The Spiders of Allah: Travels of an Unbeliever on the Frontline of Holy War

by James Hider

In his fascinating, terrifying and often very funny book, James Hider takes his doubts about religious beliefs straight into the dark heart of the world’s holy wars—from Israel to Gaza to Iraq—the birthplace that spawned so many faiths—and then back to Jerusalem. From hardcore Zionist settlers still fighting ancient Biblical battles in the hills of the West Bank to Shiite death squads roaming the lawless streets of Iraq in the aftermath of Saddam; whether it's the misappropriation and martyrdom of Mickey Mouse by Gaza's Islamists, or a US president acting on God's orders, Hider sees the hallucinatory effect of what he calls the 'crack cocaine of fanatical fundamentalism' all around him. As he meets terrorists, suicide bombers, soldiers, ayatollahs, clerics, and ordinary and extraordinary people alike, the question that sparked his journey continues to plague his how can people not only believe in this madness, but die and kill for it too? This extraordinary and timely book takes the God Delusion debate onto the streets of the Middle East. It casts an unflinching yet compassionate eye on the very worst and most violent crimes committed in the name of religion, and then sharply asks the questions the world needs to answer if we are ever to stand a chance of facing our own worst demons.

Genres: Nonfiction, Middle East, Religion, History, War, Islam, Cultural

336 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

About the author

I have always been fascinated by what you might call the pathology of ideas -- how they mutate as different societies inherit, steal or are infected by foreign concepts, customs and gods. How a Disney character can become an icon of Islamist martyrdom, how we invent gods because we are afraid of dying, then end up dying for these invented gods. Having seen at first hand, and all too often, the most extreme results of these ever-warping ideas, I sat down and tried to write about them in "Spiders of Allah," the result of seven years covering conflict across the Middle East. Because the history of the region stretches back so far, the ideas that have come out of it have had millennia to warp and twist. You can see front lines that date back thousands of years, and which are still being fought over, affecting people's lives around the world. And what really fascinated me was, what if many of these central ideas are not only absurd, but extremely dangerous?

After Spiders was published, I covered the Arab Spring, and for a while there on Tahrir Square and Benghazi, I was hopeful the rational might sweep away the power of the supernatural. Unfortunately, the subsequent chaos in the region has shown the abiding power of religious division, sectarianism and the deep-seated power of hatred and fear.

Reviews

[Casey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I entered the giveaway for this book mainly because of I thought the cover art was by Ralph Steadman. I was completely wrong.

When I re-read the synopsis of the book after winning I thought I'd be getting a non-fiction book that would add some religious and historical context to middle eastern conflicts. I was mostly wrong.

I enjoyed the two chapters that discussed the Israeli/Palestinian conflict and some of the religious history behind it. Then the book takes a nearly 200 pg diversion into Iraq, largely ignoring religion (aside from occasional Sunni/Shiite tidbits), in favor of the standard Iraq war stuff of Saddam brutality, military embeds, translator fixers, and the general extreme-journo bravado that pops up a lot with Iraq War correspondents (I'm looking at you Lara Logan). I wasn't really interested for the same reasons I stopped watching Generation Kill after two episodes. I have information overload connected to the Iraq War. Sorry dude. Too late.

The book was ok, and it was free, but ultimately couldn't escape the "gonzo" cloud that it was branded with. Too often "new gonzo" authors (ahem, Matt Taibbi) come off as imitators rather than followers. I should probably learn to avoid books labeled this way and more generally continue to avoid war non-fiction.

[zed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read from an embedded journo though a touch lightweight at times.

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Hider has written an interesting and engaging look at the Middle East, Journalism, and even a bit of psychiatry. With a title like “The Spiders of Allah” and a subtitle of “Travels of an Unbeliever on the Frontline of Holy War” one might think that this was going to be yet another attack on Religion in general, and Islam in particular, but that is not the case. Of course, there are moments when he takes on some questionable religious practices, in particular in the final chapter, but his comments are relatively balanced when one considers that the majority of this book focuses on the war in Iraq, and frankly the tone of most of the book is stories from a journalist reporting on the war and have nothing to do with religion.

