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The Shattered Lens: A War Photographer's True Story of Captivity and Survival in Syria
Capturing history was Jonathan Alpeyrie's job, but he never expected to become a news story himself. For a decade, the French American photojournalist weaved in and out of over a dozen conflict zones. But, during his third assignment to Syria, Alpeyrie was betrayed by his fixer and handed over to a band of Syrian rebels. For eighty one days, he was bound, blindfolded, and beaten. Over the course of his captivity, Alpeyrie kept his spirits up and strived to see, without his camera lenses, the humanity in his captors. The Shattered Lens is his firsthand the account of a photojournalist who has always answered the next adrenaline pumping assignment but, during his headline making kidnapping, was left to consider the value and risks of his career, to ponder the violent conflicts he had seen, and to put the historical events over which he had no control into perspective.
272 pages, ebook
First published October 10, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
March 11, 2020
A fun fact about me is that for a surprisingly long time I thought it would be really cool to work as a combat photographer. Reading books like this definitely highlights why that would be a terrible idea for everyone involved.
In this book, Alpeyrie describes his third time traveling to Syria to photograph the war. This time, relatively quickly, he finds himself kidnapped. About half of the book deals with his relationships with his captors with a few flashbacks from his life sprinkled in. I was surprised to see that the other half talks about him coming home and going back into the field, focusing on Ukraine and Egypt. I had assumed this book would be more Syria based.
Alpeyrie is a great writer. He's clearly thought stuff through and has opinions and ideas that he'd like to share. He does so eloquently and clearly. I appreciated seeing his perspective on combat photography and politics. I do wish that he'd explain a little bit more as I was a little lost when it came to Ukraine (like, the Ukrainians that I've spoken to were saying very different things) but all in all, I was able to follow and feel like it was accessible.
Some people in other reviews have been criticizing Alpeyrie for coming across as full of himself. There's some truth to this but I also felt like he was earnest. Yeah, he describes himself as likable and I didn't get this vibe from him but at the same time, I think he is aware of his flaws and does try to show a balanced picture, considering all he's been through.
In terms of the ordeal itself, this isn't a very graphic story. After Guantánamo Diary, I was very much expecting a harsh story and yet, in many ways, the biggest thing that stands out is a sense of chaos. Not just Alpeyrie, but the captors themselves all seemed very unsure of themselves and unsure of where this war was going. I can't help but feel that sits with how I imagine civil wars. It's not an organized plan, it's this abruptness and slow decay. It seems that all things considered, Alpeyrie's captors treat him very fairly.
The way international politics weaved themselves into this story was very interesting. I find Lebanon to be a fascinating country and absolutely need to read more about how they're handling all the geo-politics. I remember how this period of time when everyone in Israel became concerned about how the situation in Syria would influence us. Seeing how Alpeyrie claimed to be French when he left French when he was 14 and how ultimately, it was the French embassy that helped him was revealing.
All in all, this was an interesting read. I do feel like there's much to think about but at the same time, I can't help but feel like I expected a story about Syria and instead received a book about Alpeyrie and his own life. It was great to hear personally about the rebels and who they were. I would love to know what happened to Mej, beyond him moving to Germany.
What I'm Taking With Me
- In many ways, this book made me see how important embassies are and yeah, okay, I'm definitely thinking about a career in foreign affairs.
- He really does look like Ryan Reynolds. I was skeptical but if you google him, they're really similar.
- There's something bizarre about the idea of combat photography. I feel like Susan Sontag has either written about this or would have something interesting to write about it but yeah, it's like you bring attention to the situation but also, you endanger yourself and ultimately, what do the photos bring? Public awareness? Do we all just like to see others in pain? Do they help clarify the confusion of other country's problems because they're personalized and we can identify with them?
- And yet, if there would be world peace, so many people would lose their jobs and it's terrible to consider this, as if that's what matters.
- Jonathan talks about the bravery and desperation of the people he shoots and it seems like he needs this, like without the adrenaline of war, he'll lose himself.
In this book, Alpeyrie describes his third time traveling to Syria to photograph the war. This time, relatively quickly, he finds himself kidnapped. About half of the book deals with his relationships with his captors with a few flashbacks from his life sprinkled in. I was surprised to see that the other half talks about him coming home and going back into the field, focusing on Ukraine and Egypt. I had assumed this book would be more Syria based.
