Review (PDF)

Yemen

Arguably the most fascinating and least understood country in the Arab world, Yemen has a way of attracting comment that ranges from the superficial to the wildly fantastic. A country long regarded by classical geographers as a fabulous land where flying serpents guarded sacred incense groves, while medieval Arab visitors told tales of disappearing islands and menstruating mountains. Our current ideas of this country at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula have been hijacked by images of the terrorist strongholds, drone attacks, and diplomatic tensions. But, as Mackintosh-Smith reminds us in this newly updated book, there is another Arabia. Yemen may be a part of Arabia, but it is like no place on earth.

Hardcover: 280 pages

Publisher: Overlook Books; First Edition edition (March 20, 2000)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1585670014

ISBN-13: 978-1585670017

Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 1.1 inches

Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds

Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #2,831,144 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #45 in Books > Travel > Middle East > Yemen #89 in Books > History > Middle East > Yemen #188 in Books > Travel > Middle East > Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, United-Arab-Emirates & Yemen

This is a travelogue of a Brit's visit to and exploration of Yemen. The author paints a beautiful and romantic picture of Yemen with text that is both easy and enjoyable to read. I knew virtually nothing about Yemen before reading this book, and I purchased it from on a whim. I was not disappointed. Although there is some discussion of history and politics in this book, the author's primary emphasis is describing the scenery, the people, and the culture that he has experienced on his travels. If the author's goal was to convey a bit of the complexity of Yemeni culture, some of the natural beauty of the Yemeni landscape to a Western audience, and a part of the rich history of Yemen, he has succeeded. I found the author's description of a sailing trip to Suqutra, an island off the coast of Yemen, to be particularly evocative. The `ritual' of qat was also surprising and interesting. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn about Yemen from a Westerner's viewpoint, particularly if one looking for an entertaining, not scholarly, account. Some of the less enthusiastic reviews of this book state that the account is too idealistic. This is probably a fair criticism, but I do not view this as a drawback in this type of book.

Not a bad book really, rather light and amusing, and perfect for romantics who want to project an image of exoticism on Yemen. In classic Orientalist fashion, it celebrates a European perspective on the Arab world, one which insists that its culture is best when it is at its supposedly "traditional" - the antipode to (and, I would speculate, escape from) European civilization. The author is uncomfortable with the proudly multi-cultural traditions of Aden, positively angry with women in Yemen who challenge its social norms, and tied into the idea that Yemen is an unchanging paradise. Indeed, the essentialism of his portrait is summarized in this sentence: Yemen's 1,200 mile coast is "a tacked on sort of place. The essence of Yemen is here diluted in the ebb and flow of outsiders. If I treat the coast as an afterthought, I admit to prejudice." Having spent considerable time in Yemen, I certainly agree that Yemen is a charming and wonderful place, but am perhaps uncomfortable with the way the author ignores its changing political and social currents in favor of a search for an eternal essence. Such an essence doesn't exist except in the imagination and projections of Europeans. An amusing book, but ultimately Yemen is a far, far more complex, challenging place than the author is willing to confront. But, as light escapism, for fans of travel books it is reasonably entertaining.

This work is outside the usual parameters of my taste in reading, but a stretch is good for everyone. I want to thank the author, first, for displacing the first image that comes to mind when I hear the word "Yemen": the desperately ficticious destination picked by Chandler as he trys to escape Janis on Friends. This is a wonderfully rounded depiction of a culture that somehow manages to exist in the past as well as the present. I especially enjoyed the visit to the isle of Susqatra. Mr. MacKintosh-Smith uses his insider/outsider status to great effect, and his mastery of observation and fluid description takes the reader on a journey of discovery. Bravo.

was used for a school report and had some good info in it

The Differential Impact of Women's Participation in the Arab Spring - Social Media, Information Technology, Group Identities, Egypt, Yemen, Bahrain, Barriers to Protest, Gender Participation The Last Refuge: Yemen, al-Qaeda, and America's War in Arabia Unfinished Revolutions: Yemen, Libya, and Tunisia after the Arab Spring Yemen: Dancing on the Heads of Snakes Yemen Chronicle: An Anthropology of War and Mediation Water Histories and Spatial Archaeology: Ancient Yemen and the American West Regionalism and Rebellion in Yemen: A Troubled National Union (Cambridge Middle East Studies) The Struggle For Yemen And The Challenge of Al-Qaeda In The Arabian Peninsula: 2013 Salafism in Yemen: Transnationalism and Religious Identity Nasser's Gamble: How Intervention in Yemen Caused the Six-Day War and the Decline of Egyptian Power A Tale of Two Factions: Myth, Memory, and Identity in Ottoman Egypt and Yemen (Suny Series in the Social and Economic History of the Middle East) Aden Insurgency: The Savage War in Yemen 1962-67 High-Value Target: Countering al Qaeda in Yemen (ADST-DACOR Diplomats and Diplomacy) Yemen: The Unknown Arabia Yemen:: Revolution, Civil War and Unification (Library of Modern Middle East Studies) A History of Modern Yemen Yemen, In Brief Arabia Felix: An Exploration of the Archaeological History of Yemen (Origins of Arabia) Regionalism and Rebellion in Yemen (Cambridge Middle East Studies) The Lost World of Socotra: Yemen's Island Of Bliss