Blood and Sand

by Frank Gardner

"Gardner tells his remarkable tale well and bravely, with astonishing lack of anger and enduring love and respect for the Islamic world."

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Middle East, Autobiography, History, Travel, Journalism

Paperback

First published May 3, 2006

About the author

BBC’s fulltime Security Correspondent reporting on events from Afghanistan to piracy off the Somali coast to Arctic challenges. Shot 6 times at close range while on assignment in Saudi Arabia in 2004, left severely wounded and dependant on a wheelchair. Awarded an OBE by HM The Queen in 2005. Author of 2 bestselling books ‘Blood and Sand’ describing his Middle East experiences and ‘Far Horizons’ describing unusual journeys to unusual places. Married with 2 children, lives in London.

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an eye opener as regards the situation between the Arab world and the West, where atrocities are arguably carried out by both sides, However, the particularly repulsive actions by psychopathic Al-Queda groups, who use the peaceful Muslim religion as an excuse to carry out murderous forays on whole towns and innocent individuals, whose only fault is to belong to another religion (or none), is mind-blowing.

Frank Gardner has a degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies and many friends in the Arab World, some of whom he presented with a miniature copy of the Koran. Frank and his camerman Simon Cumbers were in Saudi Arabia and just happened to be noticed by a group of six Islamist gunmen who decided to kill them as Western infidels – and for what?

The book is an interesting review of the innocent effort Frank and others took in getting to know the lifestyle of local Arabs and also of the Bedouin people whose lives have not changed much with the advent of wealth from oil. It concludes with a detailed account of the trauma and hospital treatment, which left Frank alive, but a paraplegic in a wheel chair. Sadly, his cameraman Simon was killed outright at the time of the attack.

On reading the book, I was reminded of the current conflict with IS in Libya and Syria and wonder where it will all end. If this murderous outfit is not stopped, will the world revert back to the dark ages, where civilisation as we know it could collapse and the onset of some disease like Ebola be uncontrolled and bring an end to human life on the planet. A sobering thought.

[Hall's Bookshop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Gardner gives a lucid description of a privileged, interesting life in which encounters with Wilfred Thesiger and Prince Andrew seem to happen as a matter of course. He successfully mixes travel writing with contemporary politics, and also adds the question of his own attack and miraculous recovery, adding up to a unique, interesting and sympathetic view of the Arab world ten years ago.
One reviewer has accused the author of extreme stupidity, racism and misogyny. I think this attack is unwarranted - Gardner is sympathetic towards the difficulties faced by female students in Cairo, and definitely critical of Thesiger's often perverse opinions, while giving his achievements their due respect. There is no doubt that Gardner enjoyed a privileged life before being shot in 2004, but I would say his writing is heavily conscious of this.

JM 17/01/17

[Danial Tanvir · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book was just great!.
i bought it from a book shop in dubai 2 years ago in september 2014.
it took me a couple of days to read it, it is actually one of the best memoirs that i have read.
what happens is that in june , 2004, BBC reporter Frank Gardner and his cameraman simon cumbers are shot in saudi arabia in a street in riyadh.

frank gardner is rushed to the hospital and survives but his cameraman simon cumbers is killed.this book is about how frank gardner lives and travels in many middle east countries such as oman , egypt ,saudi arabia , iraq and iran etc,
it is actually based in the middle east.
he talks about 9/11 and about how muslims blame the jews for it.
he has wife called amanda and two daughters.


this book is actually about the middle east and its politics.
he goes back to london , england from where he is and is united with his wife and two daughters.

many years later , frank gardner returns to saudi arabia , a country where he was shot!.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't know very much about Frank Gardener nor the middle east. After moving to the middle east I found this book in the library and decided to read it.

I remember thinking what an amazing guy, life and outlook he has. I was new to the middle east when I read this and felt I got to know a little bit about it and the troubles. I have the utmost respect for him and so glad I found the book.

Apart from the troubles the middle east is an amazing place along with it's people and I feel privileged to have been a resident here.

[Simon J Alvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frank Gardner was always one of those people who you would stop and listen to when they were on the news and this book shows why. He is passionate about the Middle East, whilst being clear sighted about its issues. The accounts of his work as a journalist are particularly interesting, particularly compared to accounts of his time as a student or banker. However it is the account of his recovery from the severe injuries he endured following his attempted murder by terrorists in Riyadh that most affected me. As a disabled person the account of the realisation of the lost opportunities was incredibly moving. His stoicism doesn't hide his disappointment at his new situation. For those of us born with disabilities the discovery of its challenges and what is lost unfolds as life does, and so an understanding of what it is like to have this much more quickly was revealing and moving. And yet more personally discussions of things like catheters or the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in Stanmore, and his discovery of both, felt like someone finding alien what is to me normality. This is a book that has affected me deeply, but I have no idea what that means as a review.

