Oman is one of the most beautiful and popular countries in the Middle East, yet a few years ago it was one of the world's backwaters where visitors were discouraged. The turning point came with the takeover of power by Sultan Qaboos bin Said in 1970. This book, first published in 1979, takes the reader around the country, from the rugged Musandam peninsula in the north to the southern province of Dhofar. It builds a bridge between historical and modern Oman, describes the people and their landscapes, and the country's indigenous arts and crafts.