Around the World in 22 Books
The Valleys of the Assassins
and Other Persian Travels by Freya Stark
First published in 1934.
This edition by The Modern Library.
One of the most prolific and adventurous
travellers of the first half of the 20th century, Freya Stark, travelled
into Luristan, the mountainous terrain nestled between Iraq and present-day
Iran, often with only a single guide and on a shoestring budget. She writes
engagingly of the nomadic peoples who inhabit the region’s valleys
and brings to life the stories of the ancient kingdoms of the Middle East,
including that of the Lords of Alamut, a band of hashish-eating terrorists.
