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Baghdad without a Map and Other Misadventures in Arabia
With razor-sharp wit and insight, intrepid journalist Tony Horwitz gets beyond solemn newspaper headlines and romantic myths of Arabia to offer startling close-ups of a volatile region few Westerners understand. His quest for hot stories takes him from the tribal wilds of Yemen to the shell-pocked shores of Lebanon; from the malarial sands of the Sudan to the eerie souks of Saddam Hussein's Iraq, a land so secretive that even street maps and weather reports are banned.
As an oasis in the Empty Quarter, a veiled woman offers tea and a mysterious declaration of love. In Cairo, "politeness police" patrol seedy nightclubs to ensure that belly dancers don't show any belly. And at the Ayatollah's funeral in Tehran a mourner chants, "Death to America," then confesses to the author his secret dream--to visit Disneyland.
Careening through thirteen Muslim countries and Israel, Horwitz travels light, packing a keen eye, a wicked sense of humor, and chutzpah in almost suicidal measure. This wild and comic tale of Middle East misadventure reveals a fascinating world in which the ancient and the modern collide.
As an oasis in the Empty Quarter, a veiled woman offers tea and a mysterious declaration of love. In Cairo, "politeness police" patrol seedy nightclubs to ensure that belly dancers don't show any belly. And at the Ayatollah's funeral in Tehran a mourner chants, "Death to America," then confesses to the author his secret dream--to visit Disneyland.
Careening through thirteen Muslim countries and Israel, Horwitz travels light, packing a keen eye, a wicked sense of humor, and chutzpah in almost suicidal measure. This wild and comic tale of Middle East misadventure reveals a fascinating world in which the ancient and the modern collide.
285 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 1991
65 people are currently reading
5412 people want to read
About the author
Tony Horwitz
18 books863 followersDate of Birth: 1958
Tony Horwitz was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author whose books include Blue Latitudes, Confederates In The Attic and Baghdad Without A Map. His most recent work, published in May 2019, is Spying on the South, which follows Frederick Law Olmsted's travels from the Potomac to the Rio Grande as an undercover correspondent in the 1850s.
Tony was also president of the Society of American Historians. He lived in Massachusetts with his wife, novelist Geraldine Brooks.
Tony Horwitz was a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author whose books include Blue Latitudes, Confederates In The Attic and Baghdad Without A Map. His most recent work, published in May 2019, is Spying on the South, which follows Frederick Law Olmsted's travels from the Potomac to the Rio Grande as an undercover correspondent in the 1850s.
Tony was also president of the Society of American Historians. He lived in Massachusetts with his wife, novelist Geraldine Brooks.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
May 21, 2021
Tony Horwitz here collects stories about his time in the Middle East, as a journo / reporter working as a 'stringer' (ie paid piece-work or by the article picked up) as he "followed his wife" to the Middle East where she was a reporter (of a more permanent nature), based in Cairo for around two years.
These are not the articles Horwitz wrote - these are better described as the stories of Horwitz finding those stories he wrote if that makes sense. We are provided with the tale of the journey as well as the discovery, of the people who assist him with his travel (formal fixers, but more often just people who help him get a ride from here to there, or make introductions for him).
Egypt, Yemen, UAE, Iraq, Jordan, Israel & Palestine, Libya, Sudan & South Sudan, Lebanon and Iran all feature. Throwing himself into warzones and other dodgy places, competing with the major network reporters, interviewing refugees and those impoverished and disadvantaged as well as those despots at the top of the foodchain.
I wouldn't describe as a funny book, but Horwitz is observant and amusing, while still respecting the gravity of a situation. Most often he is happy to share the problems he ends up in, and a few of those of his fellow journalists. Being raised Jewish, Horwitz describes when this is an issue to be disguised, but doesn't sour his view of Islam.
P105: While in Iraq
Published in 1991, it makes me feel old to acknowledge is is thirty years old, but this book describes the Middle East I am most familiar with. Much has, of course changed, and even Horwitz would not be able to make some of the trips he did (let alone us, the general public), but perhaps some places are better off. All in all, Horwitz shows us an unappealing Middle East, and from what I saw a number of reviews where people were 'put off' travelling there. I hadn't thought about this book from that perspective, but I am thankful for the months I spent in the Middle East and Egypt, and should the circumstances improve I would love to return for more!
I was sorry to see that the author passed away in 2020.
4.5 stars rounded up.
These are not the articles Horwitz wrote - these are better described as the stories of Horwitz finding those stories he wrote if that makes sense. We are provided with the tale of the journey as well as the discovery, of the people who assist him with his travel (formal fixers, but more often just people who help him get a ride from here to there, or make introductions for him).
