Among the Mountains: Travels Through Asia
Thesiger has been called the last of the great British "gentlemen explorers." Born in 1910 and educated at Eton and Oxford, he has been praised for his books on the Arab world (Arabian Sands, The Marsh Arabs) and on East and North Africa. This account presents edited portions of journal entries written during trips to remote mountain areas of Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Kurdistan between 1952 and 1965, as well as numerous black-and-white photographs that he took at the time. Some of these areas are more developed today than they were half a century ago, while others are even more inaccessible owing to political upheavals. Thesiger's writing is sparse, as would be expected from diary entries, and consequently may disappoint those looking for more detail or seeking current travel information. Those wanting to know more about Thesiger's remarkable life should read his autobiography, The Life of My Choice (LJ 3/15/98), which ought to be an essential purchase even for small public libraries. This account is a rather mechanical afterthought to the autobiography and may be purchased by large public libraries.DHarold M. Otness, formerly with Southern Oregon Univ. Lib., AshlandCopyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.