Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-10-07

/ <1LAINho AINO In
ARABIA. BY Bertram Thomas.
Preface by Sir Arnold T. Wilson.
Illustrated. indianapolis: Bobbs-
Merrill Co.
Alarms and Excursions in Arabia
goes on the shelf which hold Doughty's
immortal masterpiece" according to the
London Morning Post. And that, in
fact. stands as about the highest COM
mendation that can be looked for from
| an English standpoint.
Here Is the account of a quite modern
adventure in Southern Arabia, as
against the northern region described
by Charles Doughty. The situation is
different, the tempo highly Speeded UP,
the record itself direct snappy, shift
ing from point to point at a rate of
prompt efficiency in keeping with the
advance of affairs and movement all
the world over since the big war.
To us, the average, Arabia is but a
patch on the map, yellow or red or
green: not a great stretch, hardly
capable. 1t seems to us, of holding up
to the near-now a great unexpored re-
gion. But it is true that down in the
southern part of that country there is
the Rub al Khali," vast desert. which
Just now, so to speak, Bertram Thomas
has succeeded in crossing. And this
book is the story of that achievement.
success hailed by geographers as one
OF the triumphs of modern explorers.
Not a new thing for this young man,
since he has mace many trial trip in
Southern Arabia and has otherwise
prepared himself for this crowning
camel trek by becoming familiar with
the language in its many variants, such
as he would need to know for a prac-
tical carrying out of the expedition.
Having held positions of responsibility
and technical demand in the East, hav-
ing the surprising gift besides of max
ing friends along the ways of his life
journey, Bertram Thomas ccntended
that he could turn this mastery trick
of outwitting the Rub al Khali' in
its age-old hiding if only he were given
his own way of doing the thing in abso-
lutte secrecy and with no unnecessary
obstacles interpoSed, either through ex-
ceSsive caution or through an exercise
of the universal passion for meddling.
And so he set out on the back of his
favorite camel, Khuwara. You'll like
the picture Of this para frontispiece
Competent. both Of them; understand
ing each other pretty sure that they
can pull off the great enterprise to-
gether. And from the picture you are
set to the enjoyment of reading how
il was done Difficulties innumerable,
some of these sourced in the desert
itself, in the tribes, in the deman6s of
daily refreshment and care: some of
them deliberate in hostile intent of the
natives.
"One Of the most talented of the
younger political officers in Mesopota-
mia during and after the war;" says
Sir A. T. Wilson of Bertram Thomas.
And the man himself contributes valid
evidence that he Is certainly compe-
tent man of action, and that besides he
has the gift of speech. For the story
is a great one, half record of official
exactness and brevity and half the
gorgeous adventure OF one mainland
his camel-meeting difficulties of many
sorts and conquering these by sheer
pluck and alert minds driving action
into lusty outcome. The book separates
into parts of military cast, looking after
restless or mutinous tribes, of trouble
some behaviors, and then later an ac-
count of similar character in the
capacity of head oficer when an insur-
rection broke out in the Mesopotainian
n1arter. But best Of all will the aver
age reader like the Camel Journeys"
around the Sultanate Of Oman and the
latter pages from Thomas diary on the
south Arabian adventure. The illus
trations are good and highly valuable
TO readers whose knowledge Of the re-
zion il scant or nil. And the maps
help, since q travel book without maps