In its ports, we find a priceless cargo of information; here are the first foreign descriptions of tea and porcelain, a panorama of unusual social practices, cannibal islands, and Indian holy men--a marvelous, mundane world, contained in the compass of a novella. In Mission to the Volga, we move north on a diplomatic mission from Baghdad to the upper reaches of the Volga River in what is now central Russia. This colorful documentary by Ibn Fadlan relates the trials and tribulations of an embassy of diplomats and missionaries sent by caliph al-Muqtadir to deliver political and religious instruction to the recently-converted King of the Bulghars. During eleven months of grueling travel, Ibn Fadlan records the marvels he witnesses on his journey, including an aurora borealis and the white nights of the North. Crucially, he offers a description of the Viking Rus, including their customs, clothing, tattoos, and a striking account of a ship funeral.

"The Book of Travels is Ḥannā Diyāb's remarkable first-person account of his travels as a young man from his hometown of Aleppo to the court of Versailles and back again"--

Making Out in Arabic is a fun, accessible and thorough Arabic phrase book and guide to the Arabic language as it's really spoken. Anaa majnuun bihubbik! Hal mumkin an naltaqya marra ukhraa?—(I'm crazy about you! Shall we meet again?) Answer this correctly in Arabic and you may be going on a date. Incorrectly, and you could be hurting someone's feelings or getting a slap! Arabic classes and textbooks tend to spend a lot of time rehearsing for the same fictitious scenarios but chances are while in the Middle East you will spend a lot more time trying to make new friends or start new romances—something you may not be prepared for. If you are a student, businessman or tourist traveling to the Arab World and would like to have an authentic and meaningful experience, the key is being able to speak like a local. This friendly and easy-to-use Arabic phrasebook makes this possible. Making Out in Arabic has been carefully designed to act as a guide to modern colloquial Arabic for use in everyday informal interactions—giving access to the sort of catchy Arabic expressions that aren't covered in traditional language materials. As well as the Romanized forms, each expression is now given in authentic Arabic script, so that in the case of difficulties the book can be shown to the person the user is trying to communicate with. This Arabic phrasebook includes: A guide to pronouncing Arabic words correctly. Explanations of basic Arabic grammar, such as, pronouns questions, and negation. Romanized forms of words and phrases. Complete Arabic translations including Arabic script. Useful and interesting notes on Arabic language and culture. Lots of colorful, fun and useful expressions not covered in other phrasebooks. Titles in this unique series of bestselling phrase books include: Making Out in Chinese, Making Out in Indonesian, Making Out in Thai, Making Out in Korean, Making Out in Hindi, Making Out in Japanese, Making Out in Vietnamese, Making Out in Burmese, Making Out in Tagalog, Making Out in Hindi, Making Out in Arabic, Making Out in English, More Making Out in Korean, and More Making Out in Japanese.

Learn how to speak fluent Arabic in an easy and fun way in just 12 weeks. This indispensable guide also comes with a free audio app for Apple and Android phones, featuring native speech that enables you to hone your pronunciation. Whether you’re beginning from the scratch or looking to polish your existing knowledge, 15-Minute Arabic is a quick and convenient option for learning the language. This book features 12 themed chapters broken down into 15-minute daily lessons, spanning a range of everyday situations to help you conduct your business or travel smoothly. Jargon-free, straightforward instructions equip you to converse with ease, whether you’re shopping for groceries, trying to find accommodation, ordering tea at a café, or sightseeing around town. Each lesson combines Arabic vocabulary and grammar essentials with full-color photographs for comprehensive learning. The guide also includes an English-Arabic dictionary, an extensive menu of popular Arabic dishes, and excellent "review and repeat" exercises at the end of each chapter to test yourself and track your progress. Packed with cultural tips, neatly labelled images of everyday life objects, conversational advice, and grammar explanations, 15-Minute Arabic is the go-to book for mastering the Arabic language.

Two Arabic Travel Books combines two exceptional exemplars of Arabic travel writing, penned in the same era but chronicling wildly divergent experiences. Accounts of China and India is a compilation of reports and anecdotes on the lands and peoples of the Indian Ocean, from the Somali headlands to China and Korea. The early centuries of the Abbasid era witnessed a substantial network of maritime trade—the real-life background to the Sindbad tales. In this account, we first travel east to discover a vivid human landscape, including descriptions of Chinese society and government, Hindu religious practices, and natural life from flying fish to Tibetan musk-deer and Sri Lankan gems. The juxtaposed accounts create a jigsaw picture of a world not unlike our own, a world on the road to globalization. In its ports, we find a priceless cargo of information; here are the first foreign descriptions of tea and porcelain, a panorama of unusual social practices, cannibal islands, and Indian holy men—a marvelous, mundane world, contained in the compass of a novella. In Mission to the Volga, we move north on a diplomatic mission from Baghdad to the upper reaches of the Volga River in what is now central Russia. This colorful documentary by Ibn Fadlan relates the trials and tribulations of an embassy of diplomats and missionaries sent by caliph al-Muqtadir to deliver political and religious instruction to the recently-converted King of the Bulghars. During eleven months of grueling travel, Ibn Fadlan records the marvels he witnesses on his journey, including an aurora borealis and the white nights of the North. Crucially, he offers a description of the Viking Rus, including their customs, clothing, tattoos, and a striking account of a ship funeral. Mission to the Volga is also the earliest surviving instance of sustained first-person travel narrative in Arabic—a pioneering text of peerless historical and literary value. Together, the stories in Two Arabic Travel Books illuminate a vibrant world of diversity during the heyday of the Abbasid empire, narrated with as much curiosity and zeal as they were perceived by their observant beholders.

Earliest surviving instance of sustained first-person travel narrative in Arabic. A pioneering text of peerless historical and literary value. In its pages, we move north on a diplomatic mission from Baghdad to the upper reaches of the Volga River in what is now central Russia. In this colorful documentary from the tenth century, the enigmatic Ibn Fadlan relates his experiences as part of an embassy sent by Caliph al-Muqtadir to deliver political and religious instruction to the recently-converted King of the Bulghars. During eleven months of grueling travel, Ibn Fadlan records the marvels he witnesses on his journey, including an aurora borealis and the white nights of the North. Crucially, he offers a description of the Viking Rus, including their customs, clothing, body painting, and a striking account of a ship funeral. Together, these anecdotes illuminate a vibrant world of diversity during the heyday of the Abbasid Empire, narrated with as much curiosity and zeal as they were perceived by its observant beholder.