A DIAMOND IN THE DESERT: Behind the Scenes in the World's Richest City
A DIAMOND IN THE DESERT: Behind the Scenes in the World's Richest City
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Summary
Arabia in the 1960s - still a land of desert, nomadic tribes, falcons and gazelles. And Abu Dhabi, perched on the Gulf Coast, was a poor fishing community. Barely forty years on, it is the richest city on earth, with major stakes in Western economies. This work shows Abu Dhabi past and present through the eyes of its people.
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A DIAMOND IN THE DESERT: Behind the Scenes in the World's Richest City by Jo Tatchell
Arabia in the 1960s - still a land of desert, nomadic tribes, falcons and gazelles. And Abu Dhabi, perched on the Gulf Coast, was a poor fishing community. Barely forty years on, it is the richest city on earth, with major stakes in Western economies. And if the extraordinarily ambitious plans for the capital of the United Arab Emirates succeed, its future impact will be global. Jo Tatchell's family arrived in Abu Dhabi in 1974 when there were only a few thousand inhabitants. She left as a young adult in the nineties, choosing personal freedom over a life of comfort and ease. But in recent years, as Abu Dhabi has become ever more significant on the world stage, she has returned to get behind the headlines and see how the city is changing for herself. In this illuminating portrait, she shows Abu Dhabi past and present through the eyes of its people - from sheikhs to Indian immigrants, housewives to ex-pats - as well as her own. Tales of the Bedus' traditional hospitality and of expeditions into the desert mingle with accounts of hair-raising decadence and double standards, as she reveals a society and culture almost derailed by sudden, extreme wealth. And yet, as she discovers, Abu Dhabi is about to change again. Its rulers have a grand vision of a cultural bridge between Islam and the West, which might just transform our world.
"* 'Such an extraordinary story deserves an extraordinary writer and thankfully it has Jo TatchellShe puts you perfectly in the place, and her pacey, page-turner narrative would shame most thriller writers. A staggering, unmissable achievement.' - John Harding, Daily Mail * 'Utterly compelling... what emerges is a resilient family's unconditional love for one another' - Scotland on Sunday"
Jo Tatchell is a journalist who has spent many years in the Middle East and Arab countries. She writes on Middle Eastern culture for UK and US media including the Guardian. Her first book, NABEEL'S SONG, was published by Sceptre in 2006 and was shortlisted for the Costa Biography Award.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780340953396 |
| ISBN 10 | 034095339X |
| Title | A DIAMOND IN THE DESERT: Behind the Scenes in the World's Richest City |
| Author | Jo Tatchell |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Hodder & Stoughton |
| Year published | 2009-08-20 |
| Number of pages | 304 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |