Yemen: The Unknown Arabia

This New York Times Notable Book is “ a vigorous, humorous debut that paints a delightful portrait of a distant land ” ( Kirkus Reviews ).
 
Yemen is arguably the most fascinating and least known country in the Arab world. Located at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, it has been long regarded by classical geographers as a fabulous land where flying serpents guard sacred incense groves. But our current ideas of Yemen have been hijacked by images of terrorist strongholds, drone attacks, and diplomatic tensions.
 
After living thirteen years among the Yemenis, Tim Mackintosh-Smith reminds us there is another Arabia. “His characters are not the mustachioed bandidos of old, but men who have worked oil rigs, fought civil wars, harvested frankincense and myrrh . . . The places he visits do not serve as mere backdrops for the author’s ruminations on the ills of modern life; rather, they are celebrated and assessed for their specific qualities: hot, dusty, endlessly fascinating places with histories that cry out for attention” ( Kirkus Reviews ).
 
“[Mackintosh-Smith] seems incapable of writing a dull sentence, and in him the scholar, the linguist and the storyteller swap hats with marvelous speed.” — The New York Times Book Review
 
“This is no ordinary travelogue, but an impressionistic exploration of a non-Western land by an experienced observer . . . Offers an opportunity for dedicated armchair travelers to delight in a land few Westerners will actually visit.” — Publishers Weekly
 
“His book is a delightful literary exercise that at the same time spoon-feeds a great deal of information about his adopted country.” — Middle East Quarterly