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James Hider

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London

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jimbohider

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May 2013

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I have always been fascinated by what you might call the pathology of ideas -- how they mutate as different societies inherit, steal or are infected by foreign concepts, customs and gods. How a Disney character can become an icon of Islamist martyrdom, how we invent gods because we are afraid of dying, then end up dying for these invented gods. Having seen at first hand, and all too often, the most extreme results of these ever-warping ideas, I sat down and tried to write about them in "Spiders of Allah," the result of seven years covering conflict across the Middle East. Because the history of the region stretches back so far, the ideas that have come out of it have had millennia to warp and twist. You can see front lines that date back th ...more

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Average rating: 4.06 · 1,883 ratings · 194 reviews · 3 distinct works • Similar authors

	Ripe 4.08 avg rating — 1,557 ratings — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Spiders of Allah: Travels of an Unbeliever on the Frontline of Holy War 3.84 avg rating — 179 ratings — published 2009 — 11 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Cronix 4.18 avg rating — 159 ratings — published 2014 — 4 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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James Hider's Blog

ethical dilemma

I had a piece of shrapnel go straight through my left arm during one of the many, endless battles for Fallujah a decade ago. The wound left almost no scar tissue at all. Three months ago, a vicious but very small bee stung me on almost exactly the same spot on my��right arm, and there’s still a big red mark there. So should I tweak the truth and present the bee sting as the battle scar when dronin

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James Hider is now friends with Robbie Sheerin
Jun 03, 2025 11:36AM · like
James Hider rated a book it was ok Piranesi by Susanna Clarke	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
This felt like reading a description of someone playing Sudoku, or doing a crossword puzzle: probably fun for them, but very dull for the observer. Not sure where the endless descriptions of someone wandering around empty halls was going, but it took ...more
Apr 25, 2024 04:01AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Piranesi by Susanna Clarke. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Piranesi by Susanna Clarke <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Hider liked Jade Hardwick's review of The Spiders of Allah: Travels of an Unbeliever on the Frontline of Holy War: "I found this book mind blowing and terrifying! I definitely recommend for anyone who has an interest in modern history. The author provides so much insight into conflicts of this world that, for some, are hard to understand."
Dec 15, 2023 12:38PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Spiders of Allah by James Hider. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Spiders of Allah by James Hider <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Hider and 2 other people liked Susan's review of Ripe: "This book had such a unique storyline. One I had never read before, in science fiction reads. it was clever, and meticulously thoughtout and detailed. The only negative was I didn't feel that extreme detail carried through to the end. The only soluti" Read more of this review »
Dec 15, 2023 12:37PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Ripe by James Hider. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Ripe by James Hider <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Hider rated a book it was amazing Ripe by James Hider (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 15, 2023 12:37PM · 1 like · like
James Hider rated a book it was amazing Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 15, 2023 12:37PM · like
James Hider liked Beth's review of Ripe: "Exciting story from start to finish! I really appreciated the action that started right away . The characters were real & believable. Gray book! I would love to see a continuation of this story. "
Dec 15, 2023 12:36PM · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Ripe by James Hider. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Ripe by James Hider <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Hider wants to read The Housemaid's Secret (The Housemaid, #2) by Freida McFadden (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 08, 2023 10:53AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Hider wants to read Tom Lake by Ann Patchett	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 08, 2023 07:16AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Tom Lake by Ann Patchett. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Tom Lake by Ann Patchett <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
James Hider wants to read Yellowface by R.F. Kuang (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 08, 2023 07:01AM · like

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Space Opera Fans : May 2025 LIMITED Ripe by Hider	11	12	Jun 04, 2025 03:37PM
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