He had some disputable political opinions and I am not too big a fan of VS Naipaul‘s novels but I love his travelogues. His journey through Islamic (non Arabic) countries in Among the Believers and its follow-up, Beyond Belief, teached me much about Islamic culture.
Thanks to The Turn in the South my first trip to the US was a roadtrip through Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Alabama, one I‘ll never forget.
RIP