Egypt, Yemen, UAE, Iraq, Jordan, Israel & Palestine, Libya, Sudan & South Sudan, Lebanon and Iran all feature. Throwing himself into warzones and other dodgy places, competing with the major network reporters, interviewing refugees and those impoverished and disadvantaged as well as those despots at the top of the foodchain.
I wouldn't describe as a funny book, but Horwitz is observant and amusing, while still respecting the gravity of a situation. Most often he is happy to share the problems he ends up in, and a few of those of his fellow journalists. Being raised Jewish, Horwitz describes when this is an issue to be disguised, but doesn't sour his view of Islam.
P105: While in Iraq
My escort worked for the Information Ministry, which, by definition, made him a poor source of information.
"Is this near the presidential palace?" I asked as we passed a heavily guarded compound.
"Not far," he said.
"And where is the Foreign Ministry?"
"Also nearby."
Searching for neutral topics, I commented on the weather. Yes, he said, it is very hot. How hot he could not say. The weather in Baghdad was classified information, "for security."
Published in 1991, it makes me feel old to acknowledge is is thirty years old, but this book describes the Middle East I am most familiar with. Much has, of course changed, and even Horwitz would not be able to make some of the trips he did (let alone us, the general public), but perhaps some places are better off. All in all, Horwitz shows us an unappealing Middle East, and from what I saw a number of reviews where people were 'put off' travelling there. I hadn't thought about this book from that perspective, but I am thankful for the months I spent in the Middle East and Egypt, and should the circumstances improve I would love to return for more!
I was sorry to see that the author passed away in 2020.
4.5 stars rounded up.
February 19, 2009
This was written during the two years that Tony trailed his wife, journalist and writer Geraldine Brooks, to her various posts in the MIddle East, 1988-1990. Given that these vignettes are 20 years old, the book might seem anachronistic and nostalgic, but Horwitz's observations remain relevant. It's hard to find places where much has changed since his travels: Khartoum is still a dangerous wasteland, Cairo is still chaotic, Beirut remains beautiful but ravaged, Israelis locked seemingly forver in battle with Palestinians. Baghdad has seen the greatest upheaval- two wars- one still underway- and Hussein is long gone- but I wonder if Horwitz would deign the changes as improvements.
It's a great read; Horwitz's humor is not out of place- it is self-deprecating, patient, occasionally dark and he knows when to lay it aside. He maintains the wonder, the respect and the sense of adventure and resigned weariness that separates the traveler from the tourist.
It's a great read; Horwitz's humor is not out of place- it is self-deprecating, patient, occasionally dark and he knows when to lay it aside. He maintains the wonder, the respect and the sense of adventure and resigned weariness that separates the traveler from the tourist.
March 31, 2016
I can strike 'see the cradle of the world' off my bucket list. In all honesty, it was only there as a fanciful thought in the first place. Experiencing the sands of the ancient, seeing the ruins of Babylon, touching the wailing wall, being jostled in an open air market steeped in centuries of tradition? Sounds pretty inspiring.
The reality is that I'm not made of the brave, and my adventure gene doesn't function as well as it did when I was much younger. Even then, I was only cautiously excited about things far out of my comfort zone.
But, I can read. I can live vicariously. I can be moved by others courageous leaps of faith, and sometimes, insane decisions.
Enter Tony Horwitz.
Baghdad without a Map was the selection for this month's bookclub otherwise it wouldn't have landed on my nightstand. It took me about 18 days to work my way through it and not because it was boring or uninteresting (it was the complete opposite), but because I would be motivated to seek more information about the locations that Horwitz landed.
This book reads like a travelogue but with a journalistic bent. Horwitz, living in Cairo as a freelance writer while his wife, Geraldine Brooks, is on long assignment, shares his experiences as he travels to find 'the story' that can get him paid.
His travels and experiences leave out few places. From Libya to Iran, from Lebanon to the Sudan, Horwitz writes about civil war, famine, police states, belly dancing, and bitter strife with a certain amount of scholarly curiosity all while profiling some everyday people along the way. And while he lambasted some areas for their backwards and illogical government, he exuded a calm that was sometimes baffling.
While the book is cleverly put together by drawing out all the caricatures and lighter fare early on in places like Cairo and Yemen before delving into war torn areas in Iraq, Sudan and Lebanon, I had to wonder at the actual order of his travels - they aren't dated.
For example, taking a harebrained risk of driving the most unreliable vehicle I'd ever heard of into the mountains of Yemen to talk to arms dealers (remember, this is 1990. No cell phones or other means of emergency communication) might have been less risky to him if he did that AFTER surviving shelling and other close encounters of war. But that's just a theory of mine.
