Abundantly illustrated with drawings and photographs, this travelogue of William Seabrook contains his reminiscences among several Middle Eastern cultures. As a writer and would-be traveler, Seabrook was particularly drawn to the Middle East, the “Arabia” of his book, an area not always safe for non-Muslims to travel in his day. Written with all the voice and presence of an adventurer, he narrates his time with the Bedouins, the Druses, Dervishes, and Yezidees. Always with a penchant for the unusual, he chronicles the exotic and unexpected during his exciting journey; the golden calf among the Druses and the devil worship of the Yezidees make fine examples. As a period piece and a snapshot of early twentieth-century Arabic culture, this travel book still has a mesmerizing draw for those interested in the Middle East.

William Buehler Seabrook (1887-1945) was a maverick writer, traveler, and journalist. Aware of the draw of foreign travel during times of uncertainty, he made his mark as a man who brought the exotic to the western world to experience.