In the introduction, Hider compares the real inhuman crimes of Al-Qaeda with those dreamt up by Hollywood. From there Hider takes us quickly through his time in Israel with a couple of short chapters. From there on, almost the entire book focuses on Iraq and the stories of Hider’s time there. I don’t want to imply that religion does not play a role in these stories, because of course it does. Religion is certainly a backdrop to most of the problems of that region. However, many of the stories are not about religion, but rather a complete lack of moral guidance being displayed by any of the participants. At one point in the book, Hider is compelled to leave the region himself, because he caught himself dismissing the execution murder of people and instead was irate about how it caused a traffic jam. One can only wonder at how seeing such horrible acts and scenes everyday would affect one’s mind, and that story helps one understand how people can become desensitized to violence.

The last chapter is significantly different than those which came before, as James Hider looks at humanity, i.e. homo-sapiens, and why we are able to believe so strongly in things we cannot prove exist. It is an interesting look at popular culture, history, fact, and fiction. It leads perfectly into the Epilogue which takes a look at the Palestinian-Israeli situation from a different perspective. On the whole, this was a very good book and an interesting look at a conflict which has gone on for thousands of years. I think some of the sections could have been improved with some better editing, or perhaps some rewriting, and perhaps that will take place before the book is published.

[Joanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title and the promise of this book is somewhat misleading. I have expected a book on religoulous fundamentalism in the Middle East, but this is rather a war diary from Iraq with some commentaries on the fundamentalism. It is well written and interesting, but it's not what the book cover promises. Having said that, I am glad that I have read it, because it adds a human face to the news on tv, and has got few thought-provoking points.

Although Hider is an atheist, he is not aggressive in his writing about religious believes, and I like that. He seemed to be stunned by what kind of atrocities some people can do in the name of God - and not just "The Spiders of Allah", but Christians and Jews too.

The first two chapters are about Israeli-Palestinian conflict, its historical and biblical roots, as well as about today's fight for God's land. The rest of the book is on Iraq. I liked Hider's unusual take on the beginnings of first civilization in Mesopotamia, this kind of commentary was what I was hoping for. In the last chapters he writes about atheism and some biological and neurobiological theories why people believe, but this somehow didn't feel like it should be in this book. What I have found interesting in his closing chapters was the new theory (supported by latest DNA testings) about Jews and Palestinians: that the Palestinians are really the descendents of those Jews who didn't leave their land. Ironic, isn't it?

Summarizing, I liked the book, but I think the author should have done a better job of editing his war diaries to fit the promise of the book more.

[Jogar01 · Rating 4 out of 5]

James Hider does a good job in writing about the irrationality of religious believes in the Middle East, specifically in Iraq, Palestine, and Israel. Through out the book he also comments on the irracionality of the Western Christian believes in attempting to comprehend and explain the world through the eyes of a god. The most powerful passages of the book, in my opinion, are the ones when Hider is embedded with the US Army and witnesses the state of humanity: we are obsessed with violence. The soldiers wait in their military vehicle glued to a screen watching the broadcasts of a drone ripping Iraquis apart, wounded soldiers playing virtual war in their PS3 or XBox360, Iraquis willing to blow themselves up, others whipping themselves with swords, etc. Overall a good read on the irracionaility of religious beliefs and the effects of real and simulated violence on people.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book. The story of the war is told from a perspective I hadn't really heard before. The book is less about the war and more about the interactions of different religions and societies. It highlights the history of the area and the history of religion in the area without getting bogged down in long narratives. It is introspective and it is funny (I didn't expect that from a book about a war torn societies). It’s obvious that the author has spent a lot of time in areas experiencing a lot of upheaval; he talks about how overwhelming it is, but it’s obvious that he is drawn there and finds it fulfilling. I liked that about the book. It talks about the good and the bad of both sides, of understandings and misunderstandings, and because of that it is a lot easier to get a feel for how huge and complex the problems facing the area are.

[Elisabet · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was an anti-Islam book and the title certainly does suggest that so I did not plan to read it. I read it as research for a story I am writing and found the book is about the spiders of God (Allah means God and the word is not particular to Islam) and the misuse of religion whether it be Christianity, Islam, or Judaism to divide people and move them to commit heinous crimes against one another. All religions teach love so we can only believe that people claim by words to serve God, but, in reality, their actions prove that their agenda has nothing to do with God.

