ARABIA FELIX

THE EPIC CROSSING OF THE RUB AL KHALI DESERT - THE FIRST BY A NON-ARAB, FROM SALALAH OMAN TO DOHA QATAR.

IN 1930, AFTER YEARS OF PLANNING AND ANTICIPATION OF CROSSING THE RUB AL KHALI (EMPTY QUARTER), BERTRAM THOMAS ARRIVED IN THE SOUTHERN ARABIAN TOWN OF SALALAH; HIS TEAM OF GUIDES WERE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND.

This true account of his trail blazing achievement charts the twists and turns of his achievement, which opened the route to others including Wilfred Thesiger, who made his desert crossing 15 years after Thomas. 

Bertram Thomas spent his working life from 1916, to his death in 1950 in the Arab World. In this book he describes his crossing of the vast Rub Al Khali Sand Desert from Salalah, in Dhofar Oman, though the desert to Doha, Qatar. He planned this epic adventure while working as a government minister to the Sultan of Muscat and Oman, having worked for many years in Iraq and then Jordan.

New to this edition are place-specific modern Colour photographs for context, in addition to scanned black & white images by Bertram Thomas. An introductory biography to Thomas gives background to his achievement.

Full of unexpected events and fascinating insights into the Arabian culture, this is a must-read to understand parts of Arabia as they are today.

This is a fascinating account of a groundbreaking expedition and ideal for anyone interested in Arabia and its people.