ALONE IN ARABIAN NIGHTS

Sirdar Ikbar Ali Shah

Octagon Press, London, 1992

One of the most remarkable men of achievement in the first half of this century, the Sirdar Ikbar Ali Shah was an author of such stature and repute that he became known as 'Asia's master writer.' Born of royal lineage and a close friend of some of the Eastern world's most powerful leaders, the Sirdar was an influential figure in international relations and supporter of the League of Nations. Alone in Arabian Nights is his powerful personal account of travels by boat, camel, horseback and sometimes on foot through this land of impassioned religion, where imminent violence is a constant threat, and the unexpected is the rule of life.

We are taken to the holiest places of the Middle East -- the forbidden city of Mecca, the tombs of Abraham and Jesus, and mysterious ancient pagan temples. From a duel to the death in the deserts of Iraq, to the passionate romance of an Arabian Sheik and a beautiful English widow; from meeting a contemporary alchemist to an eye-witness account of the foundings of the modern-day movement for Arab unity; the pace is fast and fascinating. Like no other writer, the Sirdar helps us understand an area whose ancient and mysterious past helped form our own culture, and whose unpredictable present threatens to shape our future.