The Tribes Triumphant: Return Journey To The Middle East

by Charles Glass

Charles Glass, an award-winning commentator on the Middle East, resumes a journey through the Levant that was violently interrupted on 1987 when he was kidnapped by Shiite gunmen. The voyage, from Aqaba on the Red Sea to Alexandretta in southern Turkey, begins again in September 2001, haunted by the 9/11 attacks on America and the ensuing invasion of Iraq.
Along the route, Glass visits the Israeli settlements and Arab towns on whose land the settlements were constructed, speaks to Israeli conscripts and Palestinian demonstrators, to priests, rabbis and mullahs, politicians and assassins, the tortured and their torturers. He also revisits the scene of his captivity, confronting the men who kidnapped him over two decades ago.

Genres: Travel, Middle East, History, Israel, Nonfiction

472 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2006

About the author

Charles Glass is an author, journalist and broadcaster, who specializes in the Middle East. He made headlines when taken hostage for 62 days in Lebanon by Shi’a militants in 1987, while writing a book during his time as ABC’s News chief Middle East correspondent. He writes regularly for the New York Review of Books, Harper’s, the London Review of Books and The Spectator. He is the author of Syria Burning, Tribes with Flags, Money for Old Rope, The Tribes Triumphant, The Northern Front, Americans in Paris and Deserters: A Hidden History of World War II.

Reviews

[Redpoet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book which gives you an on the ground look at the politics of the Middle East, particularly Israel and Palestine. We hear the voices of all kinds of people on both sides of the conflict. It’s a bit dated, but really, it doesn’t matter much. This is the best book of its kind I’ve ever really read.

[Asher · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute joy of a read. Charles Glass expertly writes through his experiences, the history, and the personal stories of many of the Tribes of the Middle East. I learned so much and am more able to understand the regions debates from all perspectives thanks to this book.

[Terje Skulstad · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having read 4/5 I think this is a great introduction to the rich and complated history of the middle east people, this is really the point where east,west,north and south clashes. And every idea throughout the history of man crushes in the sand, the mountains, the rivers and the oceans.In the cafe`s,lea Here in this evermelting pot you will also find the thoughts nobody have thought.

[Ann Tonks · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have any interest in the Middle East, this is an absolute "must read". The writer/journalist talks to people on all sides of this impossible part of the world to gain a deep and personal understanding of the tragedy that is Israel/Palenstine.

[Andrew Tunstall · Rating 5 out of 5]

An eye-opening trip into the historical, political and social complexities of the Middle East. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand where the current status-quo is rooted.