Because this was chosen by our history buff in bookclub, I expected it to be all dry, text book like history, and it wasn't. I'm reading more Horwitz, that's for sure.
The reality is that I'm not made of the brave, and my adventure gene doesn't function as well as it did when I was much younger. Even then, I was only cautiously excited about things far out of my comfort zone.
But, I can read. I can live vicariously. I can be moved by others courageous leaps of faith, and sometimes, insane decisions.
Enter Tony Horwitz.
Baghdad without a Map was the selection for this month's bookclub otherwise it wouldn't have landed on my nightstand. It took me about 18 days to work my way through it and not because it was boring or uninteresting (it was the complete opposite), but because I would be motivated to seek more information about the locations that Horwitz landed.
This book reads like a travelogue but with a journalistic bent. Horwitz, living in Cairo as a freelance writer while his wife, Geraldine Brooks, is on long assignment, shares his experiences as he travels to find 'the story' that can get him paid.
His travels and experiences leave out few places. From Libya to Iran, from Lebanon to the Sudan, Horwitz writes about civil war, famine, police states, belly dancing, and bitter strife with a certain amount of scholarly curiosity all while profiling some everyday people along the way. And while he lambasted some areas for their backwards and illogical government, he exuded a calm that was sometimes baffling.
While the book is cleverly put together by drawing out all the caricatures and lighter fare early on in places like Cairo and Yemen before delving into war torn areas in Iraq, Sudan and Lebanon, I had to wonder at the actual order of his travels - they aren't dated.
For example, taking a harebrained risk of driving the most unreliable vehicle I'd ever heard of into the mountains of Yemen to talk to arms dealers (remember, this is 1990. No cell phones or other means of emergency communication) might have been less risky to him if he did that AFTER surviving shelling and other close encounters of war. But that's just a theory of mine.
Because this was chosen by our history buff in bookclub, I expected it to be all dry, text book like history, and it wasn't. I'm reading more Horwitz, that's for sure.
October 31, 2018
My first Tony Horwitz book was One for the Road, which I read years ago, and I laughed so hard while reading it that my wife repeatedly asked me if I was all right. Baghdad Without a Map is not that funny, but it is pretty good. It certainly has put me off ever visiting Egypt, Khartoum, Iraq, Libya, Lebanon, or Yemen. Iran I might try, or South Sudan. And maybe Yemen, come to think of it. I've been to third world countries, but the Arab third world takes it to another level, apparently. Those who have never lived or spent significant time in second or third world countries, cannot truly appreciate their great good fortune in being first world residents. I have little patience for those who tell me how screwed up the US is, or Canada, or Europe; I tell them that unless you have spent a month in Honduras, please do not preach to me about how bad the US is. But I digress. This book is really instructive and pretty entertaining in explaining the Arab world and its idiosyncrasies, but I doubt it will make you want to visit.
August 25, 2023
Tony Horwitz does it again! I just can’t get enough of this guy.
This book is similar, though a bit different than the other books of his I’ve read, which at this point is all but two I believe. They are a mix of history and travelogue, Horwitz usually picking a certain “theme” or event from history, and then traveling around in those footsteps to discover the effects that still echo through the ages. This one is all travelogue. It’s also a little shorter, so I was thinking this may not have the huge scope of some of his other books; boy was I wrong! This one is just as good as anything else of his, and contains some the most hair-raising travel misadventures he’s likely ever had. I also didn’t realize that this book was from 1991, based on his travels throughout the region in the 80s. This matters for multiple reasons, as this was an especially unstable time in some of the countries he visited.
Horwitz travels all over the Middle East and North Africa, from Iraq, Iran, Egypt, to Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Israel. One of the most memorable parts of the book was when he attempted to visit Beirut and Lebanon, while they were at war with Syria. He finds himself right in the thick of it on the wrong end of some mortar fire. He also visits Tehran right after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, and attended his public funeral, finding himself in an absolutely colossal crowd of, literally, millions of people. These are just a few of his experiences, and despite being 30+ years old, it’s just as interesting as ever. Times have changed, and some it is much different nowadays—especially Iraq, which he visited during their war with Iran and before Desert Storm and the endless war with the US we have seen since then—but it really is a snapshot in time, and reading this book helps give some insight into these countries in the late 80s. Of course, we always have to remember that this book was written by a westerner, for westerners, and that colors the point of view a bit, but Horwitz is an open-minded guy and does a good job at leaving western biases at the door.
