Misadventure in the Middle East

by Henry Hemming

A beautifully written portrait of the post-9/11 Middle East that transports the reader into the human heart of the region

When Henry Hemming set out in a pick-up truck called Yasmine to make a portrait of the Middle East, he had no idea what he would find or where he would be able to go - he wasn't even sure how he would earn enough money to stay on the road for a year.

Henry Hemming's extraordinary journey takes him from the drug-fuelled ski-slopes of Iran via some of the region's secret beaches, palaces, army barracks, police cells, nightclubs, torture chambers, brothels and artists' studios to a Fourth of July party with American GIs in one of Saddam's former palaces. Everywhere he goes his status as artist gets him into places he would not have been allowed otherwise.

As the invasion of Iraq intensifies, he realises that to finish his portrait of the region he must go to Baghdad and find the artistic renaissance there that he has heard about. In so doing he will risk his life. Throughout, he meets young people who share their dreams, doubts and passions, revealing a young and unpredictable Middle East that flies beneath the radar of nightly news bulletins. In these meetings, he also begins to understand what he himself represents, be it British spy, Muslim extremist, jihadi, tramp, bohemian, street-cleaner, Baghdadi, or, from time to time, artist.

Misadventure in the Middle East offers a unique, evocative and highly original account of his journey.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Middle East, Humor, Adventure

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

About the author

Henry Hemming is the author of 7 works of non-fiction including the New York Times bestseller 'The Ingenious Mr Pyke', and the Sunday Times bestseller 'M'. He has written for publications including The Washington Post, The Sunday Times, The Economist and The Times, and lives in London with his wife and children.

Reviews

[Tariq Mahmood]

O mankind! We have created you from a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that you may know one another... The Quran 49:13. This was a courageous travelogue of two artists crisscrossing across the MiddleEast looking for inspiration. They choose to drive across the waste lands from Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Palestine, Iraq and Israel. They discover a strange brand of Islam which means different to different cultures. The book is a quick page turner. I loved the way author presented his various experiences across the very diverse cultures. The best bit for me was their time spend in Iran which I think they enjoyed the most. Very brave young men.

[Karen]

This is a book about two British artists in their late 20's who bought a truck they named Yasmine and who set off to tour the Middle East just before (and during) the war with Baghdad after 9/11. The author, Henry Hemming, has written an informative and enlightening book about these countries and their people. It was a delightful read and I learned a lot about the Middle East. Highly recommended.

[Arthur Banos]

An unexpectedly good read. It is light, has some humour and deals with some difficult issues with respect.

[thereadytraveller]

Two artists from the United Kingdom undertake a journey through the Middle East to explore the region post 9/11 and up to and during the invasion of Iraq.

The book focuses primarily on the people they meet as they drive in a pick-up truck “Yasmine” and showcase their journey-inspired art through less visited places such as Iran, Kurdish Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Baghdad immediately after its capture by Western forces. While doing so, Hemming is able to shed some insight into the prevailing mood at the time and delivers an extremely well written account of their adventure during troubled times.

[Strivetoengage]

For several years now I have been reading to the theme of the Middle East. From the local library I read the travel memoir of Henry Hemming called Misadventure in the Middle East: Travels as Tramp, Artist, & Spy. From the first page I thoroughly enjoyed the book right until the end. Hemming is an affable and insightful writer who obviously thought carefully about how to package his memories before publishing the book.

This great book follows Hemming and his friend Al from Slovakia, Austria, Turkey, Iran, Dubai, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Israel over a period of 12 months. The two artists graduated from university and set out soon after the 11th of September 2001 to make a portrait of the Middle East. They applied for funding and were unsuccessful so they spent their combined savings on a 4WD utility vehicle who they named Yasmine.

During the 12 months Al and Henry create art almost compulsively and at times feverishly when pressed by deadlines for exhibitions in Iran, Oman and Jordan. I don't know anything about art so I was a little reluctant to read the book until on the 3rd page Henry disarmed me with this statement:

We were painters; or you could say we were artists, but there's something about the word "artist" that feels a bit exclusive, or makes you think of people with a language all of their own - one that non-artists wouldn't get ...

