The Duke of Dubai

By Luigi Falconi

Fast paced adventure novel with historical overtones. Based in part on the real life experiences of the author. Appendices contain a brief history of Dubai and Arab Culture as well as a glossary of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0929915763
• ISBN13: 9780929915760
• Release Date: May 2008
• Publisher: Headline Books, Inc.
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 1.55 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.3" x 6.0"

Customer Reviews

Really good read

Luigi takes on the early days in Dubai when there was not the man made islands and traffic snarls. A very entertaining read that will bring back memories to those who were there and laughs to those who were not. As someone who lived in Dubai a long time - I can only tell you the story may not be true, but it sure mirrors real life. The memories of the poker games bring back many great thoughts. Thanks Luigi!!!

An "Xtreme" real fun ride!

This is not only realistic but a fun, exciting, and sometimes funny tale from Falconi meeting new friends and the "Duke" in his early days thru the Dubai we know of today. I met such a man when I did business there and maybe even Falconi...I think. You will not be dissapointed reading this one. Read it before Hollywood grabs this one for "The Rock" or Matt Damon! On a scale of 5 Luigi gets a SIX!

Back in Dubai!

This was a fun read. Luigi has a great sense of humor. And it brought me way back to the good old days in Dubai! And if you've never been, you'll learn a lot about the arab and oil culture of the early days in the Middle East. That guy Frankie in the book sounds REALLY HOT!!!

If you read only one book this year, this should be the one

Luigi Falconi knows how to take his reader on a magic carpet ride. The Duke of Dubai opens with fast-paced action--and never stops. This first-person story, based upon the author's experiences as an educator-turned-oilman in the early days of Dubai's history, mixes fact with fiction to keep us entertained and amazed. It is rare that I laugh out loud while reading, but this is one book that gave me more than one belly laugh--and that kept me up well past my bedtime. The narrator Luigi is thrust into a culture completely different from his middle-class American upbringing. Dubai, in the early 70s, was mostly desert, not yet developed into the dynamic metropolis it is today. We enjoy spending time with Luigi as he learns his way around this exotic world and as he cements friendships with The Duke--an eccentric oilman--and a host of other unique individuals. Now, while this book has a number of breath-holding adventures and humorous situations, it also has something that many adventures stories lack: fine writing and a main character who is multi-dimensional and who grows from a naive young man into a money-hungry oilman into a mature man with a unique perspective on the world. Luigi worries he is losing his soul in his quest for wealth--but his basic humanity always comes through. The author knows how to craft words to say exactly what he wants to say. This is one of those rare books that entertains us on multiple levels and that when we finish, we feel we are a better and more knowledgeable person for having read it.