In this volume, directed more to a general than an academic audience, Bidwell presents the stories of those intrepid souls drawn to explore the vast expanse of Arabia. This phase in Peninsula history fascinates Bidwell. The book allows him to highlight the deeds, daring-do, foibles and faults of those Europeans in search of knowledge, fame, or fortune who were bold enough to risk the hardship and danger of traveling in a harsh environment whose inhabitants were either extremely hospitable or apparently hostile. The early chapters focus on those whose travels were most impressive or contributed most to Western understanding of Arabia. The accounts are presented chronologically.
Later chapters are devoted to regions of the Peninsula.
To students of Yemen, the 1761 Danish Expedition that included Carsten Niebuhr is well known and is given a justifiably prominent place. As he does for other travellers to whom an entire chapter is devoted, Bidwell presents the backgrounds of the team members, their objectives, the details and itinerary of the trip, and some of the high and low points. For example, we learn of the expedition's travails and particularly of the death of all members except Niebuhr, who saw to the publishing of the results of his own and his companions' work. Bidwell devotes chapters to the travels of the famous including Richard Burton, Johann Burckhardt, H. St. John Philby, and Charles Doughty as well as the less well-known William Palgrave, Joseph Pitts, and Ali Bey, whose true identity is a mystery. Other travellers whose scopes were less broad, writings were less extensive, contributions less significant, or trips more recent are grouped in regional chapters.