The Last of the Bedu – In Search of the Myth –

“For generations of English explorers, and most notably Wilfred Thesiger, the Bedu nomads of the Arabian desert were almost a race of supermen, proud, brave, generous and noble, unchanged since Biblical times, untainted by the corrupt modern world.

In this enthralling book, Michael Asher – Thesiger’s biographer and today’s greatest desert explorer – set out to discover the truth behind the myth. He made a month-long camel trek to the oasis of Selima in the Sudan, crossed Egypt’s Western Desert with a Bedu guide, and sought clues everywhere from Palmyra to Petra, from the bazaars of Damascus to the skyscraper citadel of Shibam. He found Bedu living as before, Bedu nostalgic for the old days, Bedu embracing better education, health care and opportunities, even Bedu addicted to soap operas. Instead of the stock heroic stereotype, he shows us flesh-and-blood individuals, struggling to adapt to changing circumstances. A celebration tinged with sadness, a tale of high adventure, unexpected encounters and extraordinary sights, The Last of the Bedu is surely destined to become a classic of travel writing.”