Jeremy Bowen is one of the finest journalists and broadcasters of our age - qualities which shine through every page of this superb book. Written with modesty, grace and compassion, his account of 30 years working in the Middle East for the BBC combines his own personal experience with and a rare understanding of what makes this tortured region so dangerously combustible. His judgements are invariably balanced but when they are due he does not shrink from scathing criticisms of the key actors. The result is an illuminating and riveting read. * Jonathan Dimbleby, broadcaster, author and historian *
Arresting . . . excellent, doom-freighted -- Justin Marozzi * The Times *
Bears witness to how lofty dreams of the post-Cold War period crashed and burned ... with deep empathy and understanding of the roots of the conflict. -- Emma Sky * The New Statesman *
[A] compelling blend of sweeping history and vivid memoir . . . Bowen paints in the historical background masterfully and manages to convey the pressure, euphoria and horror of war reporting as well. * Mail on Sunday *
A gripping and compelling account that swings between gut-wrenching eyewitness stories and dispassionate analysis, laying bare the hopes and horrors of the Middle East in the twenty-first century. A remarkable book. -- Professor Eugene Rogan, author of The Arabs: A History
Jeremy Bowen's broadcasts from Middle Eastern conflicts have always been riveting viewing: authoritative, cool and devoid of moralising and fake passion. This book is a very personal and erudite history of a troubled region where enemies of impartiality abound, though some don't even live there. I highly recommend this fascinating book which is also a testament to a better era in journalism. -- Michael Burleigh, author of The Best of Times, The Worst of Times: A History of Now
This is a wise, compelling, fast-paced book - essential reading if you wish to make sense of the forces that have convulsed the Middle East, as well as unsettling all our lives, since the end of the Cold War. -- Jason Cowley, author of Who Are We Now? and Editor in Chief of The New Statesman
Few people are as well placed to authoritatively depict the making of the modern Middle East than Jeremy Bowen, the BBC's long-serving correspondent in the region . . . excellent * The New European *
Jeremy Bowen is a master of succinct writing for television and in print, and his skill is showcased to brilliant effect in this distillation of decades of experience reporting from the Middle East. It's a terrific book, pithy and pacy, equally at home telling stories of ordinary people as in encounters with princes and presidents. Carefully defined thematic chapters cover the thirty years since the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan with clarity and insight. Bowen's reach is unparalleled and his voice rings through loud and clear on every page. -- Matthew Teller, journalist and author of Nine Quarters of Jerusalem
As a veteran of numerous Middle East conflicts spanning several decades, Jeremy Bowen is uniquely qualified to analyse and explain the region's complex political and religious landscape. His book should be essential reading for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of this fascinating, but deeply troubled, part of the world. -- Con Coughlin, author of Saddam: The Secret Life and Khomeini's Ghost
