'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
'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
'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
'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