The Arabian Desert in English Travel Writing Since 1950

"Acknowledgements Preface Introduction: Arabia, the Land of Legend The margins of Western desert travel in Arabia Locating Arabia Arabia as a country of the mind The Lawrence and Thesiger legacy Mapping the chapters Chapter 1. In Literary Footsteps: The Prevalence of ""Second Journeys"" A tradition of intertextuality Learning from the past – Blackmore in the footsteps of Lawrence Writing about the present – Kirkby and Hayes in the footsteps of Thesiger Opportunities for the future – Evans in the footsteps of Thomas Chapter 2. Desert and Sown: The Narration of Progress and Modernity Desert but not deserted – Asher’s modern Bedu The desert mechanised – Toy’s travels by Land Rover The desert politicised – Morris and a Sultan’s pageant The desert urbanised – Raban and a camel-free account The desert historicised – Mackintosh-Smith’s inverse archaeology Chapter 3: Gendering the Desert: Women and Desert Narratives Where are the women? Western women’s travels in Arabia ""Pay, pack and follow"" – women as desert writers The siren trope The ""veiled best-seller"" Desert as an inconstant space Chapter 4. Wonderment and Wilderness: Desert Science Writing Delighting in sand grouse George and the neo-sublime Walker and Pittaway in amateur pursuits Winser in search of solutions Staging the desert for Western audiences Chapter 5: Desert as Shared Space Post-tourism and the accelerated sublime The modern secular pilgrimage Democratisation of the desert experience Conclusion: Barren Legacy? Bibliography Index"