[Leaden Vigor · Rating 1 out of 5]

The epitome of privilege overcoming a complete lack of ability, boundless incompetence and stupefying blind ignorance. Blundering from success to success despite himself.

The utter arrogance in the unthinking acceptance of his privileged position, getting into fights at school and pulling princes hair while uncle Thesiger is off hunting lions (but it was different back then, there were lots of lions... before uncle Thesiger shot them) and being casually racist about how the arabs have been spoiled with wealth and technology. Yes, much better if they'd stayed uneducated savages starving in desert tents and left all the oil for the white man.
Ignorant of the suffering of his fellow female students, brushing off their being molested and assaulted in Cairo because he stumbles upon good fortune. Over and again, he gets away with it while others pay the price.

The description of the shooting is harrowing, but cannot detract from the fact that this guy is an utter unmitigated twat.

[Jennifer (Jaye) · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Emotional and Gruelling*
At times this is very hard to listen/read but even with the trials of being critically injured Frank still manages to find glimmers of humour and in my opinion this book comes across as honest and thought provoking. It is a story showcasing Franks love and fascination of the Middle East and he also shows you another side of what is often portrayed in the news and television. Not to spoil things too much, even with the threat of being injured and nearly killed Frank still seems to have a certain fondness to the Middle East. Frank also shows what you can do with steely determination with the added bonus of a supportive family behind you to help to spur you on to recovery.
A definite must read/listen and Frank is a remarkable man

[M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always had great respect for Mr Frank Gardner but in reading this book i am in awe. His amazing courage, strong spirit, the incredible work of doctors, nurses and all the healthcare professionals who helped in his recovery - though he is paraplegic for all his life - and that is very hard. He survived when surely no ordinary person could have. To live life again, travel, and do his professional work is so inspiring.

I have learned so much about the endurance of the human spirit in this excellent and well written book.

[Mr Allan Goldie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad I chose this book to read. I remember when Frank Gardner was shot in Saudi by terrorists and his camera man Simon was killed. I have seen him regularly on BBC news broadcasting about terrorism and security and I am amazed how he has that strength of character and how he lives his life despite his serious disabilities. He wrote very clearly and truthfully about his life before and after his shooting. I learned so much about his life and when you read this you cannot help but feel strengthened and allow our own little problems and issues diminish. Frank spoke very clearly and lovingly about his camera man Simon who was killed and his account of the memorial service for him is so very moving. A great account and a great book to read.

[Cathrine · Rating 5 out of 5]

With a lifelong passion for the Arab world BBC correspondent Frank Garnder had spent almost 25 years in the Middle East when he got shot by Islamist gunmen in 2004. His cameraman died immediately whereas Gardner was shot in the shoulder and legs. Remarkably he survived and is now partly paralysed.

The book is not about Gardner's recovery (only one chapter) instead it gives us a great insight and understanding of the Islamic world and what the ongoing War on terror actually means. It's a book written with great respect and love for the Arab and Muslim world.

[Heather Hyde · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it quite hard going as Frank travels a lot obviously and meets a lot of foreigners I just couldn’t keep up with and he’s a bit of a name dropper which I found irritating! However his account of his ambush and subsequent journey back from the brink of death is humbling and I take my hat off to him for his positive attitude sheer grit and determination to rebuild his life and survive for his wife and two girls - Much respect!

[Norman · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding story of human endurance in our times

The book starts when Frank is gunned down in Saudi Arabia while filming a news item for the BBC, leaving him as a paraplegic. He regressees to tell the story of his life and how an interest in the Arabic world led him to a career in journalism via a stint in banking. Beautifully written with lots of insights into the troubled world we live in from someone who has experienced it at it's worst. A great read.

[alan steele · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some great insights into the Arab world's various views of the 'west', in particular, the UK & USA. I don't know if it gives any hope but it does make the current situation slightly more understandable.

[Darren Rule · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing book, fantastic and inspiring story, especially the description of the middle east if you've spent time there, brought back great memories. Highly recommended.

