Six Years a Hostage: The Extraordinary Story of the Longest-Held Al Qaeda Captive in the World

by Stephen McGown

THE EXTRAORDINARY STORY OF THE LONGEST-HELD AL QAEDA CAPTIVE IN THE WORLDStephen McGown was en route from London to South Africa, on a once-in-a-lifetime trip by motorbike, returning home to Johannesburg. He had reached Timbuktu, in Mali, when he was captured, along with a Dutch and a Swedish national, by Al Qaeda Islamist militants. Steve was taken because he held a British passport. He was subsequently held hostage at various camps in the Sahara Desert in the north-west of Africa for nearly six years before eventually being released.Life as Steve had known it changed in that instant that he was taken at gunpoint. He had nothing to bargain with, and everything to lose. For the next six years, he reluctantly engaged in what he came to call the greatest chess game of his life. Thousands of kilometres to the south, in Johannesburg, the shock of Stephen's capture struck the McGown family and his wife, Cath, with whom he had, until recently, been living in London. They immediately began efforts to secure Steve's release, through diplomatic channels and in every other way they felt might have a chance of seeing Stephen freed. But as the months of captivity became years, Steve was compelled to go to extraordinary lengths to survive. Making it back home alive became his sole aim. To accomplish this, he realised that he would have to do everything he could to raise his status in the eyes of his captors. To this end, he taught himself Arabic and French, and also converted to Islam, accepting a new name, Lot. To this day, Steve retains the unenviable record of being the longest-held, surviving prisoner of Al Qaeda. While he was undoubtedly always Al Qaeda's captive, through the long years he spent in intimate proximity to his captors, Steve got to see the Islamist militants as few other Westerners have ever seen them. Six Years a Hostage is not only a remarkable story of mental strength, physical endurance and the resilience of the human spirit, but also, significantly, a unique and nuanced perspective onone of the world's most feared terrorist groups. Steve did not merely survive his terrible ordeal; he emerged from the desert a changed - stronger, more positive - human being. This is Stephen McGown's remarkable story, as told to Tudor Caradoc-Davies, a freelance writer, editor and author based in Cape Town, South Africa. After seven years spent working for glossy magazines such as Men's Health, GQ, Best Life and Women's Health, he now contributes to a range of publications. He also writes for the (South African) Sunday Times, and Red Bulletin.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

255 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 29, 2021

Reviews

[Lu Etchells · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a difficult book to review and star, mainly because I don't tend to read non-fiction as a whole, and it rarely scores highly with me. This receiving a 3 star is NOT an indication that this is a bad book, merely that it didn't capture my attention or really intrigue me in any way. I just want to make that clear.

For me, this was interesting - how can it not be? However, it's clear McGown is not a writer (nor does he profess to be one), but I think he's been let down by his editing team. Personally, I struggled with a lot of the rambling and slightly incoherent telling of this tale. I am a far more linear reader, so the timeline hopping, and reference to things that had happened, without full explanation, left me confused on more than one occasion. I have no doubt others will feel differently.

I struggled to feel a connection to any of the individuals involved, and aside from the obvious, I didn't have much in the way of emotional reaction to what had happened. I just couldn't get invested in the saga, which I admit, surprised me. It almost felt utterly devoid of emotion and therefore a little clinical.

In short, it didn't work for me, and I'm left wondering if the point of writing it was just as a cathartic exercise (I hope it helped), but I didn't find it inspirational or moving, and it just felt like listening to someone rambling on in the pub.

[boombaard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just like another reviewer, I find it challenging to review Six Years a Hostage by Stephen McGown. For me, this is partly because it blends an extraordinary survival story with personal reflections that, early on, don’t always sit comfortably. And that it was written down by someone else who, perhaps, could have done more justice to McGown's sstory.

On the one hand, I deeply respect McGown’s ability to keep his sanity and hope alive. I appreciated learning about the places he was held, like the Adrar des Ifoghas (the black mountain massif in the northeast), the remote salt mining area of Taoudenni, and the sandy areas near the Mauritanian border. I would have liked a map—perhaps included in the printed version. The brief coverage of the fights between Al Qaeda and the Tuareg separatist group MNLA was also interesting. I also enjoyed learning about the structures they built using available materials like acacia roots and grass, and how to hide in a desert for U.S. and French surveillance planes.

On the other hand, the writing—by his ghostwriter—often feels disjointed, with time jumps that make it hard to follow the narrative’s timeline. While this might reflect how McGown’s time in the desert felt, it disrupted the flow for me. His tone early on, particularly his comments about life in the Sahara, felt arrogant. I initially listened to the audiobook but found myself speeding through certain parts. For instance, McGown’s remarks on how life in the desert seems less valuable than in the West—especially regarding animal slaughter—felt out of touch, given the industrial-scale slaughtering in Western countries. He says, “In the Western world, we believe every life matters. In the Sahara, people die all the time … life has very little value,” referring to the killing of a goat. Another cliché was his belief that Mali and the desert weren’t the “real Africa.” This sense of superiority of a South African was off-putting, but thankfully, his perspective shifts around Chapter 12, as he begins to understand the region and its people more deeply.

The personal aspects, such as his wife’s struggles during his absence and the death of his mother, were unexpectedly moving and added emotional weight to the story.

Overall, Six Years a Hostage offered me a rare glimpse into Al Qaeda. While McGown’s endurance is inspiring, the uneven pacing and early arrogance detract from the impact. However, that may also just be an honest approach of how he felt. The emotional and gradual shift in perspective make it a worthwhile read for those interested in resilience and survival, even if it could have been more impactful and requires some patience.

[Thea hecht · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, wow. This memoir is different. Amid so many mini lessons and points woven in, there are three main themes that emerged as the most important to me.

First, Steve as a human being. His innate positivity and open-mindedness is what quite literally kept him alive. This is a huge inspiration to me as it aligns with my life philosophy. Seriously, I’ve never known someone to be as kind and selfless as Steve. I will remember him not just for his incredible story.

Second, the grappling with religion. How can a religion be a driving factor in one person’s violence and hate while that simultaneously being a catalyst for another’s kindness and love? Fully devoting oneself to religion is so personal and Steve’s approach is marveling.

Lastly, this is something unique to my experience while reading this book. In the time while reading, I visited both Morocco and Egypt. Um…maybe not the best idea. I think my car was heightened and not in a good way. This should not be a scenario you can imagine yourself in so vividly and in real time. I didn’t want to feel so scared of my surroundings and yet Steve’s story was constantly on the forefront of my mind as a Jewish woman. Making a mental note to actually think about a time and place for sensitive material!

[Margarida Serra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the way the book was writen giving voice not only to the hostage but also to his family. It was very interesting to know how the hostages could't find a way to be friends, I had a very wrong idea that because they were kidnaped together they would build a strong friendship to support each other.
It was a very good book to read.

[Dani Auer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Steve was kidnapped by Al Qaida in Mali and remained their hostage for six years. This book provides insights into his day-to-day life in the desert and into the struggles that his family endured during his absence - but most of all it is a story of true resilience, the ability to always have hope and find beauty in the little things, even in the hardest of times.

[Lauren W Tuiavi'I · Rating 5 out of 5]

Raw, real, inspiring

[Jamie · Rating 3 out of 5]

an interesting way to explain the timeline??

[Aadila Agjee · Rating 2 out of 5]

I get that the experience is extreme and not something most people will go through. I know it's crazy emotional. However, the self-indulgent narration and poor writing makes this one a must skip.

[Claudia Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am very impressed by the way you overcame this fate !