Cleopatra`s Wedding Present is the rare book that captivates its reader from the very first page. Tewdwr Moss, a brilliant young writer who was murdered in London the day he finished the book, left this lyrical gem as his legacy. He adeptly captures an essence of the Middle East that is foreign to most of us, but which becomes real with his astute observations of the region`s culture and explosive politics. He conveys what so many westerners find both fascinating and frightening in the Middle East, making no attempt to mask circumstances that are appalling and dangerous while also exotic and beautiful. And sometimes, very funny. Like the best travel books, Robert Tewdwr Moss`s memoir of his travels through Syria is a profoundly telling vivisection of Middle Eastern society, a chilling history of ethnic crimes, a picaresque adventure story, a purely entertaining travelogue, and a poignant romance.