Alpeyrie is a great writer. He's clearly thought stuff through and has opinions and ideas that he'd like to share. He does so eloquently and clearly. I appreciated seeing his perspective on combat photography and politics. I do wish that he'd explain a little bit more as I was a little lost when it came to Ukraine (like, the Ukrainians that I've spoken to were saying very different things) but all in all, I was able to follow and feel like it was accessible.
Some people in other reviews have been criticizing Alpeyrie for coming across as full of himself. There's some truth to this but I also felt like he was earnest. Yeah, he describes himself as likable and I didn't get this vibe from him but at the same time, I think he is aware of his flaws and does try to show a balanced picture, considering all he's been through.
In terms of the ordeal itself, this isn't a very graphic story. After Guantánamo Diary, I was very much expecting a harsh story and yet, in many ways, the biggest thing that stands out is a sense of chaos. Not just Alpeyrie, but the captors themselves all seemed very unsure of themselves and unsure of where this war was going. I can't help but feel that sits with how I imagine civil wars. It's not an organized plan, it's this abruptness and slow decay. It seems that all things considered, Alpeyrie's captors treat him very fairly.
The way international politics weaved themselves into this story was very interesting. I find Lebanon to be a fascinating country and absolutely need to read more about how they're handling all the geo-politics. I remember how this period of time when everyone in Israel became concerned about how the situation in Syria would influence us. Seeing how Alpeyrie claimed to be French when he left French when he was 14 and how ultimately, it was the French embassy that helped him was revealing.
All in all, this was an interesting read. I do feel like there's much to think about but at the same time, I can't help but feel like I expected a story about Syria and instead received a book about Alpeyrie and his own life. It was great to hear personally about the rebels and who they were. I would love to know what happened to Mej, beyond him moving to Germany.
What I'm Taking With Me
- In many ways, this book made me see how important embassies are and yeah, okay, I'm definitely thinking about a career in foreign affairs.
- He really does look like Ryan Reynolds. I was skeptical but if you google him, they're really similar.
- There's something bizarre about the idea of combat photography. I feel like Susan Sontag has either written about this or would have something interesting to write about it but yeah, it's like you bring attention to the situation but also, you endanger yourself and ultimately, what do the photos bring? Public awareness? Do we all just like to see others in pain? Do they help clarify the confusion of other country's problems because they're personalized and we can identify with them?
- And yet, if there would be world peace, so many people would lose their jobs and it's terrible to consider this, as if that's what matters.
- Jonathan talks about the bravery and desperation of the people he shoots and it seems like he needs this, like without the adrenaline of war, he'll lose himself.
September 19, 2017
There is so much to say about the this real life harrowing struggle I am not sure where to even began.
Jonathan Alpeyrie job is what most photography dream of but very few have the courage to do.
Jonahtan Alpeyrie story is or about bring a captive guest than prisoner. He wasn't beaten, or torture but the stress of not knowing what was going to happen had to been torture enough. He is very open about the fact it could have been much worse and he understands he was lucky even blessed that it wasn't.
He was able to take a unknown very frightening time in his life and bring humor into by giving his captor's names. He writes about meaningful relationship he developed with some of his captors and still keeps in contact with them.
As readers read this book you wish to have had pictures to be able to better understand the events during his time in Syria. Many times I found it difficult to understand what Jonathan was describing.
Jonathan has many strong feelings about the political events in the middle east that might not appeal to all readers but he has some very strong points I feel everyone needs to look at and question.
In the end what I found this story having me looking for answers to my question. What is the true meaning of freedom.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher Atria Books for the advance copy
Jonathan Alpeyrie job is what most photography dream of but very few have the courage to do.
Jonahtan Alpeyrie story is or about bring a captive guest than prisoner. He wasn't beaten, or torture but the stress of not knowing what was going to happen had to been torture enough. He is very open about the fact it could have been much worse and he understands he was lucky even blessed that it wasn't.
He was able to take a unknown very frightening time in his life and bring humor into by giving his captor's names. He writes about meaningful relationship he developed with some of his captors and still keeps in contact with them.
As readers read this book you wish to have had pictures to be able to better understand the events during his time in Syria. Many times I found it difficult to understand what Jonathan was describing.
