{"title":"Freya Stark","description":"\u003cp\u003eDiscover the captivating world of \u003cem\u003eFreya Stark\u003c\/em\u003e, a remarkable author whose works transport readers to distant lands filled with adventure and discovery. Known for her daring spirit and insatiable curiosity, Stark's writings are a testament to her explorations and experiences in some of the most intriguing and less-travelled parts of the world.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAmong her celebrated books, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eA Winter in Arabia\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e offers an enchanting glimpse into her journey through the Arabian Peninsula, capturing the essence of its landscapes and people with vivid detail and sensitivity. Similarly, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Valleys of the Assassins\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e takes readers on an enthralling expedition through the hidden valleys of Persia, narrating tales of mystery, history, and adventure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFreya Stark's narratives are more than mere travelogues; they are literary treasures that provide profound insights into cultures and histories, beautifully blending the genres of travel and adventure. Whether you're an armchair traveller or an avid explorer, her writings promise a compelling journey into the heart of regions seldom seen but richly described.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"a-winter-in-arabia-by-freya-stark-9780755633821","title":"A Winter in Arabia","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFreya Stark is most famous for her travels in Arabia at a time when very few men, let alone women, had fully explored its vast hinterlands. In 1934, she made her first journey to the Hadhramaut in what is now Yemen—the first woman to do so alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eEven though that journey ended in disappointment, sickness, and a forced rescue, Stark, undeterred, returned to Yemen two years later. Starting in Mukalla and skirting the fringes of the legendary and unexplored Empty Quarter, she spent the winter searching for Shabwa—ancient capital of the Hadhramaut and a holy grail for generations of explorers.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eFrom within Stark's beautifully-crafted and deeply knowledgeable narrative emerges a rare and exquisitely-rendered portrait of the customs and cultures of the tribes of the Arabian Peninsula.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eA Winter in Arabia\u003c\/i\u003e is one of the most important pieces of literature on the region and a book that placed Freya Stark in the pantheon of great writers and explorers of the Arab World. To listen to her voice is to hear the rich echoes of a land whose 'nakedness is clothed in shreds of departed splendour'.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bloomsbury Publishing PTY Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072135446764,"sku":"9780755633821","price":24.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/352183482457.jpg?v=1765079974"},{"product_id":"the-valleys-of-the-assassins-by-freya-stark-9781529379778","title":"The Valleys of the Assassins","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eINTRODUCED BY MONISHA RAJESH, award-winning author of \u003ci\u003eAround the World in 80 Trains\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\n\n\u003cb\u003e'If I were asked to enumerate the pleasures of travel, this would be one of the greatest among them - that so often and so unexpectedly you meet the best in human nature.'\u003c\/b\u003e\n\nGrowing up in near-poverty and denied a formal education, Freya Stark had nurtured a fascination for the Middle East since reading \u003ci\u003eArabian Nights\u003c\/i\u003e as a child. But it wasn't until she was in her thirties that she was able to leave Europe. Boarding a cargo ship to Beirut in 1927, she went on to become one of her generation's most intrepid explorers - her adventures would take her to remote areas in Turkey, the Middle East, and Asia.\n\n\u003ci\u003eThe Valleys of the Assassins\u003c\/i\u003e chronicles Stark's treks into the wilderness of western Iran on the hunt for treasure and in an attempt to locate the long-fabled Assassins in Alumut, an ancient Persian sect. Entering Luristan on a mule, draped in native clothing, Freya bluffs her way past border guards and sets off into uncharted territory; places where few Europeans, and no European women, had ventured.\n\nStark was a woman of indefatigable energy, who often travelled with only a single guide and on a shoestring budget, and who was undeterred by discomfort and danger. Hailed as a classic upon its first publication in 1934, \u003ci\u003eThe Valleys of the Assassins\u003c\/i\u003e is an absorbing account of people and place. Full of wit and rich in detail - and also in humanity - her writing brings to vivid life the stories of the ancient kingdoms of the Middle East.\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47072387596524,"sku":"9781529379778","price":29.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/14219503482732.jpg?v=1765100679"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/freya-stark.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}