James Taranto answers Arab News lackey John R. Bradley. Bradley is credited by Arab News as the author of The Lonely Planet Guide to Saudi Arabia. Just one small problem—turns out there is no Lonely Planet Guide to Saudi Arabia.

The kingdom is nowhere to be found on the Lonely Planet Web site’s list of travel guides. Amazon.com lists a Lonely Planet guide to the Arab Gulf states—including Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as well as Saudi Arabia—but it’s out of print and was written not by Bradley but by one Gordon Robison. Searches for “John R. Bradley” on the Lonely Planet Web site and catalog turn up nothing.

I wouldn’t be at all surprised to discover that John R. Bradley himself is about as real as the nonexistent book he didn’t write.

UPDATE: John R. Bradley responds.

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