Freya Stark

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Cover of Jane Fletcher Geniesse's biography of Freya Stark
Cover of Jane Fletcher Geniesse's biography of Freya Stark

Dame Freya Madeleine Stark, DBE (b. 31 Jan 1893, Paris France - d. 9 May 1993, Asolo Italy) was a British travel writer.

In between that time, she was famous for her experiences in the Middle East, her writing, and her cartography. Freya Stark was not only one of the first Western women to travel through the Arabian deserts (Hadhramaut); she often traveled solo into areas where few Europeans, let alone women, had ever been.

During World War II, she joined the Ministry of Information and contributed to the creation of a propaganda network aimed at persuading Arabs to support the Allies or at least remain neutral. She was fluent in several languages including Arabic and wrote over two dozen books based on her travels.

[edit] References

  • Jane Fletcher Geniesse, Passionate Nomad: The Life of Freya Stark (New York: Random House, 2001).
  • Peter H. Hansen, ‘Stark, Dame Freya Madeline (1893?–1993)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004

[edit] Works

  • Baghdad Sketches (London, 1933). ISBN 0-8101-6023-4
  • Alexander's Path: From Caria to Cilicia (London, 1958).
  • The Journey's Echo: Selected Travel Writings (Ecco, 1988). ISBN 0-880-01218-8

[edit] External links

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