This review was first posted on my blog: https://strivetoengage.wordpress.com/...

[chris tervit]

Feels a bit dated now, and like a student’s writing. Learned a bit about the different countries in ‘The Middle East’ - Iran section the best, goes off after that. Got kinda 4-5/10 amongst book groupers.

[Behrooz]

Interesting.

[Koral Intens]

Nie podobała mi się. Główni bohaterowie to totalni ignoranci dla których sztuka jest ważniejsza niż ich własne życie.

[Taye Rose]

As a traveler and an observer, I found so much inspiration in this book. It's so honest. I tore through it like I tore through the US in my Yasmine.

[Latające książki]

To książka o najdłuższym tytule na mojej półce, a przedstawia pasjonującą wyprawę na Bliski Wschód jeszcze zanim wybuchła II Wojna w Zatoce Perskiej, ale już po ataku 11 września.

Dwójka artystów z Wielkiej Brytanii Henry i Al postanowiło odbyć artystyczną wyprawę do serca islamskiego świata - do Bagdadu, gdzie podobno kwietnie artystyczny renesans. Wsiedli do starej toyoty, którą nazwali Yasmine (i przerobili w trakcie podróży przynajmniej kilka razy), zaopatrzyli się w płótna, szkicowniki i farby, mały egzemplarz Koranu, ulotki o islamie i… kij baseballowy, po czym obrali kierunek na wschód. Przejechali przez Węgry (bo Słowacy ich nie puścili na granicy), Turcję, Iran, Irak, ZEA, Arabię Saudyjską, Egipt, Jordanię, Liban, Syrię i w końcu Irak. Po drodze spotkali wielu dobrych ludzi, natknęli się na wiele niebezpiecznych miejsc i sytuacji, a to wszystko w imię sztuki. To sztuka otwarła im wiele drzwi zamkniętych dla zwyczajnych podróżników.

Ten reportaż jest wspaniałym obrazem kultury państw przez które przejeżdżali – bo nie wszędzie pasuje ogólna nazwa kultury islamu. Podróż odbywali w trakcie politycznych przewrotów i początków zmian. Kiedy wybuchła II Wojna w Zatoce Perskiej byli w Arabii Saudyjskiej. W trakcie wyprawy byli nazywani islamskimi ekstremistami, terrorystami i brytyjskimi szpiegami. Zdecydowanie najniebezpieczniejsze miejsce jakie odwiedzili to Bagdad oraz iracki Kurdystan, gdzie nielegalnie przekraczali granicę.

Jednak wszystko co Henry opisał jest pisane z punktu widzenia artysty. Opisywał barwy, tekstury, podziwiał style i chwalił prace spotykanych ludzi. Znaczna część książki jest refleksją na temat prawdziwego oblicza islamskiego świata. To nie każdemu musi się podobać, ta filozoficzna część. Mnie do końca nie porwała, może dlatego, że specjalizuję się w nieco innym patrzeniu na rzeczy opisane w książce, bardzie geograficznym i społecznym niż artystycznym.

Jeśli pasjonuje was Bliski Wschód, tańce derwiszy, wojsko amerykańskie, zniszczone uliczki Bagdadu i chcecie się dowiedzieć jak kobieta w burce okazuje zainteresowanie mężczyzną, to musicie przeczytać tę książkę. To reportaż zdecydowanie warty poznania chociażby po to, aby zobaczyć jak wyglądała Syria i Irak przed nastaniem ISIS.
https://latajace-ksiazki.blogspot.com...

[Gerald Sinstadt]

Henry Hemming and his friend Al are twenty-two-year-old art graduates who decide to take a year travelling through (or perhaps towards) "the heart of the Middle East." Their travels take them from the border of the Czech Republic, through Austria, Turkey, Iran, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Palestine, Iraq and Israel. They pay their way by making art and holding exhibitions.

In many ways the eye of the artist provides a fresh perception of a Middle East that has no real homogeneity. There are numerous moments of danger but their overwhelming impression is of the warmth and hospitality of the people they meet - and whose homes they often share. At times they have the naivete of their generation but at others their awareness and willingness to learn and understand provide an illuminatimg counterpoint to the picture more often portrayed by the conventional media.
.
The journey is given a unique frisson by being undertaken during the build-up to, and the completion of, the war against Saddam Hussein. Despite many warnings of danger, they are determined to reach Baghdad and do so only a dew weeks after the ending of hosilities but while there are still nightly gun battles on the streets.