This book is well written and informative. As a Muslim, I was never offended or felt the author was anti-Muslim. He stated what he saw and experienced--facts, not opinions.

[Jj Sutherland · Rating 5 out of 5]

James Hider's Spiders of Allah is one of those books that could only be written by someone who has been there. I've spent quite a bit of time in the Middle East and Mr. Hider captures the surrealism of the place in a book hilarious, well told, and at time sobering. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to get a feel for the Middle East that lies behind the headlines, and the mentalities that drive them.

[Jade Hardwick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book mind blowing and terrifying! I definitely recommend for anyone who has an interest in modern history. The author provides so much insight into conflicts of this world that, for some, are hard to understand.

[Colin Freebury · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book recounts the experiences of a British journalist in Middle Eastern war zones, reflecting on the madness of war and his disdain for attempts to justify it in religious terms. The narrative is somewhat disjointed, shifting from the futility of the Syrian civil war, to the American invasion of Iraq and its misguided efforts to impose a democratic model of government, to the battle of Falluja, and finally to the absurdity of framing war as a religious cause. Some critics have suggested that the book would benefit from tighter editing to create a more coherent structure. Personally, I appreciated its somewhat fragmented, almost cobbled-together quality, which ultimately conveys the immediacy of the author’s observations and the raw impact of what he witnessed in such tragic circumstances.

[Kriegslok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up for a few pence at a lost property sale and didn't expect much of it. It turned out to be an interesting read and a bit different in perspective from some of the other stuff I've read on the conflicts covered. Hider provides what feels to be a pretty honest gut based retelling of his time in the "religious" war zones from a position highly critical of the role of fundamentalist religion, and religion in general, in peoples lives. You get a harrowing picture of lives lost to blinkered fanaticism that drains the life from practitioners and coerces others on pain of death into the same brainlessness. At the same time there is a glimpse of the cynical use of religious fundamentalism in the settling of score and the familiar profit motive. I was once again struck by how the lack of access to information and encouragement to free thinking has created generations who are little more than fodder for blind obedience to creeds that do not allow questioning be those ancient or contemporary (something Hider never really touches on but perhaps it's too obvious). Reading the book yet again you get a sense of just how out of touch with reality the US was when it decided to wade into its latest bloody crusade and the feeling is once again reinforced that this was more a religiously inspired adventure than a planned military operation by the worlds foremost military power "God is on our side, they are evil doers, the USA will triumph as it is the avenging angel chosen by God to free the world of terrorists" etc. Hider recalls GW Bush and his conversations with a God who gives him his marching orders. The book is a graphic record of the decent into utter madness of a country torn apart and its people mangled and murdered for decades. Towards the end of the book Hider gets more philosophical and I think effectively makes his point which will be as lost now as it has been for centuries. We are all the same meat machines. We live, we die. Along the way we are recruited, beaten, terrorised by the evolving grey matter that has made us the complex creatures we are and which seems to have created within us a predisposition for flights of deadly fantasy. Hider chronicles a brief moment in the history of human madness that is and probably always will be with us however much the sane and enlightened rail against it.

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a stranger in a strange land tale - at its best there are shades of Michael Herr's Vietnam classic, Dispatches crossed with Alexis de Tocqueville's ruminations on 19th century America. Hider, the Middle East bureau chief for the Times of London provides a solid journalistic portrait of post-Saddam Iraq.

I appreciated Mr. Hider's clear but not always dispassionate writing & his keen eye for the ridiculous or ironic detail. There were times in reading this when I laughed out loud (garnering many raised eyebrows on BART). He also has a nice sense of history & I am still shuddering to think of the amount of looting & utter destruction of archaeological sites that has occurred in this cradle of civilization.

This makes a nice companion piece to Rajiv Chandrasekaran's excellent account of life in the Green Zone, Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone. Throw in Generation Kill & Chasing Ghosts for the soldier's perspective & you'll be well-informed about our involvement in Iraq from multiple viewpoints. It won't make you feel any better about it all, but it'll help you put some context to your thoughts about it.

[Kerfe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mesmerizing book about the dangerous intersection between human religions and the ability to co-exist peacefully--well, it turns out to be an inablity, as the world continues to experience and witness.