One of the things I liked most about this book was the people he meets. The kind, welcoming nature of Arabs and their hospitality really shines through. He also visits many non-Arabs from the region, like Iranians and the Sudanese, with amazing stories to tell. The chapter on Khartoum was both fascinating and bleak, as he played an impromptu soccer game with some Sudanese folks. This chapter, however, was especially sad because we know how things turned out over the next 30+ years, and while things have changed, it’s been a rough few decades in Sudan. He certainly has a lot to think about by the time he jumps on his flight out of Khartoum, at least until the pilot informs the passengers that they had forgotten to gas up the jet before take off…
Overall this is an insightful and interesting peek into a few of these countries, at a certain point in time. It’s filled with all kinds of people who are the heart and soul of the book. If you like these kinds of books or are interested in the region, it’s a must read.
This book is similar, though a bit different than the other books of his I’ve read, which at this point is all but two I believe. They are a mix of history and travelogue, Horwitz usually picking a certain “theme” or event from history, and then traveling around in those footsteps to discover the effects that still echo through the ages. This one is all travelogue. It’s also a little shorter, so I was thinking this may not have the huge scope of some of his other books; boy was I wrong! This one is just as good as anything else of his, and contains some the most hair-raising travel misadventures he’s likely ever had. I also didn’t realize that this book was from 1991, based on his travels throughout the region in the 80s. This matters for multiple reasons, as this was an especially unstable time in some of the countries he visited.
Horwitz travels all over the Middle East and North Africa, from Iraq, Iran, Egypt, to Yemen, Sudan, Libya and Israel. One of the most memorable parts of the book was when he attempted to visit Beirut and Lebanon, while they were at war with Syria. He finds himself right in the thick of it on the wrong end of some mortar fire. He also visits Tehran right after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini, and attended his public funeral, finding himself in an absolutely colossal crowd of, literally, millions of people. These are just a few of his experiences, and despite being 30+ years old, it’s just as interesting as ever. Times have changed, and some it is much different nowadays—especially Iraq, which he visited during their war with Iran and before Desert Storm and the endless war with the US we have seen since then—but it really is a snapshot in time, and reading this book helps give some insight into these countries in the late 80s. Of course, we always have to remember that this book was written by a westerner, for westerners, and that colors the point of view a bit, but Horwitz is an open-minded guy and does a good job at leaving western biases at the door.
One of the things I liked most about this book was the people he meets. The kind, welcoming nature of Arabs and their hospitality really shines through. He also visits many non-Arabs from the region, like Iranians and the Sudanese, with amazing stories to tell. The chapter on Khartoum was both fascinating and bleak, as he played an impromptu soccer game with some Sudanese folks. This chapter, however, was especially sad because we know how things turned out over the next 30+ years, and while things have changed, it’s been a rough few decades in Sudan. He certainly has a lot to think about by the time he jumps on his flight out of Khartoum, at least until the pilot informs the passengers that they had forgotten to gas up the jet before take off…
Overall this is an insightful and interesting peek into a few of these countries, at a certain point in time. It’s filled with all kinds of people who are the heart and soul of the book. If you like these kinds of books or are interested in the region, it’s a must read.
January 8, 2013
It's hard not to give a book by Horwitz 5 stars. The only reason this lacked a star was because I'd read his other books and, in this early work, he hadn't quite found his voice yet. You see glimpses of what will develop over the years ahead, but this one is slightly unpolished.
My fear early on was that, frankly, this would make me a racist against folks from the Middle East. It paints such a grim, dark, hopeless picture of the societies there that, not only did I vow I'd never travel to the region, but it made me start to feel like the groups he portrays were less human than us "Westerners".
Luckily as the book trods along, this feeling fades as he paints personal pictures of a trapped population that operate out of fear, poverty, and hopelessness. Feelings start to turn to compassion and understanding rather than disklike.
I'll still never go there, but this picture of the Middle East doesn't sugar coat it, which I appreciated...and of course, as always, Horwitz adds a little light to a pretty dark region.
My fear early on was that, frankly, this would make me a racist against folks from the Middle East. It paints such a grim, dark, hopeless picture of the societies there that, not only did I vow I'd never travel to the region, but it made me start to feel like the groups he portrays were less human than us "Westerners".
Luckily as the book trods along, this feeling fades as he paints personal pictures of a trapped population that operate out of fear, poverty, and hopelessness. Feelings start to turn to compassion and understanding rather than disklike.
I'll still never go there, but this picture of the Middle East doesn't sugar coat it, which I appreciated...and of course, as always, Horwitz adds a little light to a pretty dark region.
