More than a traditional travelogue, The Independent Arab is almost a memoir of Major Sir Hubert Young’s extended series of assignments in the Middle East. Keenly aware of the glorious tradition of the Arabic peoples he encountered, Young authored this account of his travels and observations to remind the world of the importance of its Arabic heritage. Narrating his journeys in the Middle East, he comments on orthodoxy, labor, regattas, and the resources of Mesopotamia. He recounts the difficulties encountered in Arabia Petraea, what is today Jordan and Syria. Ever the diplomat, Young continues his narrative to Downing Street in London, to what was happening with the British interests in the Middle East culminating in the Iraqi Mandate. An important source from an insider, this book is required reading for those who wish to know a British perspective on developments of early twentieth-century Mesopotamia.

Major Sir Hubert Winthrop Young (1885-1950) had a distinguished military and diplomatic career. After serving in World War I he was assigned an extended tour in the Middle East. Before serving in World War II he was appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief in Nyasaland, Northern Rhodesia, and Trinidad and Tobago. After the war he worked in the United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration and was a candidate for Parliament.