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Yemen: Travels In Dictionary Land

Tim Mackintosh-Smith

3.87 · Rating details · 306 ratings · 46 reviews

In this work, the author describes his journey through Yemen, portraying hyrax hunters and dhow skippers, a noseless regicide, a sword-wielding tyrant with a passion for Heinz Russian salad, as well as examining the extraordinary history of the ordinary Yemenis.

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Published (first published July 1st 1998)

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Dec 02, 2017 Bob Newman rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: travel, arab-world, yemen

Yemen as she always/never was

I've given up my long-held dream of traveling in Yemen. Once I thought I might even study Arabic and try to do some anthropological research there on the shrines visited by Indian Muslims. But my fate was always centered in India. I'd collected as many books about Yemen as I could and now, since I won't be living those travels or doing that work, I've started reading them all. They are gathered around two poles: academic and travel writing. I've read Steven Caton, Pa Yemen as she always/never was

I've given up my long-held dream of traveling in Yemen. Once I thought I might even study Arabic and try to do some anthropological research there on the shrines visited by Indian Muslims. But my fate was always centered in India. I'd collected as many books about Yemen as I could and now, since I won't be living those travels or doing that work, I've started reading them all. They are gathered around two poles: academic and travel writing. I've read Steven Caton, Paul Dresch, and Engseng Ho. These books give you a solid, more "professional" view of Yemen, though Caton's "Yemen Chronicle" is as far from "dry academic" as you can get and still be serious. In the field of travel writing, I've read Claudie Fayein's book from the 1950s plus Kevin Rushby and Eric Hansen. Now I've just finished Mackintosh-Smith's travel opus. I must say that taken together, this is a most impressive body of work for a country that on a world scale does not loom large.

Mackintosh-Smith seems to be a man who found another part of himself in a faraway land and never went home. There must be something in the UK that drives or attracts certain men to take up life in the Arab world. The author had lived in Yemen many years by the time he wrote this book and spoke fluent Arabic. Like Kevin Rushby, who frequently "ate the flowers of paradise", Mackintosh-Smith adapted to all facets of Yemeni life and walked through the mountains and deserts of his adopted homeland as well as through the crowded streets of San'a and the various villages and small towns he came across. In the book he goes to the north, through the mountains and down to the Tihama coastal plain, to Aden (where he views the strange debris of British occupation crossed with Marxist government overthrown), to the far reaches of the Hadramawt, and finally to the remote, but fascinating island of Socotra. He may not have been the only one to do this, but he has certainly written the most poetic, literary book to come out about Yemen so far. Coupled with a fine, wry British sense of humor, YEMEN: THE UNKNOWN ARABIA cannot fail to please readers. If you are looking for a book that presents INFORMATION, for God's sake, go someplace else. This is a romantic work. I think there is room for romantic works in this world. In fact, a world without them would be awful. Mackintosh-Smith does not pretend to write a scholarly tome, but still, historical and political information does flesh out his personal experiences together with legends, tall tales, and weird details. All in all, this is a wonderful book; a must-read for anyone interested in Yemen. It does not intimate anything of what has unfolded since 2011 and it does not present Yemen as a Third World country in need of health care, education, and population control, not to mention a solution to serious water problems. I wonder what has happened to the author. Perhaps the Yemen he has described so well will persist, but I fear not in the same form. For him, this may be a tragedy, but I'm not so sure Yemenis would entirely agree.