June 24, 2024
This is an interesting read about Horwitz, a Jewish American journalist, travelling around the gulf countries during the Iran-Iraq war. What makes it somewhat unbalanced is Horwitz's decision to make some of the story a straight travelogue and some a report on his own reporting - how he was filing stories for various publications. It's a tactic and a structure that leaves the reader feeling weirdly short-changed as the book is neither one thing or the other.
The book does catch fire in places, although it never really glows. Intermittently interesting.
The book does catch fire in places, although it never really glows. Intermittently interesting.
February 23, 2022
I love Tony Horowitz, so it was a major pleasure to read some of his earlier work. I still think I prefer his writing on the South, Confederates in the Attic will always be such a good book, but this was a real enjoyable read.
September 27, 2025
Like the NYT review of Baghdad Without a Map and Other Misadventures in Arabia, I found it a “very funny and frequently insightful look at the world's most combustible region". Horwitz writes in an engaging style that makes you feel like you’re along for the ride as he encounters cultural clashes and contradictions typical of the Middle East and Arab world. It remains one of my favorite travel books.
November 24, 2023
Fantastic time capsule of different nations in the Middle East in the 90s. I love Tony Horowitz’s writing!
March 5, 2007
I first read this book for a class I took my senior year in high school. That was back in 1996. I still have this book on my bookshelf. At least once a year, I still take it down to read a couple chapters or more. Every time I read it, I rediscover a part of the book that I find hilarious. How many books have you read can make you laugh ten years later? Few if any I imagine.
This book is what inspired me to go to Yemen. After reading the 2nd and 3rd chapters (both of which are in Yemen), I knew I would have to visit one day. Took me a few years to get there, but I did it.
Lastly, even though this book was published in 1992 and many of the chapters are from events in the 80s, I can say from personal experience that a lot of what takes place in this book STILL goes on in the Arab world. As the proverb says, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
This is a must-read for anyone even remotely interested in the Middle East.
This book is what inspired me to go to Yemen. After reading the 2nd and 3rd chapters (both of which are in Yemen), I knew I would have to visit one day. Took me a few years to get there, but I did it.
Lastly, even though this book was published in 1992 and many of the chapters are from events in the 80s, I can say from personal experience that a lot of what takes place in this book STILL goes on in the Arab world. As the proverb says, "The more things change, the more they stay the same."
This is a must-read for anyone even remotely interested in the Middle East.
January 1, 2016
I binge read this in an effort to finish it in 2015. I had ten pages left at midnight but I'm still counting it!
Such priceless information on some fascinating countries in the Middle East. A look into several cultures, with their struggles, danger, and hopes. I found the book Bill Bryson-esque, though not as laugh out loud funny. Witty, yes. I underlined like crazy and looked up information constantly while reading it, keeping in mind that it was written in the 1990s and a lot has changed since then. So glad I read it.
Such priceless information on some fascinating countries in the Middle East. A look into several cultures, with their struggles, danger, and hopes. I found the book Bill Bryson-esque, though not as laugh out loud funny. Witty, yes. I underlined like crazy and looked up information constantly while reading it, keeping in mind that it was written in the 1990s and a lot has changed since then. So glad I read it.
August 2, 2007
The first time I read this book was in the 9th grade and fell in love with it. Already an avid lover of the Middle East, Baghdad Without A Map brought a lot of the stark reality of the average person intertwined with great humor. This book is a very easy and enjoyable read, highly suggested if you also want the 411 on social behavior and how "westerners" should act. You'll laugh till you cry and even learn some great curse words in Arabic!
May 28, 2017
I picked this book up not knowing anything of the author - it turned out to be one of the better impromptu book purchases I have made this year.
Tony Horwitz's account of the Middle East in the late 80s and 90s reads like a long exposé in the Sunday Times. Wonderfully enjoyable for anyone with even a shallow interest in the region. The book does not go too deeply into any one topic - I.e. politics or socioeconomic issues - but is informative enough to make it worth your time.
Tony Horwitz's account of the Middle East in the late 80s and 90s reads like a long exposé in the Sunday Times. Wonderfully enjoyable for anyone with even a shallow interest in the region. The book does not go too deeply into any one topic - I.e. politics or socioeconomic issues - but is informative enough to make it worth your time.
May 6, 2019
This was my handbag book for the last couple of months - the book you leave in your handbag and read when I occasionally take public transport or when I'm on a plane. It's easy to pick up if you haven't read it for a few weeks or perhaps even a month and in a couple of paragraphs you are back in the world of the Middle East.