Jonathan has many strong feelings about the political events in the middle east that might not appeal to all readers but he has some very strong points I feel everyone needs to look at and question.
In the end what I found this story having me looking for answers to my question. What is the true meaning of freedom.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher Atria Books for the advance copy
August 13, 2017
An enthralling story of the kidnapping of a French-American photographer in Syria. The author writes about his harrowing ordeal and his fears of being tortured or dying during the months of his captivity. He works to gain the trust of his captors and they eventually start seeing him more as a 'friend' than an enemy.
Alpeyrie's descriptions of his captors and the nicknames he gives them makes his ordeal a little less threatening, but there are times when he breaks down with the realization that he may not get out alive. He describes in detail the homes where he is kept and what he does with his time in captivity.
An interesting book that sheds light on the conflict still going on in Syria and the money and people involved.
Thank you to Net Galley and publisher.
Alpeyrie's descriptions of his captors and the nicknames he gives them makes his ordeal a little less threatening, but there are times when he breaks down with the realization that he may not get out alive. He describes in detail the homes where he is kept and what he does with his time in captivity.
An interesting book that sheds light on the conflict still going on in Syria and the money and people involved.
Thank you to Net Galley and publisher.
Read
March 25, 2018I wanted to love this book as I'm a fan of photojournalist memoirs, but it was far from "gripping and harrowing." Unfortunately, I found the story of his captivity dead boring... and I have no real explanation of why. Was it me? The book? The author's insertion of explanation of conflicts across the globe that had nothing to do with the situation at hand?
I didn't hate this book, but if you're looking for a photojournalism memoir, I'd recommend It's What I Do by Lynsey Addario instead.
I didn't hate this book, but if you're looking for a photojournalism memoir, I'd recommend It's What I Do by Lynsey Addario instead.
September 12, 2017
Jonathan Alpeyrie wanted to get that one great shot. Instead what he got was captivity.
"The Shattered Lens" is the account of Alpeyrie's capture by Syrian rebels and his almost three-month stint as their hostage. This is followed by his description of what his family went through trying to free him, and his subsequent return to work as a war photographer, this time in Eastern Ukraine. Throughout his story, Alpeyrie meditates on the meaning of freedom and the experience of being caught up in the tides of history, for better or for worse.
Alpeyrie's story is inherently gripping. His captivity could have been much worse, as he openly acknowledges: he was rarely beaten and suffered nothing in the way of out-and-out physical torture. Instead, he spent weeks in a state of insecurity, sort of as a guest--he was a high-value prisoner--and sort of as a despised captive who had to beg to be allowed to go the bathroom and fend off the sexual advances of his captors. His situation was at times farcical--the description of being forced to demonstrate to his teenage minders the proper technique for kissing and lovemaking was kind of funny to read, and kind of not, just like it appears to have been to experience firsthand--and at times led him to forge a genuine connection with some of his captors, whom, he says, he missed afterwards and made a point of keeping in touch with following his release.
Alpeyrie has a photographer's eye, and it tells in the construction of the narrative, which is both detailed and fragmented: I couldn't help but feel that what the text really needed was some photographs to make it complete. Still, it's a highly interesting read: some of the best moments in the book are his close-up observations of minute details that then illustrate some wider point. Having spent a lot of quality time with rebels around the world, including, obviously, the Syrian rebels that the US is supporting, he has some sharp observations about the dangers of Islamist radicalism and the fact that the West should not necessarily trust these allies they've acquired for themselves. The juxtaposition of Syria and Ukraine is particularly telling, as in both places the West has gotten involved in situations it doesn't understand, and made promises it can't or won't keep to people who are not actually as nice as we think they are. Alpeyrie has strong opinions on the subject that will not necessarily be welcome to all readers, but his story is a timely one, and full of interest for anyone studying this explosive moment in history.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
"The Shattered Lens" is the account of Alpeyrie's capture by Syrian rebels and his almost three-month stint as their hostage. This is followed by his description of what his family went through trying to free him, and his subsequent return to work as a war photographer, this time in Eastern Ukraine. Throughout his story, Alpeyrie meditates on the meaning of freedom and the experience of being caught up in the tides of history, for better or for worse.