P.S. The drawings scattered throughout the book are as insipid and uninteresting as the text is vivid and interesting. I cannot understand why he didn't use photographs or at least some more finished work. ...more

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Feb 03, 2018 Katrice rated it liked it · review of another edition

This book was. . . a slow start. The subject material is or should be fascinating but somehow the author's style just makes the narrative drag until the last three chapters or so when it picks up and becomes a good read. Am not so sure the initial slog is worth it. ...more

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Nov 16, 2020 Ekul rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: temp-modern-late, geo-middle-east, travel

I have to admit, I do love Mackintosh-Smith's writing style. He has a good sense of humor and a love for Yemen. That being said, some of this writing does come off as strangely naïve, but the meandering style makes it rewarding. I expected this to be more a work of history, but I was mistaken--it's entirely a travelogue with some historical interpretations littered here and there. ...more

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Sep 22, 2008 Harry Rutherford rated it liked it · review of another edition

I was originally considering Yemen: Travels in Dictionary Land as my book from Yemen for the Read The World challenge, but I’ve tracked down a novel by an actual Yemeni writer which is available in English, so I’ll read that at some stage. I still wanted to read Travels in Dictionary Land, though, because I very much enjoyed Mackintosh-Smith’s two books following in the footsteps of the medieval Arab traveller Ibn Battutah.

I’m not quite sure how long Mackintosh-Smith had lived in Yemen when this I was originally considering Yemen: Travels in Dictionary Land as my book from Yemen for the Read The World challenge, but I’ve tracked down a novel by an actual Yemeni writer which is available in English, so I’ll read that at some stage. I still wanted to read Travels in Dictionary Land, though, because I very much enjoyed Mackintosh-Smith’s two books following in the footsteps of the medieval Arab traveller Ibn Battutah.

I’m not quite sure how long Mackintosh-Smith had lived in Yemen when this book was published 10 years ago, but he still lives there; he is clearly deeply engaged with Arab culture, history and language generally and Yemen in particular — in fact, living in San’a and chewing qat, I think in the terminology of the Empire they would have said he has gone native — and the book mixes what you might call straight travel writing with historical context and snippets of literature and mythology.

I think it’s easiest to just quote a couple of passages.

Very occasionally they [scorpions] are found in bunches of qat. Once, a baby one walked out of my bundle and across my lap, and disappeared among the leavings in the the middle of the room. I have never seen qat-chewers move faster. Another creature that sometimes pops up in qat is the fukhakh, the hisser — the Yemeni name for the chameleon. Its blood taken externally is a cure for baldness, but its breath makes your teeth fall out.. The gecko too is often killed, as it eats the remains of food from around your mouth as you sleep, pisses and gives you spots. Despite this I have been attached to several that have grown up in my house as they are clever flycatchers and converse, like the Hottentots, in clicks.

Or, in a bar in Aden:

Then the band broke into a sort of Egyptian glam-rock number and, unexpectedly, the floor filled with young men dressed in Paisley pattern shirts and pleated trousers. The number of pleats seemed to reflect their prowess at dancing. One particularly energetic youth — a twenty-pleater — shone out: his pelvis was articulated in extraordinary places, and spurts of sweat shot from his forehead. These were the mutamaykalin, the Michaelesques — the fans of Michael Jackson.

So, generally speaking, enjoyable stuff. Some of the political/history passages are less gripping than the travel anecdotes, but at least I now know a lot more about Yemen. ...more

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Feb 14, 2011 Dan rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: history, current-affairs, travelogue

Tim Mackintosh-Smith offers a loving, meandering account of a region that these days is only in the news for terrible - if unfortunately real - reasons. As I all too often fall pray to the monolithic portrayals of the Arab and Muslim worlds, it is refreshing to read about wondrous, unheard-of places in Yemen that have nothing to do with Anwar Al-Awlaki or the Bin-Ladens. Aden, a major port and one-time seat of the Arab world's only Communist regime, and Suqutra, an island closer to Somalia than Tim Mackintosh-Smith offers a loving, meandering account of a region that these days is only in the news for terrible - if unfortunately real - reasons. As I all too often fall pray to the monolithic portrayals of the Arab and Muslim worlds, it is refreshing to read about wondrous, unheard-of places in Yemen that have nothing to do with Anwar Al-Awlaki or the Bin-Ladens. Aden, a major port and one-time seat of the Arab world's only Communist regime, and Suqutra, an island closer to Somalia than the rest of Yemen with a unique language and sui generis flora, are described beautifully. Mackintosh-Smith's digressions into pre-Islamic mythology (in many ways still going strong) and genealogy are likewise stunning. Topping it off, there are intriguing tidbits on Arabic linguistics scattered throughout the book, so if you are a student of the language (perhaps a dilletantish one like myself), then you will enjoy this rambling tour even more so.

