- Hardcover: 400 pages
- Publisher: Bantam Press; First Edition, First Impression edition (3 May 2006)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0593055780
- ISBN-13: 978-0593055786
- Product Dimensions: 24.6 x 15.6 x 4 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 340,760 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Blood and Sand
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
On 6 June 2004, Frank Gardner and cameraman, Simon Cumbers were in a quiet suburb of Riyadh, filming a piece on Al-Qaeda when they were confronted by Islamist gunmen. Simon was killed instantly. Frank was brought down by a shot in the shoulder, then the leg. As he lay in the dusty street, a figure stood over him and proceeded to pump 4 more bullets into him at point blank range..."Blood and Sand" is the story of a man who was left for dead but - and against all odds - survived. And not only did Frank Gardner survive but, drawing on his journalistic calling, he has given us an extraordinary, terrifying account of the whole, literally life-shattering, experience - from what it's like to be shot to the excruciating months of recovery. But his book is more than about this one incident and its aftermath. It is about a journey that began 25 years ago with a chance meeting on a London bus with the veteran Arabian explorer, Sir Wilfred Thesiger, who inspired in the young Frank what would become a lifelong passion for the Arab world. This abiding interest would lead him to travel throughout the Middle East, experiencing at first hand peoples, places and cultures that few have encountered - a colourful world of scorpion-infested Bedouin tents, of Cairene hash dens and vibrant Egyptian slums. It's a journey that would eventually lead, via the world of banking, to Frank becoming a journalist with the BBC. And it was this passion that would, in the wake of the world-changing events of 9/11, send him on the journey that came to dominate - and so very nearly end - his life: his coverage of the phenomenon that is Al-Qaeda. Written with honesty, integrity and humour, this is a powerful, haunting account of survival, of over-coming adversity and a determination to carry on - a moving and inspiring personal story that reveals a deep understanding of the Islamic world and an insider's compelling analysis of the on-going 'War on Terror' and what it means in these uncertain times.
From the Publisher
Powerful, haunting, fascinating personal story by the BBC's security correspondent about the attempt on his life, his remarkable recovery and the journeys that have taken him there...
--This text refers to the
Audio CD
edition.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Frank Gardner describes what every young man would have liked to do in his twenties and thirties (except getting shot). His spirit of adventure, his travels in the Middle East , his emersion in the culture gave him a better insight into that part of the world than some of the best available academic studies. Living with an Egyptian family in a poor neighborhood of old Cairo, spending many days traveling the desert with a Bedu tribe in Wdai Rumm in Jordan, jetting around the Middle East during the boom years of the eighties and nineties makes fascinating reading. His work as a correspondent which landed him in a situation of becoming a target for extremists assassins who left him almost dead did not seem to have changed his mind about the people and the culture he loved.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
I enjoyed this book immensely. It is simply written and keeps the interest of the reader from start to finish. Frank's adventures catch the imagination chapter after chapter.
The main body of the book tells the reader about Frank's career in banking centred on the Middle East and Frank's degree in Arab studies. Reading the book you find Frank is looking for a far more exciting career, one centred on journalism. It is this desire to enter journalism that leads to the final chapters. These chapters reveal the shooting of Frank and his cameraman Simon Cumbers and the amazing recovery of Frank.
The story is compelling and exposes the futile waste of a mans life and the near loss of Frank's life too. Frank makes the point that he has no real belief in a God. Yet he was disappointed when he greeted his killer with the words "and upon you the peace and the mercy of God and his blessings." A strange phrase for a non believer to use!
However, despite all the odds Frank survived thanks to some amazing good luck and maybe some "unknown" intervention. It this survival that makes the reader feel as though they are reliving the ordeal, the shooting and the months of recover. It exposes Franks desire to cling onto life and to be able to continue being part of the life of his children and his wife Amanda, despite his disability.
I think anyone who reads this book will agree that it is a fascinating and moving story. Overall, well worth buying.
The main body of the book tells the reader about Frank's career in banking centred on the Middle East and Frank's degree in Arab studies. Reading the book you find Frank is looking for a far more exciting career, one centred on journalism. It is this desire to enter journalism that leads to the final chapters. These chapters reveal the shooting of Frank and his cameraman Simon Cumbers and the amazing recovery of Frank.
The story is compelling and exposes the futile waste of a mans life and the near loss of Frank's life too. Frank makes the point that he has no real belief in a God. Yet he was disappointed when he greeted his killer with the words "and upon you the peace and the mercy of God and his blessings." A strange phrase for a non believer to use!
However, despite all the odds Frank survived thanks to some amazing good luck and maybe some "unknown" intervention. It this survival that makes the reader feel as though they are reliving the ordeal, the shooting and the months of recover. It exposes Franks desire to cling onto life and to be able to continue being part of the life of his children and his wife Amanda, despite his disability.
I think anyone who reads this book will agree that it is a fascinating and moving story. Overall, well worth buying.
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
Like most people I had seen Frank Gardner on the BBC reporting on Middle East issues and had never though to much about it till after he was attacked. This fascinating book shows the growth of Gardner's interest and love for the Arabic world. It tells us of his student days in Egypt, and his travel to Yemen and the Sudan, and guides us through his life as he takes his first steps in finance and ultimately journalism. Where this book really comes into its own though it to highlight the physical and mental trauma Gardner faced as he fought for survival and recovery from potentially fatal gunshot wounds. I found most of this section incredibly moving, but their were also lighthearted sections that made me smile - his daughters with bedpans on their heads is an amazing visual. What struck me most though is the sheer determination that he has shown throughout his recovery and subsequently on his return to work as the BBC's security correspondant. He clearly has amazing inner strength to have coped with something so terrible and to have in some senses came out at the other end. A must read for anyone interested in Middle East politics and for any one he wants to read about a truly inspirational person!
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
Was this review helpful?
Let us know
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Wonderful, informative, almost tragic read
I loved this book. I have always admired the way Frank Gardner reported on the Middle East and how much knowledge and understanding of the region he has. Read more
Published 9 months ago by SGC Grenyer
Good book, bad editing
I agree with many of the other reviews except the reading was mared by the fact that the typeface was all over the place - the line spacing was such that sometimes a sentence line... Read more
Published 11 months ago by Simon
Insight to the Middle East
Have you been or are you going to the Middle East on holiday.........read this book first!
Published 19 months ago by Ms. Verena E. Evans
blood & sand
Frank Gardner is a prolific writer and his experiences are all well documented making it an enjoyable read.
Published 22 months ago by d.hughan
A story of being shot
I've had this book on the shelves for quite some time now and it never quite made it to the top of the pile. Read more
Published on 2 Feb 2010 by Phil Whittall
Blood and Sand
This is an excellent book. Very exciting from the word go and very interesting background on the Middle East.
Published on 10 Jan 2010 by K. Wood
must read
A very readable and fascinating book. And what a courageous individual Frank Gardner is. One of the best autobiographies I've read.
Published on 1 Dec 2009 by pixie g
Brilliantly written account of a terrible incident
This is a great account of one man's passion for both the Middle East and journalism, a passion that failed to be dented even when he was seriously injured by a gunman. Read more
Published on 22 July 2009 by Hayles
Very interesting
I found this book a very interesting read. Of course the circumstances of Frank Gardner's shooting were particularly fascinating and the account of his struggle to overcome his... Read more
Published on 8 July 2009 by Nieves
What an inspiration!
An excellent read. Having seen Frank at a book signing recently, this made the book seem more personal. Read more
Published on 4 July 2009 by C. M. Hemming
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
