A Diamond in the Desert: Behind the Scenes in Abu Dhabi, the World's Richest City

I wish more people would write books like this about other parts of the world. I liked this book because it went from story to story to explain the history of Abu Dhabi. Reading it was like listening to a friend talk about their travels. The books includes a mystery, tragedy and quirky cultural perspectives.

In the timeline of Abu Dhabi history, this book is a follow-up to M.A. Fahim's excellent eyewitness account, "From Rags to Riches."Author Jo Tatchell revisits the country where she had arrived as a child in 1974 and spent her formative years. She is in an excellent place to compare the "then" and the "now" (meaning circa 2008), having absorbed a lot of fascinating information about the early days of the oil boom from her father, who managed Spinneys, the first supermarket catering to expats. She meets with some prominent locals and old-timers who have made the capital their permanent home; they are happy to reminisce. Her efforts at gaining access to old newspapers in the National Archives, however, are somewhat less successful (partly due to the digitization process which is underway).Jo Tatchell is an excellent writer and I really enjoyed the book. Her observations are spot on and her background information appears well researched and quite accurate. Part memoir and part travelogue, with a bit of history thrown in, the book sometimes left me hungry for "more," which is a compliment as well as a complaint.In the years since the book came out (2009) a lot has happened in the United Arab Emirates. There was the global economic crisis, which hit the country late, but hard, followed by an ongoing recovery. The emirate of Abu Dhabi has proven itself to be smart and resilient in the face of this adversity, opting to become the cultural capital of the area. Here's room for a sequel.

I read this once I had returned from the UAE and found it a most interesting story. I recommend it to all!

I did learn a bit about the United Arab Emirates when I read this book, but it seemed to move slowly and gave too much unimportant information.

Interesting account from someone acquainted with Abu Dhabi all her life.

Loved A Diamond in the Desert. I read when I was new to Abu Dhabi and still overwhelmed with the culture. This book helped explain as much as is possible, why culture is the way it is here while weaving a very interesting and personal story. A great read for anyone who is living in or considering moving to the UAE.

WOW what a story,so many things I didnt know and i bet you didnf either,read this,it will surprise you.WOW again.

The book is well written and researched. This 2009 edition is 11years old. It will be extremely interesting to read an updated edition covering the accomplishments and changes attained since it's publication.

An excellent, informative book. I got it because I have family working in Abu Dhabi and I have visited each year and became very interested in its history. It has a fascinating relatively short history. My daughter has kept this book out in Abu Dhabi and hands it out to friends and family members if they want to know more about the place. Highly recommended.

This book answers many questions about the history and its effects on society in Abu Dhabi, told in an informal, yet informed way.It is written from a personal perspective and covers many interesting issues.

Excellent book,gives the reader a full insight to Abu Dhabi the history and the modern Abu Dhabi. I recently visited Abu Dhabi for the first time I wish I had read this book first.

When I saw this book and where it was about (Abu Dhabi, UAE) I was excited. Further delving made me even more excited. It seemed myself and the author, Jo Tatchell, had quite a bit in common. Jo was born in 1971. I was born in 1970. She moved to Abu Dhabi around 1975. I moved to Abu Dhabi in 1980. Jo went to the local English speaking school, Al Khubairat. I also went to Al Khubairat. And we both went to boarding school. We may even have met whilst at school in Abu Dhabi and not known it!Ever since leaving Abu Dhabi I have longed to go back; it brings back so many good memories for me. Times when my mother and father were alive and very much in their prime (Dad was the reason we moved there in the beginning and mum and I often discussed going back). Since I have never had the opportunity to return I was intrigued to find out how much it had changed since the 80s. I bought this book hoping to find out. And alas, I finished the book disappointed.The back cover claims to be a guide about Abu Dhabi, and initially it is. I smiled inwardly when Jo mentioned certain familiar areas and customs, and felt my eyebrows raising when she narrated changes I had not know about. But this book in the main was quite boring for me. I felt myself daydreaming in many of the chapters and struggled to finish it. The worst part of all was the final chapter; twenty odd pages mainly talking about art! If I had wanted to read a book about Middle Eastern art I would have bought a book about such. A few pages discussing the subject would have been sufficient but this droned on and on and I felt like I was swimming through treacle with it. The ending too was strange and I shook my head such was the disbelief. This is such a shame because the book had a lot of potential but just drifted erratically at times and I was hoping for so much more.

This is book is excellent very easy to read, it's made me super interested in the middle east, if only all informative books could be written this well!