Three Favorite Passages

1. "Somebody once said that every Arabic word means itself, its opposite or a camel."

2. "I remembered the baboon I had met in a San'a street. It was blocking the way, teeth bared. I picked up a stone. So did the baboon. We stood glaring at each other until a group of men came calling, 'Sa'id! Sa'id!', and it scampered off down a side alley. Pet baboons are always called Sa'id, which means 'happy'. They are usually catatonically depressed or in a snarling rage."

3. "It was during Tahirid times that the great Sufi holy man of Aden, Abu Bakr ibn Abdullah al-Aydarus, lived. His superhuman doings, in addition to the toothstick exploit, included making the sky rain milk during a famine. Today, the saint's annual festival is still by far the largest in Aden. Al-Aydarus, however, did not monopolize the miraculous. His predecessor Shaykh Jawhar had a cat called Sa'adah, Felicity, which would indicate how much lunch to prepare by miaowing the number of guests. One day Felicity was found to have miscounted, until it was realized that she had subtracted two of the guests because they were Christians." ...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Tomi rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: middle-eastern-safari

I could only give this book two stars because I did learn from it. The author couldn't seem to decide what kind of book he was writing - a travelogue or a history. He didn't achieve either. The bits of information about the people there and their lives were interesting, but the book was disjointed and hard to follow. There were many examples of folklore, which were very colorful. Overall, however, I feel that I could have learned more (and in a more readable style) from a textbook. ...more

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Feb 03, 2010 Colleen Clark rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: travel, turkey-me, middle-east

Fascinating book by a resident since 1982 of this remote corner of the Arabian Peninsula. Terrific travel book

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Jan 16, 2021 Rajat Narula rated it liked it · review of another edition

Tim Mackintosh-Smith has a deep love for Yemen and takes us on a journey to the country - both in the north (Sanaa) - and the South (Aden). He introduces the readers to the multiple tribes, communities and historically significant sites through his travels. And when I say he takes the readers there, he does that effectively. The accounts, very commonplace, are so vivid and real that you end up with a glimpse of the enigma Yemen is. The book is pre-civil ware - so it largely keeps away from the p ...more

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Sep 16, 2017 Meg rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A good read about a little known land, from a sympathetic western author fluent in arabic. I was always fascinated by the culture and history of the land of the Queen of Sheba, since I read Freya Stark and Gertrude Caton Thompson's memoirs.
One has to wonder what the fate of these people is, now that they've been "bombed back to the stone age" as my newspaper wrote, with massive cholera epidemics and political chaos. ...more

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Mar 28, 2019 Hl rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Loved it! Great use of language, his puns are adorable, witty, funny at times, tragic at others, filled with interesting anecdotes and important historical and political points. The author shows a deep understanding of his subject as only someone living many years in Yemen and speaking Arabic (the local dialect) could. Thank you for this little jewel.
It appears that the subtitle: “ Travels in Dictionary Land” may not exist in the US version.

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May 23, 2020 Stephen Mead rated it really liked it

Fascinating glimpse into a world rarely understood so well by a westerner. I found the description of the actual travels and places visited much easier going than the sections devoted to the history of a particular region, but very enjoyable and I will continue reading the Author, having already purchased Travels with a Tangerine and Hall of a Thousand Columns.

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Jun 02, 2020 Joy Summers rated it liked it

Three stars seems a little churlish on my part for such a good book. I was expecting it to be more of a tale of linguistics and travel. Living with descendants of the Yemenis, I had hoped to glean more about the dialect I am learning but that does not take away from how enjoyable the book was

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Jan 25, 2021 Matthew J Patenaude rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fascinating account!

