Siwa: the oasis of Jupiter Ammon

About this book

The work is a memoir‑like study by a British officer who spent two years in the remote Siwa Oasis during the First World War, framed by a foreword from a senior colleague. It opens with a personal recollection of the author’s service in the Camel Corps and the administrative reforms that followed his transfer to the Frontier Districts Administration of Egypt. From there the writer launches into a detailed overview of the political landscape of the Egyptian frontiers, the re‑organisation of desert governance, and the cultural and historical richness of Siwa, promising a blend of military observation, ethnographic description, and a survey of the oasis’s ancient, medieval and modern life.

The prose is unmistakably Edwardian, marked by long, flowing sentences, a formal tone, and frequent references to contemporary scholars such as Breasted and Procopius. Its voice combines the authority of a colonial officer with the enthusiasm of an amateur antiquarian, making the text appealing to readers interested in imperial history, early‑20th‑century travel writing, and the archaeology and folklore of the Western Desert. Those who enjoy dense, historically grounded narratives of desert life and the interplay of military and cultural forces will find this volume rewarding.

Opening lines

When you begged me to write a “Foreword” for your first book on Siwa, you asked me if I remembered you as a Junior Officer in the British Camel Company at Khartoum in the early days of the Great War—and later in the Camel Corps of the Frontier Districts Administration of Egypt. My answer is that I remember you well in both capacities, and I have a very happy recollection of the excellent services rendered by both the units in which you served. …

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