From the Sahara to Samarkand: Selected Travel Writings of Rosita Forbes 1919-1937
"What an astonishing book this is! Rosita Forbes was not just intrepid but extremely intelligent, not just adventurous but deeply curious, not just a fine writer but a shrewd and sympathetic observer as well. It's rare to find a person at once so iconoclastic, unconventional and fearless and yet so attuned to her fellow human beings across the globe." --Rosemary Mahoney, author ofDown the Nile: Alone in a Fisherman's Skiff"Oh, how captivating are the details of her descriptions, the gutsiness of her adventures, her disguises and lies as she moves through mostly Arabic/Islamic worlds where the English are unwelcome, women are hidden, and amenities are rare! Even with a whiff of colonialism, this is a unique and captivating view of the world, from 1919 to 1937, from a beautiful and memorable woman whose playfulness with words makes this great fun to read!"  --Rita Golden Gelman, author ofTales of a Female Nomad: Living at Large in the World"The world could do with a few more female explorers. No one better to lead the way than the undaunted Rosita Forbes. Praise to Margaret Bald for bringing back this great traveler and writer to the spotlight, where she belongs." --Arita Baaijens, author ofDesert Songs: A Woman Explorer in Egypt and Sudanand fellow of the Royal Geographical Society"From the Sahara to Samarkandnot only covers the travels of Rosita Forbes. It reveals the extraordinary courage mixed with knowledge and humour that were keynotes in Sita's remarkable life. Margaret Bald in her excellent introduction captures with splendid detail Sita's break from the traditions of "What Women Did" in the 1920s and 1930s. Sita travelled through desert sand by camel or on foot. She visited mosques and temples in dangerous places and met heroes in the process. She wrote with style and beautiful language. Margaret Bald's introduction, the photo album, and the travel writings themselves are elegant summaries of the splendid diversities in Sita's life."  --Lord Renton of Mount Harry, nephew of Rosita Forbes and author ofChief Whip: People, Power and Patronage in Westminster"[Rosita Forbes's] incredible courage, with her apparent implacability in the face of often daunting odds . . . has one spellbound from start to finish of this remarkable anthology. . . . An inspiring volume for modern-day travelers, whether of the armchair variety or of the more adventurous kind, this book is not to be missed." --Lois Henderson, BookPleasures.com"From the Sahara to Samarkandis the first anthology of [Rosita Forbes's] travel writings to be published. It includes selections from eight of her travel books...a thorough and enthusiastic introduction to her life and work, and a photo gallery." -- Patricia Dubrava   --The Bloomsbury Review"Almost a century ago, Rosita Forbes, the bride of an adulterous Scottish army officer, pawned her wedding ring, bought a horse, a revolver, and a camera and embarked on what would be a long, adventurous career as a travel writer.... Margaret Bald provides a taste of some of Forbes's forays into the Libyan Desert, Iraq, Afghanistan and a disintegrating, post-World War I China.... Best... is the story of her attempted pilgrimage to Mecca in August 1922. Swathed in a shapeless black abaya, she identifies herself as half Turk, half Egyptian and sets out with hundreds of Muslim pilgrims on a boat sailing across the Red Sea from Egypt to Saudi Arabia."  --Joshua Hammer (The New York Times, Sunday Book Review, December 5, 2010)"Almost a century ago, Rosita Forbes, the bride of an adulterous Scottish army officer, pawned her wedding ring, bought a horse, a revolver, and a camera and embarked on what would be a long, adventurous career as a travel writer.... Margaret Bald provides a taste of some of Forbes's forays into the Libyan Desert, Iraq, Afghanistan and a disintegrating, post-World War I China.... Best... is the story of her attempted pilgrimage to Mecca in August 1922. Swathed in a shapeless black abaya, she identifies herself as half Turk, half Egyptian and sets out with hundreds of Muslim pilgrims on a boat sailing across the Red Sea from Egypt to Saudi Arabia." --Joshua Hammer, The New York Times, Sunday Book Review"From the Sahara to Samarkand is the first anthology of [Rosita Forbes's] travel writings to be published. It includes selections from eight of her travel books...a thorough and enthusiastic introduction to her life and work, and a photo gallery." --Patricia Dubrava, The Bloomsbury Review"A choice addition to any literary collection focusing on travel writing."  --Midwest Book Review