The author did an amazing job of allowing the reader to feel as though he as traveling along with him through this fascinating country. I enjoyed the historical grounding given to the narrative as well.

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Aug 13, 2018 Alan Fricker rated it it was amazing

I love this mixture of history, geography, culture and travel. Full of sillyness and learning.

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Jul 27, 2019 Robert rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Fascinating

Excellent travel writer and historian voyages through Yemen with sometimes amusing, sometimes sad, reflections on the history and the people.

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Jan 06, 2021 Bedbyas Datta rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

I want to know more about Yemen.

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Mar 04, 2017 Alberto rated it liked it · review of another edition

Nice read on this not-so-well-known Arabian country. I like the idea of un-travel as living the country instead of passing by. Sometimes author's style is a bit over-elaborated, but nice book anyhow. ...more

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Mar 01, 2017 Elise Paul-Hus rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I have not finished the book yet but the chapter on Socotra Island is brilliant.

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Jan 28, 2017 Gry rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: travel-adventure

I wasn't sure what to think about this book at first. The introduction looked promising with lots of amusing and fascinating tidbits about the Arabic language. I studied linguistics in college so that was right up my alley. I was looking forward to learning more about Yemen's language and culture as I read further. Then on page 18, I found the line, "The veil is indeed a potent symbol, but a symbol of the unwillingness or inability of the West to understand the Arab world." Ugh. I, like most rea I wasn't sure what to think about this book at first. The introduction looked promising with lots of amusing and fascinating tidbits about the Arabic language. I studied linguistics in college so that was right up my alley. I was looking forward to learning more about Yemen's language and culture as I read further. Then on page 18, I found the line, "The veil is indeed a potent symbol, but a symbol of the unwillingness or inability of the West to understand the Arab world." Ugh. I, like most readers of this book, am a Westerner who is reading this book precisely because I am willing to gain understanding. So where does that leave me? Am I simply unable to understand it? Then why read the book? Especially considering the author is a Westerner himself by birth, I found this comment unnecessarily condescending. Nonetheless I forged on, and found chapter two to be like something out of an advanced level Arabian history text. I was beginning to doubt whether I would find any enjoyment in this book.

Nonetheless I forged on, and I am very glad I did. In the rest of the book, the author does a much better job of mixing travelogue with relevant pieces of history. His descriptions are some of the most beautifully poetic I have read in a travelogue, and I often found myself googling images of the places he describes to see if the place really is as beautiful as the picture he created of it in my head. In spite of the one off-putting comment early on in the text, the author did not seem at all arrogant in the rest of the text. In fact, he is poetic, knowledgeable, witty, and often funny; he shows readers why he loves his adoptive homeland so much. Chapter eight about the island of Suqutra was particularly well done.

So often the world is given images only of the negative aspects of Yemen. This book will allow you to see beauty there in so many ways--the language, the history, the landscape, the people, and their traditions. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to vicariously visit a remote corner of the world that Westerners seldom see. ...more

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May 23, 2012 Kerry Hennigan rated it liked it · review of another edition

As author Tim Mackintosh-Smith's book is sub-titled in this edition, Yemen is the unknown Arabia, one that is in many respects, at least at the time this book was published (2000)least like its Arabic neighbors.

The author is a long-standing resident of the capital San'a, and uses it as his base to explore the language and culture of greater Yemen, including some memorable expeditions into deserts and mountains, visiting remote villages and ancient ruins.

At times I found my attention straying whe ...more

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Sep 28, 2016 Radiah rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: travel

Tim Mackintosh-Smith attempts to describe the soul of an unknown part of Arabia, long considered lawless, backward and ancient - Yemen.

