Hilaire Belloc 
Mercy of Allah 

First published in 1922, The Mercy of Allah describes the civilization of the Arabs through the extraordinary tales a wealthy grandfather relates to his beloved grandchildren. These richly textured stories show how this prosperous Arab deceived his own countrymen to gain great fortunes, while also demonstrating the richness of Arab culture through the ages. The cultural standards described are still quite common in the Middle East. Mahmoud’s saga points out the contrasts between Western and Eastern attitudes toward trade, banking, and human relations. And, of course, we see the central roles that religion and family play in everyday Arab life. (Goodreads)