★ 03/01/2019
London-based travel writer (Walking the Nile), photographer, and explorer Wood embarks on a journey similar to his hero Lawrence of Arabia. He travels to Syria, Iraq, Kuwait, the Emirates, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Israel, concluding in Lebanon, using local guides and townsfolk to accompany him despite the danger, particularly from the ever-present ISIS (Daesh). Descriptions of some of the most magnificent places on earth occur beside accounts of Daesh and those trying to defeat them. These details are horrifying to read, while hearing place names such as Mosul and Basra, familiar to most, are equally compelling. Readers will meet kind as well as terrifying individuals. Fortunately, Wood possesses the ideal temperament to deal with everyone, whether a sultan or an illiterate nomad. Throughout the expedition, he resolves to celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem with family and friends, a heartwarming event after so many dangerous encounters on the road. VERDICT Ideal for those interested in Middle Eastern history, current events, or world history, as well as lovers of superlative writing.—Susan G. Baird, formerly with Oak Lawn P.L., IL
01/07/2019
When travel writer Wood (Walking the Himalayas) reveals his plan to make a 5,000-mile journey through the Middle East, beginning in Syria and continuing through Iraq down to Yemen, to explore how the region’s inhabitants see their future “on the eve of the defeat of ISIS,” his friends and editors are convinced he is going to die, and he nearly does—because of a poorly cooked steak at the best restaurant in Djibouti. The episode characterizes the wandering misadventures and detours Wood captures in this quirky travelogue. Possessed of an intrepid spirit, sense of humor, and willingness to engage with strangers, Wood recounts vignettes that humanize those he meets. He approaches everything from hitchhiking through the Emirates to dodging pirates off the coast of Somalia with self-deprecating good cheer. Sometimes his everyman shtick rings a little false: setting off across Oman, he claims he can “hardly a sand dune almost half a kilometer high!” even though he’s written a book about traversing the Sahara on foot (Walking the Nile). In the end, he concludes, “even though I was with people from a culture so far removed from my own, I’d rarely felt so at home.” Those seeking to understand broader geopolitical trends won’t find them illuminated here, but adventure-hungry readers will be enjoy the ride. Agent: Jo Cantello, Wolfsong Media. (Feb.)
One of the most engaging aspects of Wood’s narrative is his ability to bring his passion for adventure, for history, for learning about indigenous cultures...and the natural world...His is travel and adventure writing at its best.”—Shelf Awareness
“Levison Wood is a great adventurer and a wonderful storyteller.”―Sir Ranulph Fiennes
“Many have attempted this holy grail of an expedition―so I admire Lev’s determination and courage to pull this off.”―Bear Grylls
“Levison Wood has breathed new life into adventure travel.”―Michael Palin
“[Wood’s] narrative skills are enlivened by a droll wit and entertaining descriptions of his traveling companions and the characters encountered during his journey... The greatest value to the American reader of this book, however, may be the unbiased observations by this perceptive Brit of the impact which the present United States’ immigration policy has upon the vast region stretching from South America to our Southern border... Wood’s interactions with both notorious MS-13 gang members and innocent families trying to enter our country illustrate the chaos caused by our present system. While he hearkens back to the classic British explorers of our planet, Wood’s travels are as current as today’s headlines.”—Lincoln Journal-Star
“So often books on great treks seem to relish recounting only maladies, sexcapades, or drunken capers. Not so with Wood; he focuses on the people and places he and Alberto encounter, which makes for great reading.”—Library Journal (starred review)
“A thrilling narrative trek through towns, back roads, and natural wonders of Central America, all on foot. He elevates this already fascinating landscape with lively prose that combines travel journal with history lessons, memoir, and survivalist handbook. This skillful weaving of genres creates intensity and suspense chapter to chapter, keeping the reader’s interest piqued and the pages turning as Wood pays deep respect to a dangerous and extraordinarily beautiful part of the planet.”—Booklist
2018-11-13
A British adventure traveler's journey through the tumultuous lands of the Middle East.
A former officer in the British Parachute Regiment who has spent time in the Middle East on and off since his university days in the early 2000s, Wood (Walking the Americas: 1,800 Miles, Eight Countries, and One Incredible Journey from Mexico to Colombia, 2018, etc.) has dedicated his life to travel as a writer and "occasional photojournalist." Here, the author chronicles his journey from September 2017 through spring 2018, painting a vivid yet troubling portrait of the fraught land and people of the region. Tracing the "fault-lines of the geopolitical arena," he began his journey in war-torn northern Syria, following the course of the Tigris River, where he was roughly guided into active fighting in Iraq by Amar, a brusque, war-embittered undercover operative. As the author made his dangerous journey east, he writes, the "normalization of violence…made the place so bizarre, terrifying and alluring at the same time." In the Gulf states, Wood witnessed how oil changed everything for each nation, allowing them power on the world stage yet miring them deeply in a chasm of wealth discrepancy, mainly between Arab haves and migrant have-nots. (The author barely mentions the rampant sexism and misogyny.) After an arduous camel ride through the Empty Quarter of Oman, Wood ascended the imposing Dhofar ridge, skirted the perilous civil war of Yemen, and entered the Somali pirate waters of the Gulf of Arden. Then he traveled through the secretive police state of Saudi Arabia, the serene desert of Jordan, the devastated West Bank, and, finally, the relative stability of Lebanon. Sadly, the author found that the ancient nomadic tribes have coalesced into a modern "affiliation of blood gangs," locked in bitter wars against each other, corrupted by oil, and fractured by their separate brands of identity.
Studded with intriguing moments but not as entertaining as Wood's previous travelogues. Despite moments of hospitality and friendship, this seasoned traveler experienced a crushing loss of innocence on a trip that was less a joyful journey than a kind of penance.
