The Sheik is a 1919 novel by English writer E. M. Hull. It was the first of a series of novels she wrote with desert settings that set off a major revival of the "desert romance" genre of romantic fiction. It was a huge best-seller and the most popular of her books, and it served as the basis for the film of the same name starring the Italian actor Rudolph Valentino in the title role. Source: Wikipedia (en)