symbol are particularly recommended.There’s a surprising amount written about Oman, largely by the various explorers, adventurers and soldiers who tramped through the country between the 1950s and 1990s in search of oil, insurgents and ancient ruins. Accounts of the modern nation are thinner on the ground, as are reliable accounts of the sultanate’s earlier history. Books marked with the symbol are particularly recommended.
HISTORY, EXPLORATION AND TRAVELOGUES
Ranulph Fiennes Atlantis of the Sands. Rambling account of Fiennes’ twenty-year quest to discover the fabled city of Ubar, starting during his service as an officer in the Sultan’s Armed Forces in Salalah in the late 1960s through to the discovery of the ruins at Shisr in 1992. First-hand accounts of military action against Dhofari rebels and some interesting (if haphazard) forays into Arabian prehistory are the highlights, although the latter part of the book is marred by far too much autobiographical waffle, pointless name-dropping and random irrelevant accounts of assorted polar expeditions.
Ian Gardiner In the Service of the Sultan: A First-Hand Account of the Dhofar Insurgency. Written by a former Royal Marines officer, this crisply written account of the Dhofar rebellion offers a fascinating description of the conflict, while the early chapters of the book paint an absorbing picture of local life in Dhofar and elsewhere at the very beginning of the Omani Renaissance.
Hussein Ghubash Oman: The Islamic Democratic Tradition. This scholarly tome by a leading Gulf historian is the nearest thing currently available to a comprehensive history of the country. The book focuses on Oman’s unique imamate and Ibadhi traditions, but also provides wide-ranging coverage of other events from the Bronze Age through to the 1960s, with particularly strong coverage of the colonial period.
Edward Henderson Arabian Destiny. An autobiographical account of Henderson’s years in Oman and the UAE from 1948 to 1956 working for the Petroleum Development Trucial Coast, a position which gave him a privileged insight into the development of the modern Gulf. There are eyewitness accounts of the battle for Buraimi and of events preceding the outbreak of the Jebel War, and the book also features fascinating portraits of Muscat, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Al Ain in the early 1950s. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to get hold of outside the Gulf.
Tim Mackintosh-Smith Travels with a Tangerine: A Journey in the Footnotes of Ibn Battutah. Enjoyable account of the English Arabist and adventurer’s journey in the footsteps of Ibn Battutah from Morocco to Istanbul, with visits to Sur, Salalah and the Hallaniyat islands en route. Beautifully written, with a heady blend of often hilarious contemporary travelogue and recondite snippets of historical information.
Jan Morris Sultan in Oman. One of the best books ever written about the country. It provides a memorable first-hand account of Sultan Said bin Taimur’s triumphal overland journey from Salalah to Muscat following the reassertion of his authority over the interior in 1955, offering an unusually sympathetic portrait of one of Oman’s most misunderstood rulers. The almost medieval nation portrayed in the book has long since vanished, but still comes off the page with marvellous vividness, described in Morris’s inimitably laconic and chiselled prose.
Marc Valeri Oman: Politics and Society in the Qaboos State An authority on Omani politics, Valeri offers a scholarly yet accessible account of Sultan Qaboos’ half-century reign. Based on extensive local research, the book assesses the monarch’s legacy for the twenty-first century and lends a voice to the concerns of present-day Omanis.
Tim Severin The Sindbad Voyage. Entertaining account of Severin’s attempts to build an Omani dhow according to traditional Arabian boat-building techniques, and then sail it from Oman to China. The first part of the book covers the incredibly complex and laborious process of constructing the boat, while the second records the voyage itself, during which Severin and his crew of eight Omani sailors and fifteen international passengers sailed for seven months and 10,000km from Muscat to Canton, braving monsoonal typhoons, international pirates and assorted maritime mishaps en route.
Wilfred Thesiger Arabian Sands. Arguably the finest book ever written about the Arabian peninsula, Thesiger’s classic tome recounts his two epic crossings of the Empty Quarter and other remote wanderings around Oman, Saudi Arabia, Yemen and the UAE accompanied by a handful of trusted Bedu companions. The sheer difficulties, dangers and immense physical privations of Thesiger’s various journeys make for a compelling read, while the detailed portrait of Bedu life among the sands offers unparalleled insights into the region’s harsh, but also surprisingly intricate, tribal cultures, customs and beliefs – an elegiac memorial to a remarkable culture which was beginning to disappear even as Thesiger wrote about it.
Nicholas Clapp The Road to Ubar: Finding the Atlantis of the Sands. Entertaining account of the protracted hunt for Arabia’s most famous lost city – far superior to Ranulph Fiennes’ haphazard work on the same subject, and with a nice blend of ancient history and contemporary archeological adventure.
SPECIALIST GUIDES
Michael Hughes Clarke Oman’s Geological Heritage. Beautiful coffee-table book bursting with wonderful photographs of Oman’s weird and wonderful landscapes, plus interesting accompanying text.
Dave E. Sargeant, Hanne Eriksen, Jens Eriksen Birdwatching Guide to Oman. Detailed practical guide to birdwatching in the sultanate, including coverage of over sixty top birdwatching sites and lists of birds likely to be encountered, plus lots of maps and photos. The companion Common Birds in Oman, by Hanne and Jens Eriksen, provides comprehensive background (with 700 photos) on 310 species found in the country and the neighbouring UAE.
Explorer Publishing Oman Trekking. In-depth coverage (with basic maps) of twelve of Oman’s finest trekking routes, mainly in the Western Hajar.
Explorer Publishing Oman Off-Road. Oman’s off-road Bible, covering 38 of the best off-road drives countrywide, with routes plotted on large-scale satellite maps, plus detailed directions and GPS coordinates to help keep you on the right track.
Samir S. Hanna Field Guide to the Geology of Oman. Detailed coverage of Oman’s unique geology, followed by seventeen field trips around the country (mostly in the Western Hajar). It’s tricky to follow in places if you’re not a trained geologist, but is full of absorbing insights into the formation of the country’s remarkable landscapes.