Please note that the article Al- at the start of names is ignored in alphabetic sorting (e.g., Al-Qaeda is under Q)
Abdullah bin Essa, Sultan 189–91, 192–95, 197–98
AbouAkleh, Fadi 272–73, 276–78
Abshir (guide in Yemen)
Al Ghaydah and the Sultan 187–91, 192–94
goodbye 203
journey towards Al Ghaydah 181–87
plan to cross Gulf of Aden 199–202
Abu Haider (Razzaq Jabbar Sabbon) 88–93
Acre (Israel) 289
Ahmad (Pakistani driver in UAE) 120–122
Akko (Israel) 289
Aladdin (in Oman) 201–3, 203–4
Alexander the Great 79, 82, 104, 337
Ali, Amar Jabar
appearance 48
background 55
Baghdad 76
difficult nature 48, 50, 53, 54–55, 58, 67, 74, 83, 93
meeting and drive to safe house 48–49
night before Hawija offensive 54
Ali (Lebanese spy) 326–327, 328
Arab proverbs 66
Arabian Peninsula, defining 3
Arabian Sands (Thesiger) xi, 35, 143
Arafat, Yasser 275
Asir Mountains (Saudia Arabia) 227–231
Al-Assad, Bashar 7, 298, 299, 308, 316, 320
Baalbek (Lebanon) 325
Baghdad (Iraq) 16, 19–22, 76–78
Al-Baghdadi, Abu Bakr 27
Bedouin
frankincense 160
modernity 254
shared heritage 4
Thesiger’s respect for 154
Bekaa Valley (Lebanon) 320–321
Bell, Gertrude 35
Bethlehem (Palestine) 17, 267–268, 269–274
Bible, the 313
bin Ghabaisha, Salim 154
bin Laden, Osama 241
Bird, Isabella 35
Bosaso (Somalia) 202, 210, 212–216
Brandon (Jewish settler in Hebron) 281–282
Burton, Richard Francis 6, 35, 209, 217–220, 244, 337
Buxton, Simon 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 210–211, 271
camels
in Dhofar 162, 163–164, 165, 166, 167, 171–172
in Iraq 86
in Oman 139, 141–142, 143–144, 146–147, 148–149, 155–157, 159
Camp Spiecher (Iraq) 71
Cedars of God (Lebanon) 332–333
China 185
Coutselos, Alex 17–22, 39, 259
Cyrus of Persia 82
Daesh see ISIS (Daesh)
de la Mare, Walter 160
deserts
author’s fascination with 22, 85–86, 110, 158–159
the Empty Quarter see Empty Quarter (Oman)
impact on tribal affiliations 4–5
omnipresence of 329
Dhofar
entering the mountains 164–165
frankincense 160–161, 164, 167, 168, 172, 173–174
Hadi see Al-Hikmani, Hadi
militia 164
Somali smugglers 164, 167, 168
uprising 164
Djibouti 198, 199, 215, 222–223
Doughty, Charles M. 35
Empty Quarter (Oman)
the camels 143–144, 146–147, 148, 155–156, 156–157, 159
crossing with Mahrouqi 143–147, 148–152, 155–159
disillusions 158
dunes 145
naming of 141
oil, impact of 151
Snugly the dog 144, 147, 150, 155
Epic of Gilgamesh, The 79
Erbil (Kurdish Iraq) 38, 39, 42–45
Euphrates River 79, 84–85, 86, 89, 93
Fallon, Michael 43
Al-Faqeer, Mishael
background 252
brother’s house, dinner at 259–261
Dead Sea 263
goodbye 264
journey to Wadi Rum town 252–257
journey towards Dead Sea 262–263
Lawrence, views on 255
Ferozeh (Mishael’s sister-in-law) 259–261
Firman (driver in Kurdistan) 39–40, 45, 47
First Footsteps in East Africa (Burton) 219–220
frankincense
distribution of Boswellia tree 161
holiness, symbol of 161
Somali theft of 164, 167, 168, 172
Gaza (Palestine) 263, 274, 275
Geissler, Martin 21
Gibran, Kahlil 326
Gulf of Aden
piracy 34
transfer to Somali boat 212–214
Haddiyah station (Saudi Arabia) 245–246
Hadi, Abdrabbuh Mansour 184–185
Haifa (Israel) 289
HALO Trust 220
Hamas 275
Hamed, ‘Mahrouqi’ Ahmed Haroub
camels, mistreatment of 142, 155–156, 156–157
