Louise's Reviews > An Arabian Journey: One Man's Quest Through the Heart of the Middle East

This is the most dangerous trip Levison Wood has written about so far. He covers 13 countries most of which are in a state of declared or undeclared war. Unlike other trips, he is not just walking; necessity dictates a car, bus or boat.

The people, from guides to hosts, drivers, vendors, soldiers, check point officials, and shell shocked refugees tell the story. As citizen of a country with troops on the opposite side of his hosts, he literally sleeps with the enemy. It turns out these enemies are sometimes just kids and families in a no-win situation. He also sees that his childhood hero, Richard Burton, is not so honored in Arabia.

There are evacuations and reports of attacks that are only miles away. There are descriptions of bombed out cities and shell shocked refugees. In Iraq, Wood sees a courtyard used by Daesh for decapitations. His guide notes the perpetrators are not just Arabs, he sites “Jihadi John” the terrorist from Wood’s home country and others from Turkey, France, Russia and Sweden. In Syria he meets a man with a photo of his decapitated father hanging from a traffic light; his father, Khaled-Al-Assad, was killed protecting an historic site.

There are moments when you wonder how Wood will get out of a situation. Even without his threat of leaving Wood without water, you wonder if his guide is capable of getting him out of the desert. On a boat to Somalia, with no one who speaks English, he wonders if this crew itself is kidnapping him and those who greet him on shore do not alleviate his worries. In Somalia, it sounds like he is dying of food poisoning.

There is the unexpected: a Mossad agent says Israel assists ISIS because they hate Assad; a Hezbollah youth in uniform with an AK47 is on his way to London to study; alcohol can be often openly used – even in Saudi Arabia; every Friday Palestinian youth and Israel soldiers exchange stones and rubber/steel pellets – almost like a game; Assad, himself, assigns Wood a guide for Syria, a swearing and chain smoking woman who married a Norwegian and lost a son fighting for Assad.

Throughout the journey there are check points, visa logistics (not sure how all Wood’s strings are pulled), destruction and refugees. There is relief from this in Saudi Arabia, “The Marshes”, Dubai, Kuwait, Jordan, Damascus, and meeting family and friends in Bethlehem for Christmas.

Wood is a spare writer and culls his experience to give the reader the essence of his trips. While his Himalaya book is his shortest in pages, this has to be his shortest in word count. In relation to the terrain and drama I wanted more content. I liked the photos of his travel and the people he met (especially the flower-wearing tribesman with his cell phone and weapon) but too many were scenes such as Dubai, Petra or Tel Aiv which can be seen elsewhere. In the Somalia section Wood opines on his traveling days… so you wonder if this will be his last book.

While I’d like more content, it is still a 5 star book for being a well written documentation of a unique experience.