River of Sand follows a traveler’s voyage through Mesopotamia, where boats push through blistering heat, riverbanks run flat to the horizon, and life unfolds in the blur of logistics, combat, and everyday resilience. The narrative moves from Basra to Kurna and beyond, painting scenes of bustling ports, crowded steamer decks, and the constant struggle with climate and distance. It also looks at hospital life, the practical needs of troops, and the human humor that threads through hardship.

The book blends vivid travel writing with frontline observations, offering a window into how a modern military campaign unfolds along a mighty river. Readers will meet interpreters, medics, and soldiers, and witness moments of humor, danger, and quiet resolve amid heat, dust, and movement.

Describes the rigors of river travel, heat, and the rhythm of convoy and navigation.
Details life on a river steamer, with barges, mules, and the constant push of supply lines.
Offers scenes from Basra, Kurna, and the Narrows, including cultural glimpses and daily peril.
Explores hospital life, medical logistics, and the practical challenges of care in the field.

Ideal for readers drawn to military history, travel memoirs, and portraits of life on and around a war-riven river.

About the Author

Maurice Nicoll (1884 – 1953) (pen name, Martin Swayne) was a British psychiatrist, author and noted Fourth Way teacher. He is best known for his Psychological Commentaries on the Teaching of Gurdjieff and Ouspensky, a multi-volume collection of talks he gave to his study groups.

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