crossing the Empty Quarter 143–147, 148–152, 155–159
desert, love of the 151
England, life in 151
goodbye 159
Thesiger, meeting 150
Al Hareysi, Colonel Ali Salim 193–195
Hashd (Popular Mobilisation Forces) (Iraq) 43, 50, 55, 56–65, 70, 71, 102
Hawija (Iraq) 43, 46, 53, 55–62
Hezbollah 34, 175, 275, 292, 305–6, 321, 323–324
Al-Hikmani, Ali Saïd 162–163, 169, 171–172, 173, 174
Al-Hikmani, Hadi
at father’s house 174
goodbye 174
mobile phone 173
mountain knowledge 161
Al-Hikmani, Saïd Salim 162–163, 165, 171–172, 173, 174
Al-Hikmani, Saïd Suhail 162–163, 165, 167–168, 171, 172, 173, 174
Al-Hikmani, Salim Suhail 162–163, 165–166
Homer 195
hospitality 5, 91, 131–132, 153, 229, 239–243, 257, 259–261, 310–312, 321, 331–332
Houthi rebel group 175, 184–185
Hussain, Mr (Gujarati boat captain) 205, 206, 207, 210, 211, 212–213
Hussain, Omer ‘Chomani’ 39–47, 102
Hussein, Saddam 16, 22, 74–76, 77, 80–81, 86, 87
Ibn Battutah 35, 111, 138, 248
Ibn Majid, Ahmad 141
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 258
Iran 15, 41–42, 56, 98, 185, 229–230, 242, 294, 306, 323
Iraq
2003 terrorist attack on UN headquarters 19
Amar (Hashd PMF) see Ali, Amar Jabar
Basra 93
Camp Spiecher 71
Hashd 43, 50, 55, 56–65, 70, 71, 102
Hussein, Saddam 16, 22, 74–76, 77, 80–81, 86, 87
ISIS see ISIS (Daesh), in Iraq
Kirkuk, battle of 102
night before Hawija offensive 54
normalisation of violence 77
Al-Qurnah 93
Shi’a militias 41
Shi’a vs. Sunni 68–70, 71–72, 82–83, 102
see also Kurdistan
ISIS (Daesh)
in Iraq
Camp Spiecher 71
Kirkuk 40
recruits 72
Sinjar mountains 27
Tikrit 70
ISIS-inspired attacks in the West 28
Muslims’ opinions of 28–29, 52, 56, 71–72, 241–242, 276, 298
in Syria 7, 9–10, 30, 33, 293–294, 297–298, 300–303
Islam
beginnings 5
images of living beings 242–243
Jesus as prophet 277
murder 241
Shi’a vs. Sunni 28, 68–70, 82–83, 102, 185, 229–230
Islamic extremists
ISIS see ISIS (Daesh)
Jamaat al-Islam 298
Al-Nusra Front 7, 298, 306, 310
Al-Qaeda 19, 28, 72, 175, 185, 191, 210, 215, 225, 306
Israel
Acre 289
Akko 289
American embassy 263, 274, 275–276
border with Lebanon 290
border with Syria 290
Haifa 289
journey towards Lebanese border 289–290
Lebanon, conflicts with 275, 292, 324
Mark 290
Palestine, conflicts with 275–278, 279–280, 281–282, 283–287
Yom Kippur War (1973) 97
Jaish al-Fatah rebels 306
Jazan (Saudi Arabia) 198, 224, 225–227
Jerusalem (Israel) 16, 17, 18, 24, 263, 274, 287–288, 332
Jesus 23, 24, 160, 264–265, 267, 273, 277, 288
Jewish proverbs 275
Jordan
2003 visit 19–20, 257–258, 259
border with Palestine 264
border with Saudi Arabia 248–249
Dead Sea 263
dinner at Mishael’s brother’s house 259–261
journey to Wadi Rum town 252–257
journey towards Dead Sea 262–263
Karim (Jordanian farmer) 257
Madaba 262
Mishael see Al-Faqeer, Mishael
Mount Nebo 262
Shobak 262
Wadi Dana 262
Zaatari refugee camp 296
Karim (Jordanian farmer) 257
Kettunen, Nada
goodbye 320
meeting 297
Syrian rebels, views on 298, 299
Khasab (Oman) 132
Kurdish proverbs 37
Kurdistan
Hussain, Omer ‘Chomani’ 39–47, 102
independence referendum 38, 41–42, 42–43, 102
Kirkuk 102
Mosul 41
the Tigris 37
Turkish bombing 40
Kurds
in Iraq see Kurdistan
Kuwait
Iraqi border-to-Kuwait City 96, 98
Laban, Saleh Abu
goodbye 287