The book was written in 1991, while the author was working as a free lance journalist in the region. It covers the author's adventures from Egypt to Yemen, Libya, Lebanon, South Sudan, Iran and Iraq. You might think it would be dated, but although the world has changed so much since 1991, there are many aspects that remain the same. The Middle East is still as mysterious as ever, and although some of the countries have changed, conflict remains a constant theme. The last chapter ends as the author visits Baghdad again at commencement of the Gulf War.
The Middle East is a place I would dearly love to travel to, and I really enjoyed the author's account of the region. It did make me a little sad that in the 28 years since it was written conflict is still a major issue in the region.
The book was written in 1991, while the author was working as a free lance journalist in the region. It covers the author's adventures from Egypt to Yemen, Libya, Lebanon, South Sudan, Iran and Iraq. You might think it would be dated, but although the world has changed so much since 1991, there are many aspects that remain the same. The Middle East is still as mysterious as ever, and although some of the countries have changed, conflict remains a constant theme. The last chapter ends as the author visits Baghdad again at commencement of the Gulf War.
The Middle East is a place I would dearly love to travel to, and I really enjoyed the author's account of the region. It did make me a little sad that in the 28 years since it was written conflict is still a major issue in the region.
August 19, 2020
This is probably my favorite Horowitz books. It’s written when he is a stringer or freelance journalist. I enjoyed reading about Yemen, Iraq, Libya, and the rest of the region at the time before the gulf wars and Arab Spring. So, it’s a Polaroid of a time.
I didn’t like his Cairo chapters and the stories would probably have been better if he was more established but his struggle as an unaffiliated journalist was interesting too. There is probably a little bit too much “ruin porn” or whatever the phrase is, but this book didn’t carry on like his books on the south and I enjoyed it more because of that.
I didn’t like his Cairo chapters and the stories would probably have been better if he was more established but his struggle as an unaffiliated journalist was interesting too. There is probably a little bit too much “ruin porn” or whatever the phrase is, but this book didn’t carry on like his books on the south and I enjoyed it more because of that.
September 1, 2025
Not my favorite of Tony Horwitz’s books due to the lack of history infused in, but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. It definitely felt like a time capsule due to how prevalent contemporary politics were.
December 30, 2022
Probably a 4.5 star rating.
I recently started reading more short stories as for some reason my attention span isn’t what it used to be 🤷🏼♂️
Anyway an enjoyable read.
I recently started reading more short stories as for some reason my attention span isn’t what it used to be 🤷🏼♂️
Anyway an enjoyable read.
February 28, 2025
I thought appropriate to follow Geraldine Brooks’s Memorial. Excellent!
March 12, 2025
Very readable, very informative, very educational, very entertaining. Tho it was written in 1991, feels very current. I was sort of expecting it to be sort of dry but it was nothing of the sort. It was srecommended to me by a friend who lived for a time in Egypt and said it brought back many memories.
Tony Horowitz was Geraldine Brook's journalist husband who died suddenly last year. I will be searching out more by him.
Tony Horowitz was Geraldine Brook's journalist husband who died suddenly last year. I will be searching out more by him.
July 28, 2025
My first introduction to Horwitz. Love Love Love
November 5, 2011
In 1991, then aspiring journalist Tony Horwitz traveled to the Middle East, following his journalist wife, Geraldine Brooks, who had been stationed in Cairo there as a foreign correspond. Horwitz decided to go freelance, traveling across Arabia in the hopes of breaking a story that would make him a household name. He did manage to get a few front page articles, but what he brought back in manuscript form was delightful, sadistic, full of beauty and pain. In short, Baghdad Without A Map is an amazing addition to any library, taking the reader to ancient locals to meet the fascinating residents.
Being able to travel through Muslim countries as Horwitz has and still does, can really only be accomplished by a man. I felt a bit cheated by this, have flashbacks to the days when I read the Beat poets back in college, thinking how unfair it was that only someone sans vagina could have experienced what they experienced. It's a man's world, plain and simple. However Horwitz's writing is so open and honest that my resentment soon fell away, and I was left with nothing more than an inspiring tale of fishermen piloting mine infested waters, veiled women, plump exotic dancers, crumbling facades and infrastructures, and corrupt and eccentric leaders. I was shocked, horrified, and saddened. I laughed and smiled at the colorful cast of characters Horwitz meets along his travels and their heroic means of living life one day at a time. In some cases, minuet by minuet.
Parts of the novel I expected, such as the treatment of women, the oppressive regimes of Saddam Hussein and Mummar Gaddafi and their propaganda machines. What I didn't expect was the hospitality Horwitz received from most of the Arab countries he visited. That that I didn't expect people to be polite and honorable. I didn't expect them to be a welcoming to someone from the United States. When people don't have much to share, but do with open arms, it makes one reflect on their own dealings. The standard greeting in Cairo is a key example:
In short, I loved Baghdad Without A Map. I drank up Horwitz's words like the hot and thirsty desert does the rain in monsoon season. I highly recommend it.
