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From The Holy Mountain: A Journey In The Shadow Of Byzantium (2004)

by William Dalrymple(Favorite Author)

4.25 of 5 Votes: 3

languge

English

genre

Memoir & Autobiography

publisher

Penguin Books

review 1: Dalrymple's writing is brilliant. I was taken on a beautiful and vivid adventure of Sixth Century Christian Byzantium.However, Dalrymple seems to treat the contemporary descendants of his historical heroes with a little of the contempt characteristic of western writers of the last century. In the case of Bsharre ... Dalrymple allows himself to be influenced by two Roberts: Fisk and Frangieh and then rushes through the town seeing it through their eyes. His account descends into gossip, innuendo and blatant lies and accusations. He should go there again - spend a few days, get to know the place and it's people using his own eyes. He would be pleasantly surprised.In all other respects, the book is brilliant .... I strongly recommend it.
review 2: As much as I enj... moreoyed following Dalrymple's impressive travels and commentary, I must take a dissenting view. As far as the writing is concerned, Dalrymple is good, but not in the league of Colin Thubron, or even Robert Kaplan.Most disappointing though is his anti Israel bias that mars an otherwise worthy effort. He employs the cheap shot tactic of "interviewing" the worst representatives of Israel that he can find, and leaves the unwitting reader convinced that the Israelis are ALWAYS the evil perpetrators, with no conscience at all. Apparently, Dalrymple has never heard of the word terrorism, except of course when it's Jewish terrorists.His experiences are all presented as being an objective account, but I was left with distinct impression that the deck was stacked against Israel long before he recorded his thoughts on this trip, even to the despicable degree of using the Nazi metaphor to describe Jews in the Middle East.This is a hatchet job, plain and simple, masquerading as journalism. less

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