The bulk of the action occurs in Iraq after God tells George Bush to impose his world-view over Saddam's. Each chapter reinforces the folly and resulting horrors, with no sympathy for any ideology. But Hider also traces the current Middle Eastern conflicts through Gods and beliefs both ancient and forgotten and gradually transformed into the Jewish-Muslim-Christian conflicts of 2009. It is bloody, senseless, and truely insane. This would seem to be obvious; yet, obviously, it is not.

If you are suspicious of the truth and resulting actions of any or all of the world's competing religions, there is probably nothing real new in these narratives. It will confirm your horrified helplessness and anger. And if you are among those who feel their God is the only true and just one, it will most likely not convert you to open-minded tolerance.

But witnesses need to bear their unbearable stories. And these are important ones, told with all the skill of a fast-paced novel.

Platoon Sargeant Carlos Santilla, in his heartbreaking realism, provides a kind of Everyman's guide to survival in these crazy and dangerous times: "All I say is, don't be afraid of dying, but don't go looking for it."

If only the world's leaders possessed that much wisdom.

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book more than I did. It definitely contained some interesting episodes, and it provides a rather unique view of war (in that it is primarily about a war that is still raging), but it does not completely live up to its promises. Hider is a good war journalist, but not quite the "gonzo" one that the book claims he is. Yes, he consistently places himself in dangerous places, but he does not really say anything that another journalist placed in the same locations would not say. I am fascinated by the Middle East, so I was hoping there would be more insight than there was. For the first few chapters, Hider hits us over the head again and again with the fact that he is an athiest (nothing wrong with that!), but there really does not seem to be much point to this, or any deeper lessons that he takes away because of this - we get that religion makes people do crazy things, but that is about all. His interactions with his cadre of Iraqi translators/drivers/etc come closest to providing a unique view of the situation and problems that the country faces. In the end, an interesting read, but I would not necessarily go out of my way to read his next one - I would probably just do it if it happened to be convenient. I wish I could give it 3.5 stars.

[T · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this very much. After reading all the news stories surrounding this situation, it was nice to get a personal account. Others may have already dipped into the gonzo-style accounts of the war in Iraq, I had not.

The summary is a bit misleading. There is an undertone of religion throughout the book, but it is not another "God Delusion" by far.

Not only do you get a first person account, but there are many insights into a culture I thought I knew more about. The violence and bloodshed, the seeming disregard for human life in general, it's hard to get through.

Another part I deeply appreciated was the journalist admitting it's hard to be unbiased when the people you're writing on are also the ones saving your life.

My favorite part, was the part about him obtaining a house, and all of the translators living inside. The fact that two of them were on opposing sides of the civil war breaking out, made it all the more interesting to see this society as a microcosm.

[Alexis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Woohoo! won another one...looking forward to reading it.

This was an interesting read. Part history lesson, part philosophical discussion, part storytelling, the author uses his experiences in the Middle East to tell a story that reawakened my interest in Middle Eastern culture and history. The book is very conversational in tone which is strange at times considering the amount of carnage and human suffering recounted in its pages. The author is an atheist and naturally describe his experiences in terms of his worldview, marveling in disbelief at the things people are willing to die and/or kill for.

The day to day experiences of the author are surreal. He spends almost every day amidst violence and danger, and not only is he surrounded by it, it is his job to seek it out. I think I've become more appreciative of investigative journalists thanks to this book.

[J.D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I came across the actual Spiders of Allah (a.k.a solifuges, sun spiders, wind scorpions; we knew them as Camel Spiders) in Afghanistan. They were pretty benign to us Australians, but like any arachnids they’re not pretty, cute or attractive. We used to hide them in each other’s bedding for japes and gig’s. Pretty funny unless it happened to you.
Entertaining book by an embedded journo throughout the middle-east. A typical at times Westerner expat's experience of those climes, dealing with the blustering macho hierarchy, the almost time travelling rudimentary way of life at some localities (besides the presence of AK-47’s and mobi’ phones) amongst other challenges. Gives a good insight to the feeling of the place he was posted to at the time. Makes me think he’s above grade at his chosen craft. Good memoir.

[Kellyreaderofbooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Non-fiction, this book is written by an atheist journalist who spent many months in Iraq as well as Israel. In addition to his personal experiences in the war zones (everything from being in Fallujah during the US invasion to suicide bombers blowing people to bits), he also writes about his personal views towards violence based on religious beliefs. There is also a bit of history of the peoples of Iraq and Israel thrown in , as well.

