Children of Jihad: A Young American's Travels Among the Youth of the Middle East

Cohen, Jared

ISBN 10: 1433203782 ISBN 13: 9781433203787

Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks, 2007

Synopsis

Classrooms were never sufficient for Jared Cohen; he wanted to learn about global affairs by witnessing them firsthand. While studying on a Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford, he took a crash course in Arabic, read voraciously on the history and culture of the Middle East, and in 2004 he embarked on the first of a series of incredible journeys to the Middle East. In an effort to try to understand the spread of radical Islamist violence, he focused his research on Muslim youth. The result is Children of Jihad, a portrait of paradox that probes much deeper than any journalist or pundit ever could.

Written with candor and featuring dozens of eye-opening anecdotes, Cohen's account begins in Lebanon, where he interviews Hezbollah members at, of all places, a McDonald's. In Iran, he defies government threats and sneaks into underground parties, where bootleg liquor, Western music, and the Internet are all easy to access. His risky itinerary also takes him to a Palestinian refugee camp in southern Lebanon, borderlands in Syria, the insurgency hotbed of Mosul, and other frontline locales. At each turn, he observes a culture at an uncanny crossroads: Bedouin shepherds with satellite dishes to provide Western TV shows, young women wearing garish makeup despite religious mandates, teenagers sending secret text messages and arranging illicit trysts. Gripping and daring, Children of Jihad shows us the future through the eyes of those who are shaping it.

About this title

About the Author:

After completing this book, JARED COHEN joined the U.S. Department of State. A Stanford graduate (2004), Oxford graduate (2006), and Rhodes scholar, he has conducted extensive research in Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Lebanon. He has also traveled to Afghanistan, as well as 21 African countries. He has worked in the public and private sectors and appeared in the media, including ABC Radio and the Discovery Channel. He lives in Washington, D.C.

About this edition

• Publisher: Blackstone Audiobooks
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1433203782
• ISBN 13: 9781433203787
• Binding: Audio CD