The Arabian Desert in English Travel Writing Since 1950 - A Barren Legacy? (Hardcover)

While much scholarly attention has focused on travel literature relating to T.E. Lawrence and Wilfred Thesiger, among other Arabian desert explorers, there has been little critical attention regarding the work of those who follow in their footsteps; by addressing that gap through the consideration of a range of texts between 1950 to the present day, this study illustrates for the benefit of those who study travel literature that Arabia and its inhabitants continue to occupy a place in the Western imagination, albeit nuanced by postcolonial debate and Arab modernities. Why do Western travellers continue to adopt Arab headwear and rope up reluctant camels when they could explore the Empty Quarter in a comfortable, air-conditioned 4x4 vehicle? This book answers that question by referring to key themes that are relevant not just to those with a scholarly interest in travel literature but to all those who have ever sensed the magic of open spaces. Covering concepts such as belatedness, authorial anxiety, dark tourism and the accelerated sublime, this book looks at contemporary literary concepts through the focused lens of Arabian desert travel; authored by a Lonely Planet writer, it acts as a guidebook to the kinds of ethical and emotional dilemma confronting today's travellers and tourists in the world's most extreme regions. In considering "where are the women" in Arabian desert literature, it soon becomes clear they have been systematically written out of male travel literature or relegated to a role of "pay, pack and follow": by including a particular focus, in a chapter on modern female desert explorers, on the traditional gendering of the desert and indeed throughout this book, some gender balance is restored to the genre. Recognising we live in the age of the Anthropocene, this book employs ecocriticism to explore the continuing magnetism of the deserts of Arabia as a context of human endeavour; it does so through analysis of travel writing that engages with the modern inhabitants of the desert space (both wild and urban) and through highlighting the quests of the secular pilgrims who are inspired by its borders and margins.

General

Imprint:	Taylor & Francis
Country of origin:	United Kingdom
Series:	Routledge Research in Travel Writing
Release date:	December 2022
First published:	2023
Authors:	Jenny Walker
Dimensions:	229 x 152 x 20mm (L x W x T)
Format:	Hardcover
Pages:	224
ISBN-13:	978-1-03-205352-3
Categories:	Books > Language & Literature > Literature: history & criticism > Literary studies > From 1900 Books > Reference & Interdisciplinary > Interdisciplinary studies > Area / regional studies > General
LSN:	1-03-205352-6
Barcode:	9781032053523

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