Out in the Blue, Letters from Arabia 1937-1940, A young American geologist explores the deserts of Saudi Arabia by T.C. Barger

Selwa Press now has a separate site that features our entire line of books and Selwa Video
the only place on the web with rare movies of Saudi Arabia in the 1930s. www.SelwaPress.com

We are proud to announce publication of The Unfurling, poems by Nimah Ismail Nawwab. With a clear voice and keen vision, she precisely conveys remarkable insights into Saudi Arabia and the world beyond.

     "Nimah Nawwab's latest book of poetry, The Unfurling, is both a concert and a museum tour. Her poetry sings, a vibrant voice confident in herself, true to her traditions and optimistic for the future of all people who "do the right thing."
     The words and phrases clink and tingle like silver and gold coins.The rhyme and rhythm of her adroitly crafted :"verb clusters" make melody all along the line. Such is part of her gift"

                                           Jack D. Cook, English Professor



Nimah Nawwab's biography and a few of her poems.

From the Green Flag store - Stewart Guth, Al -Khobar 1951

"Despite extensive coverage of the Gulf War, few Americans know how the United States came to depend on the Middle East for oil. In Out in the Blue, Thomas Barger provides a fascinating glimpse of that history. ... It is an exciting narrative of desert exploration and romance set against the emerging threat of a world war."
Brenda Daly, North Dakota Quarterly, Winter 2002

In 1937, Tom Barger left North Dakota and Kathleen, his young bride of two weeks, to seek his fortune as a junior geologist in a remote desert country. Out in the Blue is the story of the people he met and the places he explored in Saudi Arabia - before there was oil.
Based on the letters he sent to Kathleen during his first three years in the Kingdom, this book is a fascinating portrait of life in early Arabia as well as a glimpse into the mind and heart of a man who retired thirty-two years later as the President and CEO of Aramco - the largest independent oil producing company in the world.

     "This wonderfully poignant, warm and informative story about the early years of geological exploration within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is a fascinating and enjoyable read about an important time in my country's history."
    Shaikh Ahmed Zaki Yamani, Former Minister of Petroleum
    for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, January 2001

"This book offers rare insight into the work of a handful of men in a harsh hidden corner of our world. Thomas Barger may have been a geologist, but he wrote like a poet to a wife he missed and loved."
Mona Megalli, Amazon, 2000

"And here lies the best virtue of this book: there are no stereotypical Americans, no stereotypical Saudis, only real people thrust into unfamiliar circumstances and new kinds of social relations, each struggling according to his own ability to build an industry which would, in only a few short years, utterly transform the country and its way of life."
Kevin Rosser, The Journal of Energy Literature, Summer 2002

     2001's best-selling English language book in Saudi Arabia is now an essential primary document for anyone truly interested in the roots of American - Saudi relations. It details the sacrifices and efforts made by men and women from absolutely disparate cultures to achieve a common purpose. A compelling testimony to the mutual respect that began with the Desert King's original choice in 1933 to make America, even though it was deep in Depression, his prime ally in the modern century to come.
     In his classic book Discovery!, Wallace Stegner described the loading of the D.G. Scofield, the first oil tanker to ever visit Ras Tanura, on May 1, 1939.
      "Then Ibn Saud reached out his enormous hand with which he had created and held together his kingdom in the first place, and turned the valve on the line through which the wealth, power and responsibilities of the industrial 20th century would flow into Saudi Arabia."

To learn more about Out in the Blue, please use the links below.

Excerpts Reviews Order Links

     Lady Anne Blunt, the grand-daughter of Lord Byron, was the first western woman to make a recorded journey to central Arabia. Her photographs and drawings are only a portion of the rich legacy of an intrepid woman that is detailed in this engaging biography by H.V. Winstone.

     A Year After Mohammed T. Al-Rasheed's column in the The Arab News is always an internet gem, but this quiet reflection shines like a cut diamond. A collection of his thoughtful essays is available at www.d-corner.com


Nestor Sander's biography, Ibn Saud: King by Conquest, a masterful look at the life of one of the greatest leaders of the 20th century, is now a classic. Find out more about it at Books at Virtual Khobar.

The Desert Caves of Saudi Arabia

"Over the centuries Arabia has hosted a variety of Western explorers attracted by its inaccessible beauty and the vastness of its deserts and rocky plains. With the fresh eyes of outsiders, they saw significance in the commonplace ... more

You can order Out in the Blue directly from the Selwa Press, ask for it at your local library or bookstore or order it direct from Amazon.com.

In Saudi Arabia, Out in the Blue is available from Jarir Bookstores. Please click on the Jarir logo to find the nearest showroom.

All the images on this site are courtesy of the T.C. Barger Collection unless otherwise noted. They may be freely shared for personal or academic purposes, however all the commercial rights are strictly reserved to the Selwa Press or the respective contributors.