Misadventure in the Middle East: Travels as a Tramp, Artist and Spy

(Paperback)

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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.

Reviews

"A once-in-a-lifetime journey, full of youthful ebullience and idealism, but self-aware too, and brave." Colin Thubron, author of Behind the Wall and The Lost Heart of Asia "The brilliantly-written account of a daring journey, by turns hilarious and poignant, and a timely antidote to current misconceptions about the Middle East. Essential reading." Jason Elliot, author of Mirrors of the Unseen and and An Unexpected Light "Misadventure in the Middle East is more than a gripping story of a dangerous expedition. It is a journey of self-discovery and an exploration of what it is to be an artist in a fractured world." John Mole, bestselling author of It's All Greek to Me and Mind Your Manners "A fantastic journey, full of surprising incidents and exciting encounters, in which you never know where the travellers will end up next. High-spirited and often amusing, Hemmings' book also grapples seriously with some of the big issues in the Middle East today."Nicholas Jubber, author of The Prester Quest

Author Bio

Henry's art book got some wonderful review coverage including a wonderful quote from Michael Palin. He is extremely well-connected and has written articles for Islamica, Resurgence, Nomad and The Middle East and now works in a cramped Hackney studio.