British Travel Writing On Oman

This book focuses on the images of Oman in British travel writing from 1800 to 1970. In texts that vary from travel accounts to sailors' memoirs, complete travelogues, autobiographies, and letters, it looks at British representations of Oman as a place, people, and culture. The study discusses the current Orientalist debate suggesting alternatives to the dilemma of Orientalism. It also outlines the historical Omani-British relations, and examines the travel accounts written by several British merchants and sailors who stopped in Muscat and other Omani coastal cities in the nineteenth century. Another focus is with the works of travellers who penetrated the Interior of Oman such as James Wellsted and Samuel Miles, and the travellers who explored the southern Oman and the Empty Quarter. Finally the book looks at the last generation of British travellers who were in Oman from 1950 to 1970 employed either by oil companies or the Sultan Said bin Taimur. The gap of knowledge that this book undertakes to fill is that most of the texts under discussion have not been studied in any context.

This book focuses on the images of Oman in British travel writing from 1800 to 1970. In texts that vary from travel accounts to sailors' memoirs, complete travelogues, autobiographies, and letters, it looks at British representations of Oman as a place, people, and culture. The study discusses the current Orientalist debate suggesting alternatives to the dilemma of Orientalism. It also outlines the historical Omani-British relations, and examines the travel accounts written by several British merchants and sailors who stopped in Muscat and other Omani coastal cities in the nineteenth century. Another focus is with the works of travellers who penetrated the Interior of Oman such as James Wellsted and Samuel Miles, and the travellers who explored the southern Oman and the Empty Quarter. Finally the book looks at the last generation of British travellers who were in Oman from 1950 to 1970 employed either by oil companies or the Sultan Said bin Taimur. The gap of knowledge that this book undertakes to fill is that most of the texts under discussion have not been studied in any context.

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.

This handbook offers a systematic exploration of current key topics in travel writing studies. It addresses the history, impact, and unique discursive variety of British travel writing by covering some of the most celebrated and canonical authors of the genre as well as lesser known ones in more than thirty close-reading chapters. Combining theoretically informed, astute literary criticism of single texts with the analysis of the circumstances of their production and reception, these chapters offer excellent possibilities for understanding the complexity and cultural relevance of British travel writing.

Historians have often assumed that the lives of the poor and illiterate can never be known because they have left little record of their existence. This book, however, will establish some of the main themes of a new field of historical study: that of 'ordinary writings' - the improvised writings of the poor and the young.

This book is a cultural history, offering an historical account of the formation of a distinctive Omani culture; arguing that it is in this unique culture that a specific conception and practice of diplomacy has been developed.

Desert exploration, like climbing Everest or polar expeditions, is not for the faint-hearted, and many of the vivid tales within this fascinating biographical history end in tragedy. However, the informative and absorbing descriptions of the extraordinary journeys, challenges and achievements of these intrepid figures, are captivating. They risked their lives variously for good old fashioned epic adventure, solitude, fame, the answer to mythical questions and some were even spies. They experienced fear, excitement and hardship in their journeys into the unknown. There are many books on exploration but remarkably few on desert exploration. Moreover, some of the great desert explorers of the last three hundred years are now very little remembered or appreciated in comparison, say, with those who ventured to the poles, climbed Everest, or sought the source of the Nile. Yet, crossing unknown deserts is no less challenging. This volume finally brings these Great Desert Explorers into the limelight, with short, illustrated biographies of around 60 of the most interesting, intrepid and important explorers of the world’s greatest deserts. There is also a brief introduction to each desert region. The many original quotations, illustrations and maps, contemporary figures, as well as plates of a range of desert landscapes make this a colourful, lively and informative read.

Oman is one of the world's most exciting emerging tourist destinations-offering a genuine taste of old Arabia and an oasis of traditional culture amidst the frantically modernizing Gulf states. The country boasts a string of captivating attractions. Scenically, it's one of the region's most memorable destinations, from the craggy uplands of the Hajar mountains to the spectacular fjords of the Musandam peninsula and the dramatic dunes of the Wahiba Sands. Culturally, the country boasts a variety of absorbing sights, ranging from the traditional souks of Muscat, Nizwa, and Salalah to the atmospheric mudbrick towns and towering forts of the interior. The new Rough Guide to Oman is the first in-depth guide to this fascinating country, complete with detailed coverage of all sights, new state-of-the-art maps, and practical information including comprehensively road-tested information about driving and walking routes both on and off the beaten track. Originally published in print in 2011. Now available in ePub format.