Personally, I feel he has succeeded. Yemen is a contradiction in itself - a peaceful nation if anyone considers that She hardly ever starts wars with anyone else), however, it has had quite the reputation for being a hideout for terrorist organizations and wars of a civil nature or tribal nature typically occur there. The soul of Yemen, however, is best describe ...more

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Jan 31, 2013 Andrew rated it it was amazing

Shelves: non-fiction

There is something about Yemen that attracts a certain type of author and captures their imagination. Tim Mackintosh Smith is the grand daddy of them all and this is the book that made him so. having lived in Yemen and not particularly having enjoyed it, I can still understand the attraction. What makes Mackintosh-Smith stand out from Eric Hanson, Peter Mortimer and Steve Caton is his total and unabashed absorption into Yemeni culture. You can feel his deep personal attachment to Arabia Felix on ...more

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May 01, 2016 Laura rated it really liked it

Beautifully written work, Tim Mackintosh-Smith has a distinctive style of writing, almost Raphaelite, exquisitely delicate and enchanting. I picked up this book as I became interested in Yemen via Ethiopia, the two countries' histories intertwined in a continuous exchange of traditions, foods, rulers dating as far as the Axumite empire, and probably beyond. The book is a description of the author's travels through Yemen and its mysterious ancestral island Sokotra, his chapters detailed paintings ...more

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Jul 27, 2014 Kathleen (itpdx) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction

An Englishman studies Arabic and moves to Yemen to increase his understanding of the language. He explores the country and its history. He shares with us his experiences and knowledge in this wonderful book.
It was written after the first Gulf War and was published before the attack on the USS Cole.
Mackintosh-Smith tells of the history from the pre-Islamic times to the Yemeni civil war in the late 90's interspersed with tales of his travels in Yemen from the tribal areas to the isolated island ...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Babak Fakhamzadeh rated it liked it

Shelves: history, travel-literature

MacKintosh-Smith's book on Yemen is something of a combination between a travelogue and a history book and only partially succeeds; in being a travelogue. Althouth MacKintosh-Smith was probably right in assuming that it only makes sense to tell of his adventures when also telling of the history of the country, but as a result he tries to pack too much information in too few pages, resulting in, not always, the story being interesting enough to read. ...more

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Sep 13, 2014 Vincent T. Ciaramella rated it liked it · review of another edition

I read this book when it was first published and now I re-read it with all the updates. I think it's a neat book but I have to say that I enjoyed it the 1st time I read it more. Maybe I have outgrown the subject. I love the stuff about Hud. The author does a great job making you fell like your with him. Not much really else to say. If you want to read a great travel book about Yemen then this is the book for you!!!

...more

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Apr 24, 2016 Chris Herdt rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Recommended to Chris by: Nate Herdt

I started with the chapter on Soqotra, as recommended by my brother Nate, and I found that I had to go back and read the rest. Yemen is another world, and Mackintosh-Smith -- an Englishman who adopted Yemen as his home in the early 80s -- is an excellent guide. Equal parts history, folklore, travelogue, and commentary.

Mackintosh-Smith's vocabulary is remarkable and sent me to the dictionary numerous times per chapter. ...more

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May 24, 2014 Christine Bowker Osborne rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

An absorbing book on Yemen, a country I know myself, but no one, writer or otherwise, could ever know Yemen as well as Tim Mackintosh-Smith, an Arabist who lived for many years in capital San'a. A charming book, filled with interesting historic and literary facts, it ranks next to other classic works on the Arab world by such author-travelers as Wilfred Thesiger and Dame Freya Stark. ...more

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Jan 11, 2015 Scott Murphy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

A terrific book and with this country seemingly always in the news, it's completely worth reading. Although it's seen largely as a travel book, it doubles nicely as a concise history of Yemen. It also couldn't be more readable. It's a gem of a book, especially the chapter about the little-known island of Suqutra, which is worth a full book in itself. ...more

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Oct 18, 2015 Babs rated it did not like it · review of another edition

I really struggled with this book. The author seemed unable to decide whether he was writing a history of Yemen, or a travelogue of the country. Bits of the text were interesting, but the vast majority read like a dry, advanced-level text, unsuited to the layperson.

Unfortunately the amount of travelogue/interesting bits weren't enough to bring this up to a 2* read for me. ...more

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