Jean Jacques SwartzStudent number - 201302962Story 421Book reviewBook ​​title: The CorsairAuthor of the book: Abdulaziz Al-MahmoudInteresting fact: the book was originally written in Arabic, but due to its praise received throughout the Arab community, it was translated into English by Amira Nowaira. He did a perfect job in his efforts. The translation reads well enough without being discontinuous in any way, which most translated books usually fall victim to as well. Setting: This book is set in the early 19th century, when the British Empire was expanding its reach across the world. Theme: the book tells the story of the tussle for control of the trade routes in the Persian Gulf. Urged into action by the growing number of swordsmen or privateers in the region, including the infamous Erhama bin Jaber, as well as by the British Government or at the time His Majesty's Government, traveling across the Persian Gulf to protect their interests, sending honorable men such as the noble Captain Loch and the irascible Major George Sadleir in the Gulf to protect the transport of British goods through negotiation or action by the armed forces. But the British have always appeared in the lead, despite the intricate web of rivalries and loyalties that span the Gulf. As the story unfolds traveling between the United Kingdom, India, Bahrain, Qatar, Madeira, and countless places in between, it becomes clear that the representatives of the small nation that at one point controlled a vast amount of the planet were out of their league. The author's 19th-century Gulf region is a rich, cruel, and disconcerting place. From the luxurious and extravagant palaces of the Sultan of Oman to the sterile and bloody plains, where Ibrahim Pasha indicts... middle of paper... the way forward. Overall, this is an exceptional work and captivating book. Every avid reader and book lover must have access to their favorite book. And in this book, the author thoroughly introduces you to a world where you, as a reader, may feel like you are in that environment, hovering above each chapter presented in the book. The author amazingly uses our imagination to see what he sees and does so flawlessly. It manages to make readers experience something of what it means to think differently, because by the end I found myself rooting for Erhama bin Jaber and his followers against the British. As Bashir said: 'You would think differently if this land were your land and if these people were your people. Truth is in the eye of the beholder and we must treasure those who have the vision to discern the other side of the story.