Arresting . . . excellent, doom-freighted -- Justin Marozzi * The Sunday Times *
Jeremy Bowen is one of the finest journalists and broadcasters of our age - qualities which shine through every page of this superb book. . . 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
[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 *
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 *
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 *
A clear and dispassionate account of the impact of oil, nationalism and the West on the Middle East. I left the book feeling both well informed and very depressed. -- Henry Marsh * The New Statesman, Books of the Year *
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
A heart-wrenching read . . . We should be thankful for his journalism; and for this work, too, with its rich historical details, its composure and balance, and its readability. The book is boosted by Bowen's voice registering in the reader's mind, in a narrative sprawling across centuries and borders. The writing is like his reporting: steady and clear, considered, compassionate * The Irish Times *
He is skilled at sketching out the history, the tortous issues and the character of countries in a few elegant paragraphs -- Ian Birrell * The Spectator *
This book is a very personal and erudite history of a troubled region . . . 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
Bold . . . wears his knowledge lightly . . . Bowen knows when to provide context and detail, and crucially, when to stop - always a challenge for anyone explaining the Middle East. -- Colin Freeman * The Daily Telegraph *
It's a terrific book, pithy and pacy, equally at home telling stories of ordinary people as in encounters with princes and presidents . . . 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
