In 1934, famed British traveler Freya Stark sailed down the Red Sea, alighting in Aden, located at the tip of the Arabian peninsula. From this backwater outpost, Stark set forth on what was to be her most unforgettable adventure: Following the ancient frankincense routes of the Hadhramaut Valley, the most fertile in Arabia, she sought to be the first Westerner to locate and document the lost city of Shabwa. Chronicling her journey through the towns and encampments of the Hadhramaut, The Southern Gates of Arabia is a tale alive with sheikhs and sultans, tragedy and triumph. Although the claim to discovering Shabwa would not ultimately be Stark's, The Southern Gates of Arabia , a bestseller upon its original publication, remains a classic in the literature of travel. This edition includes a new Introduction by Jane Fletcher Geniesse, Stark's biographer.

芙瑞雅•斯塔克

1893-1993，Freya Stark

英国旅行家，生于巴黎，是二十世纪最伟大的女性旅行家，也是最优异的旅行作家之一。身前出版了三十多本有关中东的旅行游记，激发了整个世代起而追随她。芙瑞雅的作品博学又机智，除了刺激的冒险外，兼以独特的手法融入历史背景与当地风情习俗。本书于一九三六年刚问世就成了畅销书，还引起皇太后伊丽莎白女王的关注，两人因此成了朋友。一九七二年受封大英帝国女勋爵士。享年一百零一岁，一九九三年逝世时，伦敦《泰晤士报》赞誉她为“最后一位浪漫旅行家”，《纽约时报》则称她是“无人能望其项背的旅游家”。