A riveting account of a landmark expedition that left only one survivor, now back in print for the first time in decades. Will appeal to fans of adventure stories, biographies of explorers, and the history of expedition.
Thorkild Hansen (1927-1989), a novelist best known for his Slave Trilogy, was an avid traveller and travel writer. James McFarlane (1920-1999) was a translator and scholar of European literature, who taught at King's College before being apppointed Chair of European Literature at the University of East Anglia. Kathleen McFarlane (1922-2008) was a translator of Norwegian literature and a celebrated weaver. Colin Thubron is the president of the Royal Society of Literature. Among his books are Shadow of the Silk Road and To a Mountain in Tibet.
"This tale of an 18th century scientific expedition gone awry
(first published in Danish in 1962 and back out in a new English
edition) is a brutal, beautiful story of human ideals – and all the
clever ways we manage to muck them up. Part history, part fiction,
part travelogue, this book balances its central tragedy with some
winks and smirks. And yes, it's true: Before long, I found those
pages practically turned themselves." —Colin Dwyer, NPR Book
Concierge, "2017's Great Reads"
“First and foremost, Arabia Felix is just a terrific story:
riveting, hilarious, exquisitely written and translated. Beyond
that, however, it draws a rich and dynamic group portrait of a
collection of philosopher-scientist-explorers at the very dawn of
the modern era.” —Gideon Lewis-Kraus, author of A Sense of
Direction
"The material that Thorkild Hansen has gathered for this book is as
dramatic and colorful as anything....Arabia Felix is a first-class
job.... Hansen has rescued from oblivion a fine story of adventure,
discovery, death and endurance.... He has written a shrewd study of
human character under severe stress." —Orville Prescott, The New
York Times
"An epic voyage...unflaggingly readable and interesting." —Don
Moraes, The Spectator
"A blend of historical chronicle and biography...Hansen’s absorbing
chronicle of this expedition and its complicated background dramas
is a splendid narrative told with literary distinction." —Edmund
Fuller, The Wall Street Journal
"Thorkild Hansen...has written this so well that the reader is
caught up in the problems of the expedition and travels with them
slowly, sometimes dangerously as well as painfully.... This book
reaffirms one’s faith in the ability of the human being as an
observer with minimum equipment...fascinating to the general
reader." —Lorrin Kennamer, Austin American-Statesman
"A scholarly and exciting account...an admirable writer, whose
narrative energies [are] clear and dynamic...he tells it simply and
well. Arabia Felix must appeal to anyone who enjoys reading of
adventure and exploration." —Michael Adams, The Guardian
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