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The Marsh Arabs

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The Marsh Arabs

By: Wilfred Thesiger
Narrated by: Laurence Kennedy
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About this listen

For a period of seven years, Wilfred Thesiger canoed through the marshes at the confluence of Iraq's Tigris and Euphrates rivers, living among the native Madan tribes and their islands made of reeds. Now extinct, their ancient way of life is speculated to have existed for 5,000 years, going back to the days of ancient Sumer, and possessed a unique culture found nowhere else in the Middle East. Thesiger documents the tribes' conflicts, traditions, cuisine, relationships, justice systems, and art, and reveals how they built their unique water-borne society, with its beautiful canoes (taradas) and stately guest houses (mudhifs) - it is a remarkable familiarity gained through Thesiger's innate understanding of tribal ritual and etiquette, and the trust he earned through the use of a basic medical supply kit that he brought along with him. Poetic and immersing, The Marsh Arabs brings alive the sights, sounds, and smells of the marshes, and a culture that has now vanished forever.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©1964 Wilfred Thesiger (P)2019 Naxos Audiobooks Biographies & Memoirs Middle East Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary World

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Exceptionally beautiful.

Thesiger's account is unique, fascinating, educational, and beautiful. A priceless record of times past forever.

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Classic Travel Book

Very interesting exploration of the Marsh Arabs in Iraq. A chronicle of a lost way of life that has been destroyed in the modern era. Thesiger managed to get there just in time.

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