to learn how to speak Yemeni Arabic but simply didn’t have the time?Well if so, then, look no further.You can hold in your hands "Conversational Arabic Quick and Easy: Yemeni Dialect" which is one of the most advanced and revolutionary methods that was ever designed for quickly becoming conversational in a language.In creating this time-saving program, master linguist Yatir Nitzany spent years examining the twenty-seven most common languages in the world and distilling from them the three hundred and fifty words that are most likely to be used in real conversations.These three hundred and fifty words were chosen in such a way that they were structurally interrelated and, when combined, form sentences.Through various other discoveries about how real conversations work—discoveries that are detailed further in this book—Nitzany created the necessary tools for linking these words together in a specific way so that you may become rapidly and almost effortlessly conversant—now.If you want to learn complicated grammar rules, or to speak perfectly proper and precise Arabic, this book is not for you.However, if you need to actually hold a conversation while on a trip to Yemen, to impress that certain someone, or to be able to speak with your grandfather or grandmother as soon as possible, then the Nitzany Method is what you have been looking for.This method is designed for fluency in a foreign language, while communicating in the present tense.Nitzany believes that what’s most important is actually being able to understand and be understood by another human being right away.This is one of the several, in a series of instructional language guides, the Nitzany Method’s revolutionary approach is the only one in the world that uses its unique language technology to actually enable you to speak and understand native speakers in the shortest amount of time possible.No more depending on volumes of books of fundamental, beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, all with hundreds of pages in order to learn a language.With "Conversational Arabic Quick and Easy: Yemeni Dialect", all you need are these fifty pages.Pick up your copy today and learn a new language quickly and easily. Read more

Chronically questioning, funny, and bold, a young American explores the majority-Muslim lands that scare him most.Armed only with college Arabic and restless curiosity, Adam Valen Levinson sets out to “learn about the world 9/11 made us fear.” From a base in globalized and sterilized Abu Dhabi, he sets out to lunch in Taliban territory in Afghanistan, travels under the watchful eye of Syria’s secret police, risks shipwreck en route to Somalia, investigates Yazidi beliefs in a sacred cave, cliff dives in Oman, celebrates New Year’s Eve in Tahrir Square, and, at every turn, discovers a place that matches not at all with its reputation.Valen Levinson crosses borders with wisecracking humor, erudition, and humanity, seeking common ground with “bros” everywhere, and finding that people who pray differently often laugh the same. And as a young man bar mitzvahed eight years late, he slowly learns how childish it is to live by decisions and distinctions born of fear. 20 illustrations Read more

From the author of Welcome to Paradise, Now Go To Hell, a finalist for the PEN Center USA Award for Nonfiction and Cocaine + SurfingA gonzo ride through the Middle East as only Chas Smith, the award-winning author of Welcome to Paradise, Now Go to Hell and Cocaine + Surfing: A Sordid History of Surfing’s Greatest Love Affair, could provide. Follow Smith and his misfit band of merrymakers as they search for the true origins of Al Qaeda and endeavor to ride the unsurfed waves of Yemen all while exploring the slim opportunities for fun in the margins of our global war on terror and at what cost―even if it means eventual kidnapping by Hezbollah. Read more

The magnificent canyons of Wadi Hadhramaut inspired Freya Stark to produce some of her best photographs. Dame Freya's particular empathy with local people resulted in charming pictures of people she worked or travelled with, and the homes and costumes of the period. Read more

Steil, Jennifer Read more

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Al llegar a Yemen en julio de 2009 para dirigir un hospital en la región más pobre del país, Alan Delmonte Bertrán tuvo que enfrentar el mayor reto de su joven existencia. Ojalá Inshallah. Viaje Íntimo al corazón de Yemen narra la cautivante aventura en el Medio Oriente de este dominicano que, con la ayuda de un blog, su voluntad y un notable sentido de comprensión, logra salvar las barreras culturales y entablar un diálogo con los hombres del desierto que cambiará su vida para siempre. Este libro es mucho más que una apasionante aventura; es una experiencia humana capaz de transformar también las perspectivas del lector. Read more

