April 06, 2010

Blood and sand

Sometimes you come across books that you know immediately will be good and that you will remember a long, long time after reading them. Blood and sand by Frank Gardner is one of those books. I think I bought the book probably 2 or 3 years ago at Heathrow and it's been in my to read pile since then. I've looked at it many times, but each time I decided to wait until I had more time. Finally this Easter I had more time and yes it was worth the wait.

With a lifelong passion for the Arab world BBC correspondent Frank Gardner had spent almost 25 years in the Middle East when he got shot by Islamist gunmen in 2004. His cameraman died immediately whereas Gardner was shot in the shoulder and legs. Remarkably he survived and is now partly paralysed.

The book is not about Gardner's recovery (only one chapter) instead he gives us great insights and understandings on the Islamic world and what the ongoing War on terror actually means to us and the Middle East. It's a book written with great respect and love for the Arab and Muslim world, where really the only enemy is intolerance and not enough knowledge.

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