Contents:
George Wyman Bury (1874-1920), naturalist, explorer, Arabist, and political officer in the British army, provides an account of his visit to Yemen on the eve of the first World War.
His account covers all aspects of Yemen, which, until the end of the war, formed part of the Ottoman Empire. Chapters treat biblical and ancient history, flora and fauna, the manners and customs of its rural and urban population, as well as economic life, trade, and politics. By entitling his book Arabia infelix (Unhappy Arabia), Bury signals his view that Turkish rule was an impediment to the prosperity and well-being of the country.
With regard to the security situation in Yemen, Bury emphasises that 'the Turks have no control. When Glaser, the traveller, went to Mareb, through Turkish territory, he had to take a local escort. That was in the eighties and the Turks had far more hold then than they have now'. (p. 148)
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