Jonathan Raban is one of the world's most prominent travel writers, and Arabia is his first travel book. He is unable to get a visa to enter Saudi Arabia, but he does travel to Bahrain, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Yemen, Egypt and Jordan, which gives him an insight into the changing lives of the people of those countries early in the oil boom. He has learned a bit of Arabic prior to leaving London, both spoken and written, so is able to hold limited conversations with people he meets. The tone is wry and amusing, and even in the 1970s there was hugely ambitious construction going on in the wealthier of these states. It's a fascinating and entertaining book, not as dated as I expected. A satisfying update and companion to Thesiger.