Reviews for Persian Lions, Persian Lambs: An American's Odyssey in Iran

The average rating for Persian Lions, Persian Lambs: An American's Odyssey in Iran based on 2 reviews is 3.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2019-10-05 00:00:00 William J Rulo In 1947, Sir Wilfred Thesiger journeyed by camel across The Empty Quarter, the world's most remote desert wilderness. Nobody did it again for 50 years… until 3 Canadians decided to recreate Thesiger's expedition in 1999. That's 1200 kms of blistering desert, over 40 days, by camel and foot only. This is that story. While the Empty Quarter is skirted often by jeep and truck now, crossing it in the traditional method of riding camels meant almost stepping back in time. This proved extremely hard on Kirby, Clarke and Clarke to convince others was important, let along actually DO, and the book discussed this often. Though informative, I felt a little impatient for the story to unfold initially as the author explains in detail the journey's inception, purpose, and the logistics involved with planning it; I wanted the adventure part of the adventure to begin! (As I type that now however, I'll bet that's nothing compared to how Kirby felt.) Once underway, Sand Dance tells of the good, bad, frustrating and rewarding challenges that faced them every day: language barriers, culture differences and even clashes, testy camels and riding pains, sandstorms, team disagreements, and of course, keeping hydrated in the stunning-but-brutal landscape. I liked learning through Kirby's eyes the ways of the local Bedu people, and how deep his thirst for an authentic traveling experience goes - they drank out of rank goat skins, wore no Western clothes, and slept under the stars. The second half moved almost too quickly, and I dreaded the end of the journey and their return to reality (not to mention bidding farewell to the camels!) I'll never traverse a desert, but I may revisit Kirby's tale of doing so. 4 stars.

Review # 2 was written on 2011-02-08 00:00:00 William Henry I love reading about different cultures,especially of the experiences of someone new to a different culture as is the case when these three Canadian men decide to retrace an historic route across the Arabian desert as it was done 50 years earlier by an adventurer with camels,instead of the now used 4-wheel drive vehicles. I have also always been curious about camels,their temperament and what it would be like to work with them,and this book has much information about the six camels used and camels in general. The vivid descriptions really put me in the scene,and I enjoyed the humor,as well. Highly recommended for those who would enjoy a 'nonfiction' Indiana Jones type story.