Alpeyrie's story is inherently gripping. His captivity could have been much worse, as he openly acknowledges: he was rarely beaten and suffered nothing in the way of out-and-out physical torture. Instead, he spent weeks in a state of insecurity, sort of as a guest--he was a high-value prisoner--and sort of as a despised captive who had to beg to be allowed to go the bathroom and fend off the sexual advances of his captors. His situation was at times farcical--the description of being forced to demonstrate to his teenage minders the proper technique for kissing and lovemaking was kind of funny to read, and kind of not, just like it appears to have been to experience firsthand--and at times led him to forge a genuine connection with some of his captors, whom, he says, he missed afterwards and made a point of keeping in touch with following his release.
Alpeyrie has a photographer's eye, and it tells in the construction of the narrative, which is both detailed and fragmented: I couldn't help but feel that what the text really needed was some photographs to make it complete. Still, it's a highly interesting read: some of the best moments in the book are his close-up observations of minute details that then illustrate some wider point. Having spent a lot of quality time with rebels around the world, including, obviously, the Syrian rebels that the US is supporting, he has some sharp observations about the dangers of Islamist radicalism and the fact that the West should not necessarily trust these allies they've acquired for themselves. The juxtaposition of Syria and Ukraine is particularly telling, as in both places the West has gotten involved in situations it doesn't understand, and made promises it can't or won't keep to people who are not actually as nice as we think they are. Alpeyrie has strong opinions on the subject that will not necessarily be welcome to all readers, but his story is a timely one, and full of interest for anyone studying this explosive moment in history.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing a review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
January 23, 2018
This book is bad and the author is really bad; he somehow incorporates a story where his "captors" mistake him for Ryan Reynolds while watching The Green Hornet.
June 30, 2018
Alpeyrie's story is best when he sticks to his on-the-ground experiences regarding the kidnapping, his release, and his activities since then. These parts were gripping and suspenseful. He captured the claustrophobia and uncertainty of being a hostage, and mostly succeeds in explaining the adrenaline rush of being in war zones.
The book stumbles badly when Alpeyrie shares his opinions of geopolitics, which lean uncomfortably toward xenophobia. He tends to conflate all of Islam with jihad, and even writes that when it comes to the religion, "I do not want it in Europe." There's another section in the latter half of the book in which he explains his admiration for a veteran of the German Waffen SS.
He clearly has a grasp of history and geography, and I have massive respect for the experiences he's been through, not to mention his willingness to confront danger. He admits to coming from a privileged life, with a childhood spent between Paris and New York. However, it's disappointing that despite his travels and the many people he's met, he seems unable to shake his privileged, Euro-centric view. He explains that to succeed as a war photographer, one must be a bit ruthless, and it's clear that it's left him a bit cold around the heart.
The book stumbles badly when Alpeyrie shares his opinions of geopolitics, which lean uncomfortably toward xenophobia. He tends to conflate all of Islam with jihad, and even writes that when it comes to the religion, "I do not want it in Europe." There's another section in the latter half of the book in which he explains his admiration for a veteran of the German Waffen SS.
He clearly has a grasp of history and geography, and I have massive respect for the experiences he's been through, not to mention his willingness to confront danger. He admits to coming from a privileged life, with a childhood spent between Paris and New York. However, it's disappointing that despite his travels and the many people he's met, he seems unable to shake his privileged, Euro-centric view. He explains that to succeed as a war photographer, one must be a bit ruthless, and it's clear that it's left him a bit cold around the heart.
October 31, 2017
The Shattered Lens: A War Photographer’s 81 Days of Captivity in Syria — A Story of Survival by Jonathan Alpeyrie tells the true story of captivity in Syria by rebel forces. Jonathan is a war photographer who travels to Syria and becomes captive by rebels. We are shown this world through the authors eyes. We are shown how he makes his experiance bearable by using humor. There isn’t any outright torture or violence in this book despite the topic of it. Jonathan Alpeyrie was considered a high value captive by his captors.
The Shattered Lens gives us a look at Syria through the eyes of those that live there as well as the authors experiance. We are shown how his family fought to get him released from captivity as well as how even after being captured he continues to be a war photographer in Ukraine. The author has some views that not everyone will agree with, however, I think this is a much needed book at this time due to the subject and the look it gives you inside a war zone.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion of it.
