Reading List
Jordan
Seven books on Petra, the desert, and the people and history that shaped this ancient kingdom, gathered for anyone planning to see it firsthand.
Before You Go
Reading for the Rose City
From a classic of desert exploration to a modern memoir told through food, these seven books offer context no itinerary alone can give.
Petra and the Lost Kingdom of the Nabataeans
Taylor traces the rise of the Nabataeans and the development of Petra as their capital, delivering a history that reads with ease rather than the weight of an archaeology textbook. For anyone with Petra on the itinerary, this is the clearest possible primer on what they are about to see.
View on AmazonSeven Pillars of Wisdom
This classic autobiographical account follows British officer T. E. Lawrence, known widely as Lawrence of Arabia, through his years as a liaison to rebel forces during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turks from 1916 to 1918. It remains the foundational firsthand record of that campaign.
View on AmazonLawrence in Arabia
Anderson's history reads with the pace of a thriller while covering T. E. Lawrence and the Arab Revolt during the First World War. It is a strong choice for understanding the political forces that shaped modern Jordan and the broader Middle East.
View on AmazonAppointment with Death
Poirot investigates a murder set against the rose red cliffs of Petra in this classic work of fiction. It is a lighthearted companion for anyone headed there, and reading it before walking those same cliffs adds a particular pleasure of its own.
View on AmazonMarried to a Bedouin
Van Geldermalsen recounts how a New Zealand born nurse came to marry Mohammad Abdallah Othman, a Bedouin souvenir seller from Petra, and to make her life among his family. Her observations are warm and unguarded, and they preserve Bedouin traditions that have largely faded from the modern city.
View on AmazonLeap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life
Queen Noor's memoir offers an insider's view of modern Jordan and the Hashemite royal family, tracing the country's politics, culture, and regional relationships from a deeply personal vantage point. It reads less like a conventional history and more like a firsthand account of a life shaped by both duty and love.
View on AmazonThe Language of Baklava: A Memoir with Recipes
Abu-Jaber's memoir moves between her Jordanian father's kitchen and her American upbringing, using food as the throughline for questions of family, culture, and identity. It is an especially rewarding companion for anyone who tends to experience a place through what is cooked and shared there.
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