This book is considered to be one of the finest works ever written on Arabia, admired for the beauty of its prose and valued as being one of the most important 19th-century portraits of Arabia and her people. Embarking on an adventure that had not been attempted by even the most intrepid explorers of the day, Charles Doughty travelled for nearly two years through the desert interior of the great Arabian Peninsula. Openly proclaiming himself a Christian and an Englishman, Doughty wandered through the desert, living with and as a bedouin, experiencing and recording a way of life that has now disappeared forever. His account--published here in paperback for the first time--is a truly indispensable classic of travel literature on the Middle East.