The Shattered Lens gives us a look at Syria through the eyes of those that live there as well as the authors experiance. We are shown how his family fought to get him released from captivity as well as how even after being captured he continues to be a war photographer in Ukraine. The author has some views that not everyone will agree with, however, I think this is a much needed book at this time due to the subject and the look it gives you inside a war zone.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to review this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased opinion of it.
May 16, 2018
It's very clear that Alpeyrie loves the POV of the bad guys. He is in fact obsessed with it...
He states "I've always been curious to see why the "bad guys" were considered as such. It gives you more insight into the "good guys" and their darker places."
This obsession got him kidnaps by a rag-tag group of FSA (Free Syrian Army) rebels...This story sounds like a harrowing journey of adventure.... there's just one problem. That's not what happens here to Alpeyrie. Yes he's kidnapped in Syria, Yes he's tortured, but for the most part he's sitting in a room, talking with the young men about American TV, Sex, Swimming and earning their trust.
I admire Jonathan for his strength during his captivity, and his ability to remain calm, fend of paranoia, and think clearly amidst constant high stress situations.
This book at the very least will make you think twice the next time you open up a magazine or go to a website with photos from a war torn area. Who took these photos? What conditions did they face?
He states "I've always been curious to see why the "bad guys" were considered as such. It gives you more insight into the "good guys" and their darker places."
This obsession got him kidnaps by a rag-tag group of FSA (Free Syrian Army) rebels...This story sounds like a harrowing journey of adventure.... there's just one problem. That's not what happens here to Alpeyrie. Yes he's kidnapped in Syria, Yes he's tortured, but for the most part he's sitting in a room, talking with the young men about American TV, Sex, Swimming and earning their trust.
I admire Jonathan for his strength during his captivity, and his ability to remain calm, fend of paranoia, and think clearly amidst constant high stress situations.
This book at the very least will make you think twice the next time you open up a magazine or go to a website with photos from a war torn area. Who took these photos? What conditions did they face?
April 30, 2018
Book keeps you on edge as to what is going to happen to the author. Obviously it’s a good ending because he cane out alive. However, it always seemed unclear who his captors were and wavering between free Syrian army to ISIS or other militant groups in to the hands of the wealthy government who facilitated his release along with Lebanese connections? Not sure if author entirely knew what was going or who captured him since he didn’t speak a word of Arabic. A bit disappointing how he cane out of this with a negativity towards Islam. Does author not realize that the people involved in these crimes are the lowest of lows and not faithful Muslims? Such a pity that Islam got sucked into this vacuum of treachery. Final part of his journey to Ukraine should have been omitted or simplified. Glad to know he was released from abduction out of a civil war that has raged for 7 years between the Syrian people vs the Syrian government.
December 1, 2017
When I had read the synopsis for "The Shattered Lens: A War Photographer's True Story Of Captivity and Survival in Syria", it peaked my interest because I immediately thought of my younger son who had become a U.S. Marine Combat Photographer at the age of eighteen. Honestly, the story was dry for me and yes I hate to state that I wasn't excited to read each page because Mr. Alpeyrie had endured mental anguish as a prisoner in Syria; however, I felt like I was reading a country club version of a captive, who got special treatment minus a couple of roughhousing incidents and one beating.
Finally, one of the most interesting parts in the book was the story about Mr. Alpeyrie's childhood friend. The author should solve the mystery of what happen to his ex-friend and that could be a story (a book) within itself.
Finally, one of the most interesting parts in the book was the story about Mr. Alpeyrie's childhood friend. The author should solve the mystery of what happen to his ex-friend and that could be a story (a book) within itself.
March 13, 2018
I am glad I read this book. The author tells quite the story of his arrest and captivity in Syria. That’s the most captivating part of the book. I was a bit distracted because the writing would lead me to believe the author is shallow. I’m not sure that’s true. The most interesting part of the book is his insight and experience with his captors and the story of how he got free. His reflections on life are not too deep or well thought out it appears to me. I bought this book new from Amazon last year.
December 13, 2017
Not quite what I thought it would be. First 1/2 of the book is his early life and the Syrian imprisonment. These writings were tense and descriptive and documented a lot of what was going on between the different warrin factions. This was great. Then what follows are some thoughts, considerations on his life and a brief description of a few other wars and his opinions on several matters, political and social.
