Author Description

Masud and The Desert is a most unusual literary work. It may be viewed in many ways; as an academic reference work, as a geographic exploration, as an historical text, as a treatise on social science, as a political overview, as a travelogue and, indeed, as all of these things. However, it is perhaps, first and foremost a book about humanity and what it means to be a human being. It achieves this end by exploring the twenty two countries or states which, together, constitute the Arab League. The combined land mass of these entities, in turn, represents a significant portion of our terrestrial world. Its combined population is equally significant and, within this population, are shades of culture, belief and dialect which are themselves very interesting. However, what they share in common is perhaps more important than anything in which they might differ. Hence the subtitle of this work 'Alakhwt Walakhwat' which translates simply as 'Brothers and Sisters'.