I'm agnostic with strong leanings towards atheism, and was excited to get my hands on this book. It did not disappoint. Hider's cynical views towards the conflicts and religion were interesting, and at times funny in a horrific yet honest way. The history parts of the book are enough to give you a little background, but not enough to bog you down.

[George · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m conflicted about this book. I found the first 147 pages mostly boring. The British idioms, geographic references and cultural analogies didn't help its readability for me.

Both the stories and the storytelling, however, did improve in the second half of the book; but never quite rising to the back-cover, promotional promise of a “razor-sharp look at the malign influence of fanatical fundamentalism”. More like a butter knife sharp, at best.

Recommendation: Start at page 148: Ancient Feuds --- A Festival of Blood in Karbala, if at all; and you won’t have missed a thing. Or find other books on the subject to explore.

[Christine Whitney · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is packed full of information (densely packed) It is interesting and certainly educational but is not necessarily an easy read. He has a highbrow writing style, which may not necessarily detract from the read. It created, for me, a sense that even though he is in the muck of it all, he is somehow completely removed. At any rate, the book is perhaps an easier for people with avid interest in the subject matter. I do think it is a good book for everyone to read, as it is important to be informed about what is happening/ has happened around the world.

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hider reported on what he saw with no apparent bias to any side, and I loved it. One of the few books about the Middle East that doesn't present an opinion on who is the worse foe or the justified avenger. I finished the book and felt informed, and almost sorry for everyone involved. Each side is so lost in their dogmas that they cannot be reasoned with, and yet this doesn't make me angry. It was presented with humor and left me questioning all humankind, not demonizing the fighters or their beliefs. We're all capable of this, we're all human.

[Caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

Graphic details from a journalist with boots on the ground. Said journalist is an atheist and explores why the people of the holy land are always at war (but not until the penultimate chapter, and quite strangely). However, he meets an interesting man in the last chapter who puts forth a very interesting idea (backed up with DNA and lab testing). Overall, a good story. I liked most the details of the people and out troops over there.

[Tarika · Rating 5 out of 5]

i LOVED this book. it was the one that i chose as my "extra" summer AP reading novel and i definitely made the right choice. It was about a british reporter who did not believe in a god reporting in the Middle East - a place that is so controlled by its religion. Hider exposed ridiculous customs and why people were killing so aimlessly. This book was enlightening and interesting and I would recommend it to anyone who likes learning about the middle east and isnt too religously-inclined.

[Cindy]

Gonzo journalism. I was a fan of Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing series, Las Vegas and especially the Campaign Trail. I entered a contest to receive a prerelease of the Spiders of Allah, and I liked the chapter or two I read--I can't think of a better place to practice gonzo journalism than the Middle East--but I lost the book at LAX.

[Vicki · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting stories of the journalist's time in Iraq. A chapter or 2 at the end trying to get philosophical, the author expounding on how people are killing each other for "something that doesn't exist". Not a bad book, but the subtitle and the last chapters aren't really necessary - I wish the author had let people draw their own conclusions instead of proselytizing atheism.

[Anita · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a journalist writing about his many years spent in the middle-east war zones, James Hilder does a great job, and I appreciated that he didn't take sides. The blurb on the back promises to discuss the religious aspects in detail, but they only get mentioned in bits-and-pieces throughout the book. Still, it was well written and interesting.

[Turi Becker · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't the kind of book I normally read, but it caught my eye so I gave it a shot. James Hider was the Times UK Middle East station chief, and he chronicles his experiences in both Israel and Iraq. Fascinating and terrifying.

[Esther · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book that I've read on current events in Iraq and the middle east. I wasn't sure if I would get through it, but found it hard to put down. Some bits were difficult. I loved the glimpses he gave us of life there, little windows of moments, that we don't see on the news.

[Gerard Walsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

A correspondent travels around the Middle East interviewing different people that claim to be willing to kill in the name of religion and fills in background details not only on them but on their victims and those caught up in the middle.

[Kevin Butler · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good read that helps give a much greater understanding into some of the conflicts going on throughout the world. Personally I found some of the more ancient history a bit tedious to read but that is where it all stems from so it can't really be left out.