March 13, 2018
An insteresting, well written account of dangers of participating in this form of photography. I'll keep my photography to something a bit less climitactic. Although, I can't say I wouldn't subject myself to some form historical doucmentation in or adventure.
The book reads quickly and holds your interest, wondering what going to happen next. A nice quict worthwhile read if you enjoy this type of story.
The book reads quickly and holds your interest, wondering what going to happen next. A nice quict worthwhile read if you enjoy this type of story.
January 9, 2019
An intriguing story about a photographer who's thirst to see the front lines gets him in trouble. A great read for anyone who is interested in a true story of survival even when it didn't seem the author would make it out in one piece.
January 13, 2018
This book was about 100 very ramble-y pages too long but, hey, my uncle (also a photojournalist) got mentioned a couple of times, so that was cool.
February 4, 2018
I particularly enjoyed the later part of the book when the author discussed todays revolutionary events in the context of a much broader history.
January 1, 2019
War photogs story of captivity and survival in Syria.
June 3, 2026
This started out promising: there were some really interesting parts about his past excursions into warzones, and his day-to-day experience in captivity, losing his sense of time and doubting his own memories, and the odd bonds he started to form with his various captors. Unfortunately, that's the best I can say about this book, as the rest was off-putting.
First and foremost, the way he speaks about women is pretty disgusting. With the exception of his mother and two government agents he made a point to note were both women, all the mentions of women in this book are in a sexual context. Here's an example (transcribed from audio):
There's a passage where his captors find his private content on his laptop, including some sexual content his ex-girlfriend sent him. They watch an extremely intimate video of her and Alpeyrie talks about how violating this was—for him. I kept waiting for him to mention how utterly violating it was for her to have her intimate videos viewed by men she never consented to see her that way, but nope. Not a thought on that from him.
Let's just say it's incredibly ironic that he brags about how he's got a gift of making people like him, because I found him to be very unlikeable.
Then the last part just had to go and piss me right off with him describing the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a civil war. He repeats Kremlin propaganda left and right (like the idea that Ukrainians and Russians are one and the same people, part of Russia's centuries-long attempt to erase Ukrainian culture). I should have known right off the bat from the fact that the narrator was pronouncing it "Kiev", based on the Russian spelling, rather than Kyiv, the correct Ukrainian spelling. I was prepared to write an entire rant about this section of the book but I'd rather just move on to another book. If anyone is reading this, I suggest looking up anything by Timothy Snyder instead.
First and foremost, the way he speaks about women is pretty disgusting. With the exception of his mother and two government agents he made a point to note were both women, all the mentions of women in this book are in a sexual context. Here's an example (transcribed from audio):
"I could see two peasant girls in the distance. It was the first time I’d seen any females, apart from on TV, since I’d been taken. They were shy, but they didn’t bother covering their faces, and I was caught by the girls’ dark eyes and sultry gaze. I had a weakness for dark women; New York was full of Latinas and black women who seemed to still have that charge of femininity that a lot of the waspy white women have lost in their drive for equality of career or whatever.”
There's a passage where his captors find his private content on his laptop, including some sexual content his ex-girlfriend sent him. They watch an extremely intimate video of her and Alpeyrie talks about how violating this was—for him. I kept waiting for him to mention how utterly violating it was for her to have her intimate videos viewed by men she never consented to see her that way, but nope. Not a thought on that from him.
Let's just say it's incredibly ironic that he brags about how he's got a gift of making people like him, because I found him to be very unlikeable.
Then the last part just had to go and piss me right off with him describing the Russian invasion of Ukraine as a civil war. He repeats Kremlin propaganda left and right (like the idea that Ukrainians and Russians are one and the same people, part of Russia's centuries-long attempt to erase Ukrainian culture). I should have known right off the bat from the fact that the narrator was pronouncing it "Kiev", based on the Russian spelling, rather than Kyiv, the correct Ukrainian spelling. I was prepared to write an entire rant about this section of the book but I'd rather just move on to another book. If anyone is reading this, I suggest looking up anything by Timothy Snyder instead.
January 17, 2025
I’m surprised to see such low reviews out there for this one, as it’s a new favorite for me. I’ll be thinking about it for some time.
Jonathan does such a good job exploring the nuances of war — through his own perception of it, but also through his lived experience as a captive, befriending his captors and, to my surprise, even missing them upon his release. Something I never imagined could have happened within the first chapters.
