The Holy Cities of Arabia (Hardcover)

Hardcover. FEW BRITISH EXPLORERS IN ARABIA have produced books whose importance as travelogues is trans-cended by their literary quality. One such is The Holy Cities of Arabia, published to critical acclaim in 1928, with its author hailed as a worthy successor to Burckhardt, Burton and Doughty.Unrivalled among works by Western travellers to Islams holy cities, this account of a pilgrimage to Makkah in 192526 is made all the more remark-able by its authors timing. In 1925 `Abd al-`Aziz Ibn Saud brought to an end centuries of rule over the Hijaz by the Hashimite sharifs and their Ottoman overlords. Rutter, living as a learned Muslim Arab in a Makkan household, had a ringside seat as Riyadh imposed its writ on Islams holy cities. As striking as his account of life in Makkah before modernization are his interviews with Ibn Saud, and his journeys to al-Taif and to the City of the Prophet, al-Madinah.The Holy Cities of Arabia proved to be its authors only full-length work. After a brief career as a Middle East traveller, Rutter lapsed into obscurity.This new edition aims to revive a neglected masterpiece and to establish Rutters reputation. Little was known about him until now and the introduction tells the story of his life for the first time, assessing his talents as a travel writer and analysing his significance as a British convert. FEW BRITISH EXPLORERS IN ARABIA have produced books whose importance as travelogues is trans-cended by their literary quality. One such is The Holy Cities of Arabia, published to critical acclaim in 1928, with its author hailed as a worthy successor to Burckhardt, Burton and Doughty. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.…