[Tempting Transcendence · Rating 5 out of 5]

Coming from a Muslim, Arabic speaking heritage me and my Dad loved it when Frank Gardner was on BBC News. I loved his poise and his Arabic language. I felt very engaged and connected with his journey. His youthful exuberance, charm and gumption in his early life are thematically juxtaposed with the pain, suffering and limitations following the attack.

Frank's engagement with the pre-modern Arab world reminds me of the stories narrated by Sheikh Hamza Yusuf. To be asleep in the desert with the starry sky as your blanket sounds amazing. Also to engage with the quotidian of desert bedouins is also something I would love to have experienced. I find myself chronically craving simplicity and stillness. The modern world buzzes and hums loudly and gets inside of me and I sometimes find it hard to manage this. As opposed to the sweet sounds of nature - technology can pollute and dampen the senses into sensorial depression and apathy. We've heard about the decency and virtues of the desert Arabs - this I also would have liked to experience, as Frank did in his travels across Arabia. This 'muruah' (dutiful/communitarian virtuousness) that is either too scarce to find in the modern world or we are too internally void of it to recognise. I think it's clear that Frank enjoyed the primordial pleasures of the desert much more than the noise and hustle of corporate life. Although his adventures in the Gulf give insight into expatriate lifestyle and the rest.

Frank is a consummate storyteller and weaves his life with that of the flux and change of the Arab world. He is time travelling across different socio-cultures, economies and customs. The attack on him by Al Qaeda signals a (bloody) watershed both for him and the Arab world. His life and that of Arabs will never be the same again. Many fail to realise that the attack on the World Trade Centre was a direct attack on the beating heart of the Arab and Muslim world. There is no clash of civilizations - rather, the suffering is universal, multi-faceted and layered in political treachery. There are various barriers and struggles that are swiftly cemented into the new narrative. Otherisation, misunderstanding and conflict become the new normal. The allure of the Middle East has become stained by the rivers of blood spilt by a thousand civil wars. Brotherhood has become fratricide writ large. And the sweet smells of souks have been overpowered by the permanent stench of death. There is an abundance of courage and strength among the poor souls that have been caught in the firing line of war. However damage has been done on an immeasurable scale and we pray to God that justice is served in this life and the next.

Frank is stoicism personified - he is one of those people that plays in the mud of life and makes lotuses time and time again, reflecting the ancient adage. He is a master narrator of human stories, and a true British gentleman. God bless him.

[Stew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read Frank Gardners 2 thriller novels I was intrigued to discover how and why he was shot 11 times whilst reporting forth BBC and as importantly how he survived. This is Franks account of his life and passion for the middle east. It is very readable and on this journey if like me you sort of know the locations on a map of Saudi Arabia, Oman, Yemen, Eritrea etc etc, then by the end of the book you will know them all very specifically. Basically you follow Frank on his journeys and gradually begin to understand at least something of what this geographical area is all about. Frank was there at the very start of the recent troubles in this region and the book follows his exploits to near on the present day (make sure you get the 10th anniversary addition).
WHAT I FOUND ASTOUNDING: I can't think that the BBC income has changed that much in real terms since the late 1990's when Frank started reporting for them in the Gulf area. So think in terms of the eye watering amount of cash given to armchair presenters, Gary Lineker and the like, and compare this to Franks situation reporting from an unstable land with no security, no camera man, not even enough money to to provide his 6 months pregnant wife (who was residing with him) with a mobile phone whilst he was out on reporting missions ... he even had to buy his own camera!

[Camilla Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating and inspiring read. Frank Gardner successfully mixes autobiography, travel writing and political journalism.

I particularly enjoyed his account of his year abroad in Cairo and found many parallels with my own experience living as a student in Morocco! His description of his stay with the Beduoin tribes in Jordan were magical. I was also very surprised and happy to learn that the Arabic syllabus from when Frank read Arabic at Exeter and modern day syllabus at Edinburgh has not changed and Nawal El Saadawi is still being taught as a feminist icon!!

The use of humour and funny anecdotes really lightened this 500 page book which dealt with heavy subject matter (his 'recovery' journey following being shot by Al qaeda terrorists). To the age old question "which celebrity would you choose to sit next to at a dinner party?" my choice would have to be Frank Gardner. A man of so much talent, experience and perseverance, and an unwavering passion for the Middle East and Arab culture.

