The Land Beyond (a Thousand Miles On Foot Through The Heart Of The Middle East)

By (author) McCarron, Leon; By (author) McCarron Leon
Description
Shortlisted for the Adventure Travel Book of the Year at the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Awards. There are many reasons why it might seem unwise to walk, mostly alone, through the Middle East. That, in part, is exactly why Leon McCarron did it. From Jerusalem, McCarron followed a series of wild hiking trails that trace ancient trading and pilgrimage routes and traverse some of the most contested landscapes in the world. In the West Bank, he met families struggling to lead normal lives amidst political turmoil and had a surreal encounter with the world''s oldest and smallest religious sect. In Jordan, he visited the ruins of Hellenic citadels and trekked through the legendary Wadi Rum. His journey culminated in the vast deserts of the Sinai, home to Bedouin tribes and haunted by the ghosts of Biblical history. The Land Beyond is a journey through time, from the quagmire of current geopolitics to the original ideals of the faithful, through the layers of history, culture and religion that have shaped the Holy Land. But at its heart, it is the story of people, not politics and of the connections that can bridge seemingly insurmountable barriers.
Table of contents
List of Plates Preface to the Paperback Edition Map of the Author''s Route through West Bank, Jordan and Sinai Part I The Centre of all the World Part II East of the Jordan Part III The Path to the Sacred Summit Acknowledgements Trail Companions Information on the Trails Glossary Notes
Review quote
Immensely readable true travel writing in the honourable tradition of Robert Byron, but with a sharp political edge. He informs us about the region of our troubled world we should, perhaps, understand best. The theme throughout is how walking brings solutions to all problems; or solvitur ambulando, as St. Augustine said.
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A marvellous adventure and an impressive feat of endurance. This is also a journey that explores the people and landscapes of a misunderstood part of the world with great insight and enthusiasm.
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Informed, engaging and sensitive – Leon makes the perfect companion for the dusty road.
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Hewn with the visceral language and spirit you’d expect from this adventurer.
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A tribute to the humbling and immersive art of walking . . . Enlightening, engaging and a must-read for anyone interested in this area of the world.
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McCarron frequently utilises an experienced, mature, non-judgemental exterior as the vehicle by which to carry us through a remarkably diverse Middle East, and into the lives of the many engaging and fascinating characters he and his companions encounter along the way.
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A hugely entertaining read, following the ups and downs of this journey on foot from Jerusalem through Palestine and Jordan to the summit of Mount Sinai in Egypt, illuminated with tender, insightful vignettes.
Biographical note
Leon McCarron is a writer, broadcaster and adventurer from Northern Ireland. He is a Fellow of both the Royal Geographical Society and the Abraham Path Initiative, and an Explorer ambassador for The North Face. He was a recipient of the 2017 Neville Shulman Award and in the last decade has travelled over 35,000 miles by human-power. Leon has walked a 1000-mile loop of the Holy Land, crossed 3000 miles of China from north to south on foot, and led human-powered projects in Kosovo, Armenia and on the Yemeni island of Socotra. He has cycled from New York to Hong Kong, walked through the largest sand desert on earth, kayaked the longest river in Iran, and ridden across Patagonia on horseback. In 2019 he led an effort to design a long-distance hiking trail in central China, and he is currently working on a similar endeavour in Iraqi Kurdistan. He has presen