Sandstorms by Peter Theroux

From the Publisher

In this provocative and incisive memoir, Peter Theroux reveals the Middle East only as a true insider can. Stationed as a journalist in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for most of his seven years in the region, Theroux explodes the romantic images of Arabia, but replaces them with the even more intriguing reality of fanatic Muslims, overwhelmingly rich and powerful royal families, and the vast gulf in understanding between Arabs and westerners.

Library Journal

Theroux recounts his experiences in the Middle East of the 1980s. The author went to Egypt to teach English and wound up chronicling the disappearance of Lebanon's Shia Iman Moussa Sadr. But Sandstorms is the human side of an American in Arabia: swapping dirty jokes, drinking till all hours in dirty cafes, reading Saudi literature to try to touch the Arabian soul, looking back at American literature with loathing after reading Uris's The Haj, wending his way to the Damascus airport through a massive jam of manic Syrian drivers--and hoping the traffic would last. Theroux's Arabia is rough but undeniably real, poignant and elemental. Those who have lived in the Middle East for a time will hear echoes of their sojourn, and those who want to know what it's like will learn from Sandstorms. Strongly recommended for most libraries. For another view of the same area, see Chrisopher Dickey's Expats: Travels in Arabia, from Tripoli to Tehran, reviewed in this issue, above.--Ed.--David P. Snider, Casa Grande P . L . , Ariz.

Booknews

An anecdotal account of the author's experiences in the Middle East as a student, teacher, journalist, and tourist. No index or bibliography. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

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