Make your choice on our library dedicated to Jordan and Middle-East, the links provided are live so the prices are updated with Amazon.
Travel guides on Jordan
A classics! Suggested itineraries are useful,such as the good tips and adresses. 46 maps, highlights and itineraries, reviews of hotels and restaurants…However, cultural insights are not the strongest point of this guide. A must-have!
The other classics ! 🙂 The Rough Guide is suitable for travellers and wanderlusters. Itis organized in a different way than the Lonely planet. Basics, the guide, context, and maps, are the 4 keystones of this guide.
If you plan to visit other countries (Lebanon-Jordan, or Israël-Jordan, or Egypt -Jordan…) , the Lonely Planet Middle East is more than good enough to get a fair amount of information for each country…without having to carry 4 books !
Hiking in Jordan
Hiking in Jordan is the most useful guide in Jordan when it comes to find inspiration for treks & walks. It contains more than 30 itineraries, most of them in the North, the Dead Sea area, Petra surroundings and Wadi Rum. We discovered many wadis thanks to this book. If you live in Jordan, buy it! If you want to focus on nature , buy it too!
The number of itineraries contained in this book is just amazing: more than 144 ! And it’s not just about trekking, it is also about canyoning, caving, climbing…The authors did so well that they eventually met Queen Noor in appreciation for their commitment. The book might be a little too dense for a visitor though. But if you live in Jordan, buy it for sure!
Litteracy on Jordan
Obviously , Sir Lawrence of Arabia made History in Middle-East. In this autobiography, Lawrence relates the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire between 1916 and 1918. Lawrence is an remarkable writer, even if he also sometimes magnifies reality, to make it look more beautiful or suitable with his thinking…
Still an (quite long) epic to read while having a tea in Wadi Rum ! 🙂
« Married to a bedouin » is an autobiography written by Marguerite, a New-Zealand born nurse who found her lover in Petra in the late 70s. And she still lives there! This book is easy to read, it contains hundered of anecdotes on bedouin life, through the eyes of a foreigner. A very nice and humble book, which we really recommend.
A must read before, or after, visiting Petra!
« Our Last Best Chance » is a book written by his majesty King Abdallah 2, in the aftermaths of the Arab Spring. It explains about the mechanisms of Israel-Palestine crisis, and regional relationships. Written in a autobiographic style, before the rise of Daesh.
However, his thinking is more than up-to-date in the current Israel-Palestinian situation.
History of Jordan
« A history oj Jordan » starts in the early 1920s, that is to say just after Ottoman Empire had collapsed, at a time when arab leaders became more and more eager to gain their independance. Abdallah finally obtained it from UK in 1946. Later on, history of Jordan included assassination attemps, civil war with PLO, peace with Israel, positive involvment in many regional crisis…A very rich history!
Petra is certainly one of the most impressive things to see in Jordan, but also in the world. Its histoy is also rich and complex, as several civilizations followed each other there. This great book depicts history, culture, architecture and art of the ancient city of Petra, 125 illustrations.
The history of Jordan is deeply linked with christianity (Jesus was christened on the east Bank of Jordan river)…and crusades. One can still admire several castles in Jordan (Kerak, Showbak, Ajloun…) Amin Maalouf relates how the Arabs eventually succeeded in pushing back Crusaders. Very interesting – rather pro-arab orientated.
