The Southern Gates of Arabia: A Journey in the Hadhramaut

In 1935, acclaimed English author and traveller Freya Stark landed on the coast of South Arabia, intent on being the first woman to venture alone into the country's interior by way of its ancient Incense Road. With her devoted servant Awiz and guides clothed only in indigo paint, she travelled by donkey, car, and on foot through desert and mountain villages beset by poverty, warring tribes, and illness. During her journey, Miss Stark became adept at using a hookah; befriended veiled brides dressed in festive Ceylon silks and soldiers who used her face cream to shine their daggers; joined a caravan of Arab camelmen; and spent nights in quarters ranging from a sultan's marble palace to the more common mud houses scattered throughout Arabia's wilderness. In her remarkable capacity to adapt to the unpredictable and untenable, she is truly a traveller of genius. Freya Stark's rare ability to interpret and appreciated oftentimes menacing natives and medieval Islamic traditions led to a journey of unexpected and delightful proportions and the creation of a classic travel adventure. -- Back cover.