Islamic extremists, views on 276–277
Israeli-Palestinian conflict 276–277, 279–280, 286, 287
Jesus 277
Judaism vs. Zionism 277
Lawrence of Arabia film 36, 244
Lawrence, T.E. 26, 35–36, 224, 244, 245–246, 249, 255, 337
Lebanon
Ali and drive towards Bsharre 326–327, 328
Baalbek 325
border with Syria 320
conflicts with Israel and Saudi Arabia 275, 292, 324
democracy 323
diversity of people 323
Hadi see Obeid, Hadi
Hezbollah 34, 175, 275, 292, 305–6, 321, 323–324
hospitality 321
journey through Bekaa Valley 320
journey towards Byblos 335–336
Qadisha Valley 333
St Anthony, monastery of 333–334
tolerance 323
Walid (Christian taxi driver) 333–335
Yemeni civil war 185
Luke, Dave 29–30, 31, 32, 33–34, 35, 271
Madaba (Jordan) 262
Mar Saba monastery (Palestine) 268
Mark (at Kadarim kibbutz) 290
Marsh Arabs, The (Thesiger) 35, 86
Mecca (Saudia Arabia) 218–219, 231–232
Medina (Saudia Arabia) 218–219, 234–235
Meir, Golda 282
Mohamed (Bahraini sailor) 104–9
Mohamed (Syrian soldier) 310–311
Mohammad bin Salman, Crown Prince 224–225, 234, 238
Mohammed (guide at Babylon) 79–82
Mosul (Iraq) 22, 27, 33, 39, 41, 50–53, 69, 71
Mount Nebo (Jordan) 262
Muhammad, the Prophet 5, 233, 243, 249, 313
Musandam Peninsula 128
Mustafa (Sir Bani Yas guide) 112–118
Nativity Play 22–25, 81, 262–263
Al-Nusra Front 7, 298, 306, 310
Obeid, Hadi
Baalbek 325
goodbye 332
meeting 321
parents’ house 321
Odyssey, The (Homer) 195
oil’s impact on region
armed conflicts 1, 41–42, 82, 97–98, 138, 242
global power 97
tradition, loss of 96–97, 109, 110, 146, 150, 151
Oman
border with Yemen 180–181, 197
Britain, relationship with 136–137
Dhofar see Dhofar
Empty Quarter see Empty Quarter
(Oman)
Khasab 132
Khasab-to-Shinas ferry 132
Mahrouqi see Hamed, ‘Mahrouqi’
Ahmed Haroub
Mirbat 174
Musandam Peninsula 128
Strait of Hormuz 132
Telegraph Island 132
Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) 97
Ottoman Empire 36, 244, 245–246
Palestine
2003 visit 275
Bethlehem 17, 267–268, 269–274
border with Jordan 264
Church of the Nativity 271–273
Israel, conflicts with 275–278, 279–280, 281–282, 283–287
Mar Saba monastery 268
Qasr al-Yahud 264
Saleh see Laban, Saleh Abu
West Bank 263, 264, 266, 274, 275, 278–280
Philby, Harry St John 35
Pilgrimage to El-Medinah and Mecca (Burton) 219
previous visits to the Middle East 17–22, 26–27, 39, 75, 257–258, 259, 275
Qadisha Valley (Lebanon) 333
Al-Qaeda 19, 28, 72, 175, 185, 191, 210, 215, 225, 306
Qasr al-Yahud (Palestine) 264–265
Al-Qurnah (Iraq) 93
refugees 11–12, 46, 183–184, 296
Richard at maritime security agency 202–3
Russia 11, 97–98, 185, 293, 300–301, 304, 306
Al-Sadr, Muqtada 73
St Anthony monastery (Lebanon) 333–334
Salalah (Oman) 175–180, 197–204
Salman bin Salman, Prince 224
Saudi Arabia
border with Jordan 248
Britain, relationship with 245
Hejaz railway 227, 235, 243–248
historic heritage 238
human rights abuses 225
Iranian revolution 98
Iranians, views about 229, 242
journey to Asir Mountains 227–231
Lebanon, conflicts with 324
Mohammad bin Salman, Crown Prince 224–225, 234, 238
petroglyphs 239
Syrian civil war 306
visa approval 224
visa difficulties 38, 103, 198, 224
Wahabbism 241
Yemen, invasion of 175, 184, 185, 190, 225, 229
Yemen, spies in 194
Saudi proverbs 236