Being able to travel through Muslim countries as Horwitz has and still does, can really only be accomplished by a man. I felt a bit cheated by this, have flashbacks to the days when I read the Beat poets back in college, thinking how unfair it was that only someone sans vagina could have experienced what they experienced. It's a man's world, plain and simple. However Horwitz's writing is so open and honest that my resentment soon fell away, and I was left with nothing more than an inspiring tale of fishermen piloting mine infested waters, veiled women, plump exotic dancers, crumbling facades and infrastructures, and corrupt and eccentric leaders. I was shocked, horrified, and saddened. I laughed and smiled at the colorful cast of characters Horwitz meets along his travels and their heroic means of living life one day at a time. In some cases, minuet by minuet.
Parts of the novel I expected, such as the treatment of women, the oppressive regimes of Saddam Hussein and Mummar Gaddafi and their propaganda machines. What I didn't expect was the hospitality Horwitz received from most of the Arab countries he visited. That that I didn't expect people to be polite and honorable. I didn't expect them to be a welcoming to someone from the United States. When people don't have much to share, but do with open arms, it makes one reflect on their own dealings. The standard greeting in Cairo is a key example:
In Egypt it is considered abrupt to being any conversation without at least of the following:
Good morning.
Good morning to you.
Good morning of light.
Good morning of roses.
Good morning of jasmines (and so on, through the rest of the garden).
And how are you?
Fine, and you?
Fine also, thanks be to God.
Thanks to God.
Welcome, most welcome.
Welcome to you.
(Chorus) p.137
In short, I loved Baghdad Without A Map. I drank up Horwitz's words like the hot and thirsty desert does the rain in monsoon season. I highly recommend it.
May 13, 2009
I am a huge Tony Horwitz fan, so it’s not surprising that I liked this book. He is an entertaining, facile writer.
That said, the quality of writing in this book is not as good as the others. It seemed a tad flat to me. That’s unfortunate because, given the topic, this may be his most important book. Other Horwitz tomes deal with looking at the past in fresh ways. This book offers an intriguing look at a very troubled spot in the present.
Although the style of the writing isn’t as good as Confederates in the Attic or Blue Latitudes, Horwitz has the ability to show the Middle East through the eyes of the people who live there. Considering the state of affairs in the Middle East, for an American to be able to do is quite an accomplishment. And although the fact that Horwitz is Jewish may be a problem for some of the people he’s dealing with, Horwitz lets the story unfold through their eyes and voices. He doesn’t let his own judgments get in the way of the story. Instead, readers are witnesses to the events Horwitz relates, not appendages to the writer. This is a real talent that Horwitz has in abundance.
Horwitz’s journeys through the Middle East occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Reading this book now is incredibly sad, because of how much worse the situations are in various countries. His closing chapter covers the US invasion of Iraq during the first Bush era. Clearly, we learned nothing from that escapade. Then again, neither did Saddam Hussein, as far as I can tell. When I think of the number of people Horwitz interviewed who must be living through hell, if they’re lucky enough to be alive, I want to weep.
That said, the quality of writing in this book is not as good as the others. It seemed a tad flat to me. That’s unfortunate because, given the topic, this may be his most important book. Other Horwitz tomes deal with looking at the past in fresh ways. This book offers an intriguing look at a very troubled spot in the present.
Although the style of the writing isn’t as good as Confederates in the Attic or Blue Latitudes, Horwitz has the ability to show the Middle East through the eyes of the people who live there. Considering the state of affairs in the Middle East, for an American to be able to do is quite an accomplishment. And although the fact that Horwitz is Jewish may be a problem for some of the people he’s dealing with, Horwitz lets the story unfold through their eyes and voices. He doesn’t let his own judgments get in the way of the story. Instead, readers are witnesses to the events Horwitz relates, not appendages to the writer. This is a real talent that Horwitz has in abundance.
Horwitz’s journeys through the Middle East occurred in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Reading this book now is incredibly sad, because of how much worse the situations are in various countries. His closing chapter covers the US invasion of Iraq during the first Bush era. Clearly, we learned nothing from that escapade. Then again, neither did Saddam Hussein, as far as I can tell. When I think of the number of people Horwitz interviewed who must be living through hell, if they’re lucky enough to be alive, I want to weep.
