Seen in Hadhramaut

1938

Brasch DS247 H3 SS78

London: J. Murray

After learning Arabic and Persian, Freya Stark (1893-1993) travelled to remote ‘blank spots’ in and around Luristan (western Persia), and the Valley of the Assassins on the Caspian Coast. Her first book, The Valley of the Assassins (1934), earned her high praise. The Middle East captivated her, and Stark really did take up the mantle of traveller extraordinaire vacated by Gertrude Bell. Seen in the Hadhramaut was the result of two ground-breaking expeditions she undertook in unexplored areas of Arabia in 1935 and 1938. She travelled with little or no baggage, and was renowned for her attire: bold French designer dresses, including a compulsory silk one. Dame Freya Stark died in 1993, aged 100.