Jonathan peels away the clear-cut definitions we’ve tried to make for ourselves about war and good and evil and is able to present real and flawed people and show what brings us together, and apart. He also shows how resilient people can be, and how they adapt to pain and suffering — and how it’s our minds that are both the strongest yet most fragile things about us.
Only someone who’s been on the front lines and seen death flash before their eyes can share a story like this so honestly, and be able to sympathize with the people who have imprisoned him. As a reader, you desperately want his captors to be villains. But that’s Jonathan’s whole point — life, and death, have never been so simple as that.
Jonathan does such a good job exploring the nuances of war — through his own perception of it, but also through his lived experience as a captive, befriending his captors and, to my surprise, even missing them upon his release. Something I never imagined could have happened within the first chapters.
Jonathan peels away the clear-cut definitions we’ve tried to make for ourselves about war and good and evil and is able to present real and flawed people and show what brings us together, and apart. He also shows how resilient people can be, and how they adapt to pain and suffering — and how it’s our minds that are both the strongest yet most fragile things about us.
Only someone who’s been on the front lines and seen death flash before their eyes can share a story like this so honestly, and be able to sympathize with the people who have imprisoned him. As a reader, you desperately want his captors to be villains. But that’s Jonathan’s whole point — life, and death, have never been so simple as that.
May 18, 2026
Dramatic kidnapping
Journalists and photographers take so many risks to bring us news about wars and atrocities. Unfortunately, Jonathan’s capture is not the first such account I have read. I find it most remarkable when these individuals are released and live to tell their stories. Jonathan is remarkable in that he has gone on to assist other kidnap victims. He has also returned to front line conflict photography… wow. Such courage.
The narration was very good, except when it cane to the last chapter, when there were so many audio corrections as to become a distraction… they should have just re-recorded the segment.
Journalists and photographers take so many risks to bring us news about wars and atrocities. Unfortunately, Jonathan’s capture is not the first such account I have read. I find it most remarkable when these individuals are released and live to tell their stories. Jonathan is remarkable in that he has gone on to assist other kidnap victims. He has also returned to front line conflict photography… wow. Such courage.
The narration was very good, except when it cane to the last chapter, when there were so many audio corrections as to become a distraction… they should have just re-recorded the segment.
September 12, 2020
The first half of this book was a page turner, an interesting portrayal of his kidnapping and the confusion of being in a civil war with so much uncertainty by his captors. It was interesting the way he played the dynamics of the personalities, working which ones he was in danger with and which ones he could work to his advantage.
Interesting also that after his kidnapping he went back into war torn countries like the Ukraine, such was the pull of adrenaline to be where 'it was all happening.'
Interesting also that after his kidnapping he went back into war torn countries like the Ukraine, such was the pull of adrenaline to be where 'it was all happening.'
June 1, 2022
Fascinating story about a photojournalist who was captured by the Free Syria Army, a more moderate faction in the country’s civil war.
All in all, he should be considered lucky given that he was able to get out alive and relatively unharmed. There’s something fascinating about memoirs, particularly war and survival memoirs. Alpeyrie does a great job putting the readers into his frame of mind during captivity and to put his own spin on the conflict he was caught up in.
For anyone interested in this book, also read Blindfold by Theo Padnos.
All in all, he should be considered lucky given that he was able to get out alive and relatively unharmed. There’s something fascinating about memoirs, particularly war and survival memoirs. Alpeyrie does a great job putting the readers into his frame of mind during captivity and to put his own spin on the conflict he was caught up in.
For anyone interested in this book, also read Blindfold by Theo Padnos.
March 7, 2026
There is nothing wrong with the way the book is written, it's just an overall not interesting story. I mean, if your friend told you this story you would be sitting there with your mouth open - wow! But in the land of biographies there are just many more fascinating and meaningful tales to be read.
May 6, 2025
Jonathan recounts his time spent in captivity in Syria. I wasn't as interested in this book as I thought I'd be. I didn't like the way he talked about women, and the overall story was unintriguing. They could have completely left out the second part about the war in Ukraine.
July 1, 2018
Interesting perspective that helps to shed some light on the Syrian Crisis. A bit repetitive and self aggrandizing, but overall it was a nice read.
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