June 23, 2010
This was a compelling, though very difficult, read for me. I have visited the Middle East twice (Beirut, Lebanon and Bursa, Turkey) to attend international peace camps for children. Both times I was struck by the deep seated hatred even those attending a peace camp hold for others in the Middle East. I had so much trouble understanding the continued hatred for a group of people for hundreds and hundreds of years just because that is what you are taught. When does the cycle end?
This book brought all of these feelings that I struggled with in the past right to the forefront again. It was hard to read about the disregard for human life. On a brighter note, there were some amusing bits that reminded me of my good times there - water pipes, backsheesh and all the salam-ing! The Middle East is a fascinating place and one that I hope can heal its past so it can move into a peaceful future.
This book brought all of these feelings that I struggled with in the past right to the forefront again. It was hard to read about the disregard for human life. On a brighter note, there were some amusing bits that reminded me of my good times there - water pipes, backsheesh and all the salam-ing! The Middle East is a fascinating place and one that I hope can heal its past so it can move into a peaceful future.
May 31, 2021
> The colonel, apparently, just happened to be passing the El-Kabir and thought he'd pop in for a quiet cup of coffee. Only to find two hundred reporters who had been waiting frantically for thirty-two hours for something to justify their plane bill, their hotel bill, their planned layovers in Rome on the return trip. Qaddafi, for all his madness, knew how to get the media's attention.
> Even Egyptians regarded their southern neighbor with distaste. Sudan was filthy and poor, they observed without irony, and the Sudanese were lazy. This from a country where a government survey once concluded that the average Egyptian worked twenty-six minutes a day
> In Muglad a hole was measured in man-lengths—a well, say, was “six men deep”—and the scale came with an ethnic proviso. Arab or Dinka? If Dinka, each man-length was at least six inches greater.
> Even Egyptians regarded their southern neighbor with distaste. Sudan was filthy and poor, they observed without irony, and the Sudanese were lazy. This from a country where a government survey once concluded that the average Egyptian worked twenty-six minutes a day
> In Muglad a hole was measured in man-lengths—a well, say, was “six men deep”—and the scale came with an ethnic proviso. Arab or Dinka? If Dinka, each man-length was at least six inches greater.
August 11, 2015
Interesting to read this book now, more than 20 years after it was first published. Horwitz was able to paint a light-hearted and charming portrait of the Middle East while effectively commenting on the violence, sexism, poverty, and chaos he bumbled through as a freelance journalist. Hard to imagine him surviving today. Couldn't help but think of the journalists in recent days who have been captured and beheaded, as well as those who continue to report. They, I'm sure, have found the same ability to appreciate aspects of the area they are experiencing firsthand, but bumbling through in such a lighthearted fashion would not appear to be so much of an option these days.
April 19, 2011
What a lovely book this was! Simply a joy to read. I was wary at first because it's a good twenty years old (when he talks about the Persian Gulf War, he means the one between Iraq and Iran), but really, how much has changed in the Middle East when it comes to stuff like baksheesh and run-down infrastructure? The parts I loved best were the parts about places I've lived and traveled, but really, the whole book is fascinating. It reminded me of Robert D. Kaplan Lite - all the quirky travel experiences without the grand political commentary. This is the kind of book I'd like to write someday.
April 4, 2016
This isn't the type of book I would normally pick out for myself to read-it was a book club pick. I like to venture out and try new things, but this book was not for me. The writing was good and all, but the subject matter and the fact that there is really no plot-I just couldn't get into it. It's not my type of book. I do think people who like reading non-fic and/or travel memoirs would probably really enjoy this book. But at least now I can say I've read a non-fiction because it will probably never happen again!
July 27, 2016
Fascinating!
I loved this book. Despite speaking of experiences from 20 years ago, I felt the book showed a lot of relevant-to-today culture. If you like Bill Bryson's books, I think you'd like this one as well. It was so informative about a important region of the world, but humorous and easy to read! I just loved this book!
I loved this book. Despite speaking of experiences from 20 years ago, I felt the book showed a lot of relevant-to-today culture. If you like Bill Bryson's books, I think you'd like this one as well. It was so informative about a important region of the world, but humorous and easy to read! I just loved this book!
March 17, 2024
I didn't read all of the stories, but the ones I read provoked, simultaneously, the following thoughts:
Omg I am so glad I left.
These stories are so wacky, no one who hasnt been there would believe this, but I 100% believe every single thing.
HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAHahahahahaha!
I kinda wish I was there.
Thank God Im not there.
Omg I am so glad I left.
These stories are so wacky, no one who hasnt been there would believe this, but I 100% believe every single thing.
HAHAHAHAHAAAAAAHahahahahaha!
I kinda wish I was there.
Thank God Im not there.
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