For centuries, settled peoples have contemplated nomads with fascination and envy, or with disdain and fear. Both Americans and the British have had an obsession with nomadic peoples, stemming from their own wanderlust and admiration for the unfettered life. In Search of Nomads centers on four regions that are rich in nomadic culture—the Arabian peninsula with its Bedouin, the Sahara with its Moors and Tuareg, the mountain ranges of southern Iran with its migratory pastoral tribes, and the steppes of Central Asia with its Mongol horsemen and Tartar descendants. Author John Ure has traveled with all of these peoples and provides a brief account of the special characteristics and history of each group. However, one of the most appealing aspects of the book is the insight it provides into the often eccentric British and American observers who chose to seek out and travel with nomads.
List of Illustrations and Maps
Acknowledgements
Introduction and Definitions
Preface: Legacy of a Sandstorm
BOOK Ⅰ THE MIGRATORY TRIBES OF SOUTHERN PERSIA
The Bakhtiari
History and background - Sir Henry Layard - Isabella Bird (Mrs Bishop) -
Mrs Durand - Getrude Bell - Vita Sackville-West - Merian C. Cooper and the
makers of Grass - Sir John Russdl
The Qashqai
Consul Abbott - Captain Garrod - Vincent Cronin - Bruce Chatwin - the author with the Qashqai
BOOK Ⅱ THE BEDOUIN OF ARABIA AND THE LEVANT
The Bedouin of Arabia: An Exotic Appeal
Exotic appeal of the bedouin - Lady Hester Stanhope - Jane Digby - Sir
Richard Burton - W. G. Palgrave - Charles Doughty - Wilfred and Lady Anne
Blunt - T. E. Lawrence - Carl Raswan - Glubb Pasha - Bertram Thomas
St John Philby - Wilfred Thesiger
BOOK Ⅲ THE MONGOL HORSEMEN OF CENTRAL ASIA
Mongolia
History and background - Beatrix Bulstrode - Miss Cable and Miss French - Owen Lattimore
Afghanistan
A personal introduction - William Moorcroft - Freya Stark - Bruce Chatwin and Peter Levi
BOOK Ⅳ THE TUAREG AND THE MOORS OF THE SAHARA
The Tuarag and the Mauritanian Moors of the Sahara
History and background - Hugh Clapperton - Gordon Laing - Sir Harry Maclean - Rennell Rodd - Geoffrey Moorhouse - Michael Asher - Quentin Crewe
Epilogue
Select Bibliography
Index