Arabian desert in English travel writing since 1950 : a barren legacy? /
Broadly this book is about the Arabian desert as the locus of exploration by a long tradition of British travellers that includes T.E. Lawrence and Wilfred Thesiger. More specifically, it is about those who, since 1950, have followed in their literary footsteps. In analyzing modern works covering a...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
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New York :
Routledge,
[2023].
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| Series: | Routledge research in travel writing.
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| Subjects: |
| Summary: | Broadly this book is about the Arabian desert as the locus of exploration by a long tradition of British travellers that includes T.E. Lawrence and Wilfred Thesiger. More specifically, it is about those who, since 1950, have followed in their literary footsteps. In analyzing modern works covering a land greater than the sum of its geographical parts, the discussion identifies outmoded tropes that continue to impinge upon the perception of the Middle East today while recognizing that the labored binaries of 'East and West', 'desert and sown', 'noble and savage' have outrun their course. Where, however, only a barren legacy of latent Orientalism may have been expected, the author finds instead a rich seam of writing that exhibits diversity of purpose and insight contributing to contemporary discussions on travel and tourism, intercultural representation and environmental awareness. By addressing a lack of scholarly attention towards recent additions to the genre, this study illustrates for the benefit of students of travel literature, or indeed anyone interested in "Arabia", how desert writing, under the emerging configurations of globalization, postcolonialism and ecocriticism, acts as a microcosm of the kinds of ethical and emotional dilemmas confronting today's travel writers in the world's most extreme regions. |
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| Item Description: | "Orginated from a doctoral thesis (completed at Nottingham Trent University under my married name Jenny Owen"--Page xi. |
| Physical Description: | xv, 224 pages ; 24 cm. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 201-217) and index. |
| ISBN: | 1032053526 9781032053523 1032399260 9781032399263 |