People of the reeds

by Gavin Maxwell

Book Overview

This 1967 title is a portrait of the marsh Arabs of southern Iraq. Maxwell presents his impressions of these secluded people, along with numerous photos. Although intended as a travel book, this make... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0007DMCTC
• Release Date: January 1966
• Publisher: Pyramid Books
• Length: 222 Pages
• Weight: 0.35 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Interesting read, well written

It did take awhile to get into this book, but once I did, I had a difficult time putting it down. I finished it in two days once I got past the 4th chapter. Maxwell has an extensive vocabulary and uses it well. I'd recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about the Arab culture. Maxwell learns what is and what is not socially acceptable to Arabs.

A Reed Shaken By the Wind

This is a revelatory book about the culture of the Marsh Arabs in Iraq. The author travels with the famous expert, Wilfred Theisiger and gives the reader a deep understanding of why Iraq will resist any central government's attempt to form a cohesive central government. A classic!

wonderful wetland encounter

I originally read this gem of a book by Maxwell during the 1970s (we had had to read "Ring of Bright Water" in school) and returned to it again several years ago while I was planning a conference about restoring the marshlands (and people) that had all but been competely destroyed by Saddam. Of the handful of mid-century books by British ex-pats about the marshes, I still think that Maxwell remains the best writer of the group. Much of my own prose in "Wetlands of Mass Destruction: Ancient Presage for Contemporary Ecocide in Southern Iraq" benefited from a third reread of this exploration classic.

Lost voices in the wilderness

It is astounding that in such a short time the world can change so dramatically. The events in this book are a little over 40 years old yet so much has changed and so much may be lost forever. Maxwell documents the lives of these wonderful people and a land that is rapidly disappearing now. The roots of the 'otter' books are also here in the eventual arrival of Mijbil. Sadly, even the status of Mij's sub-speciation has now apparently disappeared too. Anyone with an interest in the lives of other people should have a copy of this book in their libraries.