ABSTRACT
THE first edition of Arabia and tile Isles left a tale uncolnpleted. I wrote it stage by stage at the time I was engaged in the events it described and it ended with the story of the peace making.
This new and enlarged edition has been completely revised and though it still retains the moods of the Inoments at \vhich. it. was written, I have made a number ofcuts mainly in Part II, where some of the 1110re detailed description ofcountry traversed and SOlne of the potted history has been onlitted. New 111attcr of greater interest to the general reader has been inserted and in particular Part IV is entirely new. This includes the story of the only recorded European journey up the great Incense road fro111 Cana through Shabwa (though I always like to believe that it lnust have been travelled by a Greek or Roman before Ptolemy's tilne), and also an account by l1ly wife of an unusual journey she made which covered S0111e unexplored territory.