Their ultimate discovery is less about the Middle East than about themsleves and their role in the world as artists. The fact that the author writes so well makes for a most unusual, memorable tale.

[Rose Mary]

The book has all the youthful energy, humour and fun as well as the depth and insightfulness of a mature and sensitive author. It is a very enjoyable and educating adventure story about two young British artists and a pick-up truck of theirs named Yasmine. The story is also about travelling in the Middle East in the wake of 9/11; about dispelling the Orientalists’ myths of the ‘Islamic world’; about the colourful and distinct characters of the people they met in the distinctly different neighbouring countries in the area. And most beautiful of all, it is a touching bildungsroman of two young men growing up real time – of two young artists who went treasure hunting and found their own art and the jewel of their own hearts.

[John]

Quite the adventure! The strongest point in the book comes near the end when he hears mention of "The Islamic (Arab) World" repeatedly after the Iraq invasion, thinking (paraphrased) "I kept having to making cultural adjustments with every new country - each was so different!" Hemming expresses himself well and is clearly dedicated to "making art" (the term he uses). He clearly has a very bright future ahead.
I'm witholding the fifth star as the book didn't flow well for me. The artists spent a chunk of time in Iran, where I felt the story bogged down a bit; I put it aside and came back later.

[Elizabeth]

this book encompasses everything i love about art. the characters have audacity, curiosity and a lust to veiw the world differently. to be british and travel through the middle east as the second gulf war breaks out is ballsy, flat out. i liked the buddy aura of the artists and the descriptions of the places and people they meet, especially the different art schools. i like that they have a car named Yasmine and she is a character in the book. at times the narrative lags, hence the four stars.

[Levy]

"You’ve got the chance to make art about some of these incredible themes, things that actually matter! We’ve lived our whole lives without anything to… anything to really fight against. We haven’t had a war. We haven’t had… um, Communism, Vietnam, equal rights. What can you go on a march about in London? Tuition fees. Great."

[Rui Igreja]

Two "crazy" brits travel by car to and in the Middle East. They go to Iran where they meet artists and even whiskey drinkers and marijuana smokers snowboarders. They go to Iraq's Kurdistan, to Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Syria ... and to Baghdad (to see the new vague of Iraqi arts) during the American invasion, where they almost get killed. A different perspective (from inside) of the Middle East.

[Arielle]

Great travel log and insight into the Middle East leading up to and during the outbreak of the Iraq war - from the perspective of a variety of artists. Check out www.henryhemming.com to see some of the artwork he and his friend created during their trip.

[Alton]

Definitely worth reading-excellent account of an artist and his friends traveling through the Middle East as the invasion of Iraq gears up. Hard to believe this was the author's first book. Might not be on your local bookstores or libraries book shelves but definitely worth finding and reading.

[Thoraiya]

This book made me laugh until I cried and cry until...well, until I stopped crying. Thanks, Henry, for making with the art in the form of words, which I prefer, as well as in pictures. I'd like to steal it from the library. I SUPPOSE I'll take it back and buy it later ;)

[Jamie]

One of the most readable, genuine and humorous books I've picked up this year. Far exceeded all expectations I had when I first saw it. It is informative and unjudgemental, and it handled tricky subjects with ease. I couldn't recommend this book enough.

[Efrain]

Good artist friends traveling and temporarily living in the Middle East, trying to show and make money on their art. Interesting turn in events leave you guessing on every turn. Great read!

[Maggie Downs]

Thoroughly entertaining, but honest and thoughtful. I read this in just two days, because I couldn't bring myself to put it down.

[Nono Harhoff]

amazing - totally captivating! a modern day "On the Road" set in the Middle East durring the second Iraq war.

[Carlos]

It was just okay.

[Emma Appleton]

Absolutely LOVED this book! took it to read when travelling round the middle east and it made me laugh out loud. Inspired me to write about my travels, it was an essential travel guide!