[Tim Parr · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating, tragic but also uplifting story of the well known BBC security correspondent who is still very much in the public eye. I enjoyed his early career switch to the Arab world for which he had long held a passion. He fully immersed himself in the culture, for example sleeping in the rafters with a family in Egypt who took him into their home and building a mutual respect with those he met. Tragedy struck, but his brave fight back against terrible injuries demonstrates the great depths to the man. There is humour and a finesse in the telling of his story but also some poignant moments.The staircase in his family home became physically unscalable and it must have been so tough on them all. His distinctive voice resonates on Radio 4 from time to time and I always tune in. This guy has lived a very full life and is to be admired.

[Harry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly superb and reads with the tautness of a “howdunnit”, adding to the cliché—nonetheless potent—that fact is stranger the fiction.

Gardner is clearly knowledgable and deeply committed to the Middle East. Writing in 2006, he couldn’t possibly have foreseen the issues, tragedies and developments in the region over the next 14 years and yet much of what he writes is prescient.

Perhaps most affecting of all though are the chapters which essentially frame this exposé on Middle Eastern politics and culture. Gardner’s description of his being shot 6 times is of course harrowing, but his reaction then and at the time of writing is also honest and all the better for it.

An unsentimental exploration of a culture and society with which Gardner has long been obsessed, intermingled with personal reflections on his own life and his ability and determination to endure.

[Alex Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written with undeniable grace, style and resiliency, this is an exceedingly interesting memoir of an engaging personality. It is written with a journalist’s matter-of-factly and lack of attention to literary flourish.

The author doesn't come from an underprivileged background, which I assume is the basis for some of the criticism that has come his way. Yet this a petty concern and does nothing to explain the character, guts & fortitude of the man.

It must be a excruciatingly arduous and challenging task to forge something bright and useful from material so base & painful that it would be the finish of most of us

And then to fill it full of life.

[Mark Lomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first and this far only time I’ve felt the need to actually contact an author to congratulate them on their work. Again, the journalism connection means it is a story I fee particularly invested in; Gardner’s life and the tragedy of his near-death experience in Saudi Arabia is just so compelling. What I love is that despite nearly losing his life, he retains such an admirable positivity about the Arab world -because extremists certainly do not represent the majority in the Middle East.

[Gary Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It starts by describing the shooting and immediate aftermath in the first chapter, then starts back at Frank, aged 16, for chapter two. The rest of the book then chronicles Frank's life so far, through his fascination with the Arab world, his explorative journeys and experiences and his progression from banker to his journalistic role as BBC Security Correspondent. The final chapters then skip over the events from chapter 1 and go through the tragic circumstances of the rehabilitation, and outlines how he is now forced to live his life. It's an excellent biography.

[Daša · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing book and amazing figure whom I also had the pleasure to meet in person. Brave and straightforward, Frank Gardner gives true account of his travels, life and work in countries of the Arab world. Although his close encounter with Islamic terrorism proved terribly shattering, what you can feel throughout the whole book, is his endless, though utterly impartial, affection for the Arab world.
A must read.

[Sue · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel a bit guilty only giving this book 3 stars. Frank is obviously a very courageous, brave man. This book starts with when he was shot and left for dead but then goes back to when he was young and got a desire to visit the middles east. It was enjoyable to read about his student lifestyle and first jobs there but eventually I got bored, but I don't know that part of the world, I think it would have been better if I did.

[Lorna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this on an audible sale day as it sounded interesting and very different to anything I’d just listened to. Wasn’t sure what to expect but soon found I was really enjoying it and wanted to keep listening to more. The mix of franks background and how he came to love the Middle East, his education and career choices, to the culture and then conflicts in the places he visited. The chapters on his recovery were fascinating as well.

[Marian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautifully written autobiography of his life - so far, including a no-holds-barred account of his injuries, surgeries and recovery period. I loved reading this book until Mr Gardner was shot! His education, early life and adventures in the Middle East were well written without talking down to the reader.

[Little miss Jackie vampire · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was surprisingly very good. What happened to Frank Gardner was horrific. The book showed how much passion Frank had for the middle east. The descriptions of war from a level headed journalist was fascinating.

[Jasper Cook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Frank conveys an infectious love for the Middle East and the various cultures he has encountered. He provides interesting insights into the rise of Al Qaeda along the way. Not to mention a thought provoking and inspiring narrative of his life.

[Jaime Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

A remarkable true story. While reading the descriptions of the country and the way they live, it was surprising to learn how much Frank Gardner loved living there. The people sound very warm and welcoming. I found Frank’s life very interesting and am glad he wrote about it.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biography of Frank Gardner, the highs and lows of being a BBC security correspondent. How even when he got shot in Saudi, he couldn't wait to get into the action. His wife stuck by him throughout it all.