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In 1908 Arthur Wavell left England to begin his journey to Mecca, determined to find out more about Arab customs with a view to future adventures into the unexplored interior of Arabia. Due to the suspicion a westerner would arouse, and the fact that unbelievers were forbidden by the authorities to enter Mecca, he undertook his pilgrimage in disguise. His journey to Damascus, Medina and finally Mecca with his two companions, a Swahili Muslim from Mombasa and an Arab from Aleppo, is detailed in the first part of the book (originally published in 1912). The second part describes his abortive attempt to explore south central Arabia, including his capture and expulsion from Yemen by the Turkish authorities. Wavell was clearly both a curious explorer and a daring adventurer; his efforts to make these fascinating places and customs better known are to be commended.

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9781859641828

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Arthur John Byng Wavell (1882-1916) was both a soldier and explorer. Commissioned in the Welsh Regiment in 1900, he saw service in the South African War before he was nineteen, and went on to carry out military intelligence work after peace was restored. He left the army in 1906 and bought a farm near Mombasa, where he learned Arabic and became interested in Islam. From this came his desire to explore Arabia. He was killed fighting heroically in East Africa in 1916.

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