A Woman of Cairo [Paperback]

Noel Barber (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 14, 1985

Tracing the childhood friendship between Mark Holt, son of the British resident and Serena Sirry, daughter of a court advisor, that blossoms into a passionate love affair, "A Woman of Cairo" also paints a fascinating picture of two different societies in a time of violent change.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'His best so far' -- Daily Mail 'Barber is a master' -- Mail on Sunday 'A story as majestic and fertile as its setting' -- Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Noel Barber has enchanted millions of readers with his six bestselling novels. These powerfully exotic novels have each become timeless classics in which he drew upon his own experience as one of the leading foreign correspondents from the '40s to '60s working on the Daily Mail. He was the first Briton to reach the South Pole since Scott, was stabbed five times covering the wars in Morocco, and was shot during the Hungarian uprising. He died in 1988.

Product Details

• Paperback: 672 pages
• Publisher: Coronet; 1st edition (October 14, 1985)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0340377720
• ISBN-13: 978-0340377727
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.4 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,739,501 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Author REALLY Knows His Historical Background, December 10, 2001

By 

Imperial Topaz (Marrakesh, Morocco) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Woman of Cairo (Hardcover)

I just reread this book, after reading it many years ago. In the intervening time, I spent several months in Egypt, and moved to Morocco, where I have resided for nine years. I couldn't put the book down, and read through it in about three days. What most impressed me this time was the author's comprehensive knowledge of the Middle-Eastern mentality, and his intimate portrayal of King Farouk, Nasser, and Sadat--the author having not only lived in Cairo, but having met personally these three historical figures. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Egypt, or who plans to travel to Egypt. My only other comment is that most Egyptian women would not be behaving as does the main female character in this novel, but they would think as she does.

9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly entertaining .. UNPUTDOWNABLE, September 2, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: A Woman of Cairo (Hardcover)

A Woman of Cairo deserves more than five stars.It took me three days to finsih this book when I first read it when it was published in 1987 and I've just finished rereading it for the second time. This is a great story of star-stuck lovers in a magestic but politically turbulent country. Noel Barber knew how to weave a fantastic lovestory whose characters are so lively they're about to jump out of the pages. The setting is a great country with magestic civilisation. I've read all Noel Barber's books. This is his best by far. It's a pitty his dead. We'll no longer have such excellent stories set against historical backgrounds. If you can find this book, make sure you get it. It's a grrrrreat read. I assure you, you will not be disappointed.

6 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent..., September 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: A Woman of Cairo (Hardcover)

It was such a good book that I am really disappointed that its out of print and can't be shared with other people. Noel Barber writes so well that he keeps you entranced between the facts of this story based on truth and he paints a fascinating picture of two different societies in time of violent change...a passionate love affair...set in Egypt from 1919 through to World War II... I couldn't put it down each time I re-read it !!