Sayeed (guide in Yemen) 179, 181, 183–184, 185, 186–187, 188, 189, 195, 197
Seven Pillars of Wisdom (Lawrence) 36, 244
Shakespeare, Captain 35
Shani (kibbutznikiyot) 290–291, 293, 294–295
Shobak (Jordan) 262
Sir Bani Yas (UAE) 111, 112–118
Snugly the dog 142, 144, 147, 150, 155
Somalia
Abdirizak, Hersi 220, 221, 222
border with Djibouti 222
Boswellia trees 161
Burton, Richard Francis 217, 219–220
drive to Hargeisa 216–217, 220
stereotypes 1, 15, 225–226, 239, 331
Syria
alcohol 12
Al-Assad, Bashar 7, 298, 299, 308, 316, 320
border with Israel 290, 292–295
border with Lebanon 320
Druze people 298
ISIS (Daesh) 7, 9–10, 27–28, 30, 33, 293–294, 297–298, 300–303
Nada see Kettunen, Nada
pre-Islam 4
Thalia 298
war
combatants and supporters 297–298, 299, 304, 306–7
in Kurdistan 7
life carrying on as normal 316
refugees 296
Tahrir al-Sham rebel group 306
Tales of the Arabian Nights 35, 94, 218, 317–320
Taliban 306
Talmud, the 262
Tawadros II, Orthodox Pope 272
Tel Aviv (Israel) 18–19, 275, 288–289
Telegraph Island 132
terrorist attacks 14–15, 18, 19, 27–28
Thalia (Syria) 298
Thesiger, Wilfred
background and character 152, 154
Bedouin, respect for the 154
Byblos 337
the Empty Quarter 143, 146, 147, 151–152, 153–154
Khaled’s opinion of 244
Mahrouqi’s meeting with 150
Tigris River 13, 37, 38, 46–49, 54, 67, 71, 84, 93
Al Took, Khaled
Burton, views on 244
goodbye 248
insights 248
journey to Asir Mountains 227–231
Lawrence, views on 244
meeting 226
modernity 234
Saudi heritage 238
Thesiger, views on 244
Trump, Donald 34, 120, 263, 274, 275, 284
Al-‘Ula (Saudi Arabia) 236–243
Um Haider, Salwa 92
United Arab Emirates (UAE)
Ahmad (Pakistani driver) 120–122
border with Oman 128
Trucial Coast 111
Yemen, invasion of 175, 185, 190, 195
United Kingdom (UK)
2003 Iraq War 89
Dhofar uprising 164
Kurds, support for 306
Kuwait’s independence from 97
Lebanon, relationship with 323
Mirbat, battle of 174
Oman, relationship with 135–137
Saudi Arabia, relationship with 245
Syrian rebels, support for 297, 306
Telegraph Island 132
terrorist attacks 28
Yemen, relationship with 190
United States (US)
Israel, embassy in 263, 274, 275–276
Kurds, support for 306
Lebanon, support for 323
Saudi Arabia, support for 98
Second Iraq War 1, 15–16, 21, 22, 75, 89
Syrian civil war 10–11, 34, 298, 306
Yemeni civil war 185
Wadi Dana (Jordan) 262
Wadi Kidron (Palestine) 268–269
Walid (Lebanese taxi driver) 333–335
West Bank (Palestine) 263, 264, 266, 274, 275, 278–280
wildlife
Dhofar 172
Saudi Arabia 234
Sir Bani Yas (UAE) 113, 115, 116–118
Wood family and friends reunion 269–274
Yarab, King 3
Yemen
Abshir see Abshir (guide in Yemen)
Al Mahra people 189
arrangements for entering 177–180
Boswellia tree 161
cholera 33
closed to foreigners 33, 174–175
Horn of Africa, relationship with 183
jungle 181
Mehri people 181
pre-Islam 4
Al-Qaeda 185
Sayeed 179, 181, 183–184, 185, 186–187, 188, 189, 195, 197
Somali fishermen 186
Sultan Abdullah bin Essa 189–191, 192–195
UK, relationship with 190
war
Houthi rebels 33, 184–185, 230
outsider meddling 185
Saudi involvement 175, 184, 185, 190, 194, 225, 229–230
Southern Transitional Council 185
UAE involvement 175, 185, 190, 195
US involvement 185
Yom Kippur War (1973) 97
Zaatari refugee camp (Jordan) 296