This is a story of the boundless spirit of exploration. If you dare – an adventure may change your life!In this captivating book, Janet takes you on a whirlwind adventure through foreign lands, demonstrating the boundless spirit of exploration. It all began when her family relocated to a remote part of Pakistan when she was five. The sights, sounds, and smells of this new world were so vastly different from her home in Canada, igniting a lifelong passion for discovery.As Janet grew older, her thirst for adventure only intensified. At age ten, her family settled in Kenya, where thrilling safaris introduced her to the majestic big five and immersed her in tales of exploration in a bygone era that seemed pulled straight from the pages of a novel.But Janet's true odyssey began at twenty-two as she set out on a six-month expedition from Toronto to Rio de Janeiro. She encountered unexpected challenges and delightful discoveries across eleven countries, including an unforgettable venture up the remote Suriname River.Not one to rest on her laurels, Janet, at twenty-six, embarked on a four-month discovery of Europe, uncovering hidden gems and immersing herself in diverse cultures. As an adult, she and her husband embarked on a five-year sojourn in Dubai, reinforcing the power of living in the moment and savouring life's fleeting essence.Through her incredible adventures, Janet came face to face with the essence of mortality, realizing that life's true magic lies in seizing every opportunity and living fully in the moment, with no doubt or fear. In her first book, she shares these transformative experiences, inspiring readers to dare to embark on their own life-changing journeys.Get a copy now! Read more

Doreen Ingrams and her husband were the first Europeans ever to live in the Hadhramaut, an extraordinary, isolated region of southern Arabia. Married to an Arabic-speaking British official, she arrived by boat, and during their ten-year residency travelled throughout the region by camel and donkey. Doreen kept a diary in which she detailed their adventures and described her unequalled access to the domestic quarters, to the women and children, the food, the scents, secrets, jewels, and privileges of this extraordinarily rich traditional society. A Time in Arabia is a precious document - part history, part time-travel, seen through the eyes of a decent, modest, and compassionate woman. "Blending history, travel and autobiography with strong cultural observations, this is a fine and engrossing work."--Midwest Book Review February 2014 Read more

El autor de El Círculo vuelve con la increíble historia verdadera de Mokhtar Alkhanshali, un joven   norteamericano de origen yemení que regresó a su país para recuperar el cultivo ancestral del café y se vio atrapado en una guerra civil.Mokhtar Alkhanshali, hijo de inmigrantes yemeníes, ha crecido en el  barrio más conflictivo de San Francisco y a sus veinticuatro años es  incapaz de pagarse la universidad. Mientras trabaja de portero en un  bloque de pisos de lujo, descubre que el café, al igual que él, tiene su  origen en Yemen, por lo que decide investigar la historia y la producción de esta antiquísima bebida viajando al país de sus  antepasados. En las montañas más remotas del Yemen este joven  norteamericano visita a los caficultores y los escasos cafetales para  encontrar las mejores bayas y exportarlas a Estados Unidos, pero la  guerra civil estalla y las puertas del país se cierran convirtiendo su regreso en una aventura extremadamente arriesgada.Dave Eggers firma esta inspiradora historia real sobre un valiente  emprendedor que soñó con resucitar el arte ancestral del café en  su  país. A través de una exhaustiva investigación, Eggers nos invita a ser  conscientes de lo que significa ser musulmán en Occidente y rompe una  lanza a favor de la necesidad de tender puentes entre culturas. El monje de Moka es un relato de superación, una crónica bélica pero  también un recorrido por la historia y el origen de esta popular bebida,  así como por el cultivo, la recolección y el procesado del café de alta calidad. ENGLISH DESCRIPTION The Monk of Mokha is the exhilarating true story of a young Yemeni American man, raised in San Francisco, who dreams of resurrecting the ancient art of Yemeni coffee but finds himself trapped in Sana’a by civil war.Mokhtar Alkhanshali is twenty-four and working as a doorman when he discovers the astonishing history of coffee and Yemen’s central place in it. He leaves San Francisco and travels deep into his ancestral homeland to tour terraced farms high in the country’s rugged mountains and meet beleagured but determined farmers. But when war engulfs the country and Saudi bombs rain down, Mokhtar has to find a way out of Yemen without sacrificing his dreams or abandoning his people. Read more