Desert, marsh and mountain

Discover the heart of Arabia through the eyes of an early explorer.

Desert, Marsh and Mountain: The World of a Nomad by Wilfred Thesiger is a must-read travel and exploration classic that offers a vivid, deeply personal portrait of the landscapes and peoples of the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. A renowned British explorer and writer, Thesiger reflects on decades of journeys across some of the world’s most remote regions from the Empty Quarter deserts of Arabia to the marshlands of southern Iraq and the highlands of Ethiopia.

With rich detail and sharp insight, Thesiger documents vanishing ways of life, traditional nomadic cultures, and the raw beauty of untouched lands. His writing is both lyrical and honest, shaped by a deep respect for the people he lived among and the simplicity of life outside the modern world.