Update: Reporting From an Ancient Land

by Gayle Young

A memoir with a dash of history, this is a witty account of the overlapping adventures of a foreign correspondent in the Middle East and an ancient warrior queen – 17 centuries apart.

Young was a novice broadcast journalist when she was catapulted into the position of CNN Cairo bureau chief in the early 1990s; Zenobia was the same age when she unexpectedly seized Egypt along with a third of the Roman Empire in the 270s AD.

One woman made history, the other reported on people who make history. Yet both encountered desert wars, besieged cities, and military coups. They also shared a love for overly emotional camels, nomadic lifestyles, dabbling in religions, and having a beer with the guys.

By seamlessly weaving together these two fascinating life trajectories, Young explores how warfare, ambition, sexuality, and the perceptions of women in antiquity compare with the world today. Many of the issues they encountered as women in the Middle East remain much the same.

This is a memoir like no other. A testament that humans across centuries can buck trends, take risks, triumph and fail, making our marks on the world great and small. Inspirational, fun, and informative, it is a great read for people who love adventure with a side of humility.

Genres: Memoir, History, Nonfiction, Egypt

304 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 3, 2025

About the author

An Emmy-winning journalist, GAYLE YOUNG was a CNN correspondent based in Cairo and Rome, covering violent conflicts, natural disasters, and quirky stories about everyday life in a fast-changing world. She later developed award-winning programming as a staff writer and producer for National Geographic Film & TV.
Young is also an amateur historian with a master’s degree from Georgetown University. Her thesis on Zenobia has been cited in numerous publications.
She writes fiction, mostly plays and poetry, under the name Avigayle Young. Her first play, "im.pres.sion" was finalist for five national award competitions in 2024-5.

Reviews

[Lilisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

“This is a memoir like no other” the book blurb states. So true. I haven’t come across a memoir that deploys such a unique and artful framework to a memoir. Leveraging the ancient warrior queen Zenobia, the author deftly shares her own story reporting from various countries as she weaves in the life of Zenobia from seventeen centuries ago. She draws parallels and imagines similarities between events from her encounters with those of Zenobia’s. It is effective and seamless, which demonstrates the talent she has for storytelling. The book was compelling, engaging, informative, and the author doesn’t shy away from sharing the brutalities of war. There’s a bit of self deprecating humor thrown in for good measure. I like the way the author lifts the curtain on how actual reporting gets done - a lot is a mad scramble seconds before a reporter is live on the air. Her fast-paced career melds together with her personal life and she invites us into that world for a bit - thank you. I loved the writing style - how I long to see more authors display the fantastic command of the language like Gayle Young does. It makes the reading experience such a pleasurable delight. I thoroughly enjoyed the book and didn’t want it to end, but I did love the last personal tidbit! Five stars for this wonderful book. It’s almost the end of August and this is only my third five-star book this year - yes, I’m a tough rater and this book deserved all five stars. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.

[Andrea Wenger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This witty memoir intertwines the experiences of a modern-day woman journalist in the Middle East with those of Zenobia, a 3rd-century queen, exploring surprising parallels in their lives and the enduring challenges faced by women in the region.

I’m not generally a memoir person, but I loved this mix of memoir and history. The writing is brilliant, the story compelling, and the style immersive. The book is funny and sometimes heartbreaking, but always a pleasure to read.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

[Tony · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won this in a Goodreads Giveaway What a wonderful book. It gave a very personal account of very turbulent times not only in the Middle East but also Europe and Africa. It also gave the story of a ruler from the time of Roman conquest in Egypt.

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this fascinating mix of history and memoir, readers learn about the life of foreign correspondent Gayle Young and the life of Zenobia, who conquered Egypt and a third of the Roman Empire in the late third century CE. Exploring Young’s career as a correspondent in the Middle East and as a journalist reporting from abroad, this book poignantly explores how warfare, ambition, sexuality, and the perceptions of women and womanhood in her lifetime compare to Zenobia’s lifetime. A compelling combination of history and modernity, the book offers an incredible look into modern journalism and the ways the world has changed over nearly two millennia. Fascinating, detailed, and immersive, this unique mix of memoir and history will engage readers with the complex politics of antiquity and more recent decades without making the larger topics and politics dull, while the focus on Zenobia’s story introduces readers to a fascinating woman from history. The prose is engaging and straightforward, and the mix of personal and professional will engage readers with Young’s story and the larger questions and themes she addresses. Well-written, engaging, and unique, this is a fascinating book that a variety of readers will enjoy for its thought-provoking themes, larger questions about ambition and gender in two distinct historical periods, and glimpse into modern journalism.

Thanks to NetGalley, Bold Story Press, Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), and Members' Titles for the advance copy.

[Jerold Paulson · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this engaging tale that is part memoir, part history, Ms. Young, a former CNN International correspondent, interleaves her fascinating life story - full of interesting anecdotes (some funny, some tragic, some gossipy, some about history in the making) - with the true chronicle of Queen Zenobia and her travails against the Roman Empire. The stories involve famous women and common men, the rich and powerful as well as the poor and powerless, and her recounted experiences in the Middle East, Africa, and elsewhere provide an eyewitness lens into cultural differences that can at times seem incomprehensible to an untrained First World eye. Ms. Young reported on some of the iconic events in recent world history - getting the inside scoop from her accounts in this book is captivating reading.

[Nefisa Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Well written so it was a breeze to read but also packed with information. Especially loved the details about life in mideast and about adopting a child and the inside scoops about being a reporter in dangerous places.

[Virginia Sheets · Rating 5 out of 5]

World traveler

A good read about Gayle's adventures working for CNN. Plenty of stories of life on the road. Curl up with this book and enjoy.