{"product_id":"improbable-women-five-who-explored-the-middle-east-hardcover","title":"Improbable Women: Five Who Explored the Middle East - Hardcover","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eWilliam Woods Cotterman\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eZenobia was the third-century Syrian queen who rebelled against Roman rule. Before Emperor Aurelian prevailed against her forces, she had seized almost one-third of the Roman Empire. Today, her legend attracts thousands of visitors to her capital, Palmyra, one of the great ruined cities of the ancient world. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, during the time of Ottoman rule, travel to the Middle East was almost impossible for Westerners. That did not stop five daring women from abandoning their conventional lives and venturing into the heart of this inhospitable region. \u003ci\u003eImprobable Women \u003c\/i\u003eexplores the lives of Hester Stanhope, Jane Digby, Isabel Burton, Gertrude Bell, and Freya Stark, narrating the story of each woman's pilgrimage to Palmyra to pay homage to the warrior queen. Although the women lived in different time periods, ranging from the eighteenth century to the mid-twentieth century, they all had middle- to upper-class British backgrounds and overcame great societal pressures to pursue their independence. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCotterman situates their lives against a backdrop of the Middle Eastern history that was the setting for their adventures. Divided into six sections, one devoted to Zenobia and one on each of the five women, \u003ci\u003e Improbable Women\u003c\/i\u003e is a fascinating glimpse into the experiences and characters of these intelligent, open-minded, and free-spirited explorers.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eWilliam Woods Cotterman\u003c\/b\u003e is professor and Chair Emeritus of computer information systems at Georgia State University. He has traveled extensively throughout the Middle East.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 328\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1.07 x 9.36 x 6.27 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e October 22, 2013\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":42130450153607,"sku":"9780815610236","price":32.35,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/7eee1720cbf4e74348e39ec3bfd8156d.webp?v=1732610901","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/improbable-women-five-who-explored-the-middle-east-hardcover","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}