About the Book This 50th anniversary edition of The Sheltering Sky, one of the great novels of the 20th century, features an original review of the book by Tennessee Williams. Stands head and shoulders above most other novels published in English since World War II.--New Republic. Book Synopsis A landmark of twentieth-century literature. Paul Bowles examines the ways in which Americans incomprehension of alien cultures leads to the ultimate destruction of those cultures. A story about three American travelers adrift in the cities and deserts of North Africa after World War II, The Sheltering Sky explores the limits of humanity when it touches the unfathomable emptiness and impassive cruelty of the desert. From the Back Cover The Sheltering Sky is a landmark of twentieth-century literature. In this intensely fascinating story, Paul Bowles examines the ways in which Americans incomprehension of alien cultures leads to the ultimate destruction of those cultures. A story about three American travelers adrift in the cities and deserts of North Africa after World War II, The Sheltering Sky explores the limits of humanity when it touches the unfathomable emptiness and impassive cruelty of the desert. Review Quotes It stands head and shoulders above most other novels published in English since World War II.--The New Republic[The Sheltering Sky] is one of the most original, even visionary, works of fiction to appear in this century.--Tobias Wolff