The Land Beyond: A Thousand Miles on Foot through the Heart of the Middle East

There are many reasons why it might seem unwise to walk, mostly alone, through the Middle East. That, in part is, is exactly why Leon McCarron did it.\nThere are many reasons why it might seem unwise to walk, mostly alone, through the Middle East. That, in part, is exactly why Leon McCarron did it. From Jerusalem, McCarron followed a series of wild hiking trails that trace ancient trading and pilgrimage routes and traverse some of the most contested landscapes in the world. In the West Bank, he met families struggling to lead normal lives amidst political turmoil and had a surreal encounter with the world's oldest and smallest religious sect. In Jordan, he visited the ruins of Hellenic citadels and trekked through the legendary Wadi Rum. His journey culminated in the vast deserts of the Sinai, home to Bedouin tribes and haunted by the ghosts of Biblical history. The Land Beyond is a journey through time, from the quagmire of current geopolitics to the original ideals of the faithful, through the layers of history, culture and religion that have shaped the Holy Land. But at its heart, it is the story of people, not politics and of the connections that can bridge seemingly insurmountable barriers.

McCarron, Leon

Religion & Spirituality

Tauris Parke

What happens when you swap the nine-to-five for two wheels and a journey of a lifetime? Terrified of the prospect of a life spent behind a desk, without challenge or excitement, Leon takes off to cross America on an overloaded bicycle packed with everything but common sense. Over five months and 6000 miles, he cycled from New York to Seattle and then on to the Mexican border, facing tornados, swollen river crossings, wild roaming buffalo and one hungry black bear along the way. But he also met kind strangers, who offered their food, wisdom, hospitality and even the occasional local history lesson, and learned what happens when you take a chance and follow the scent of adventure. With a sharp eye and a genuine go-where-the-wind-takes-me attitude, McCarron makes for an ideal guide on this cycling adventure. He passes through small towns, rolls up and flies down the winding roads of the Blacks Hills is taken in and fed by strangers, all on a quest to discover the real” America, and in the process, learn a little about himself. Funny, insightful, and full of life, The Road Headed West will inspire readers to chase their dreams and go off in search of adventure.

The Road Headed West: A 6,000-Mile Cycling Odyssey through North America

Sports & Outdoors

Individual Sports

Skyhorse

A journey along the Tigris River in search of hope as this lifeblood of civilization now faces the twin threats of geoplitics and climate change. Starting at the source of this storied river, where ancient Mesopotamians and Assyrian kings had their images carved into stone, explorer Leon McCarron and his small team will journey through the Turkish mountains, across north-east Syria and into the heart of Iraq. Along the way, they will pass through historic cities like Diyarbakir, Mosul and Baghdad. We will meet fishermen and farmers, along with artists, activists and archaeologists, who rely on the flow of the river. Occasionally harassed by militias, often helped by soldiers, McCarron rode his luck in areas still troubled by ISIS and relied on the generosity of a network of strangers as he follows the river to it's end in the Persian Gulf. For readers of Simon Winchester, Erika Fatland, and Kevin Fedarko, Wounded Tigris is the story of what humanity stands to lose with the death of a great river, and what can be done to try to save it.

Wounded Tigris: A River Journey Through the Cradle of Civilization

History

Ancient Civilizations

Pegasus Books

Nominated for the Edward Stanford Travel Awards (Wanderlust Adventure Book of the Year) There are many reasons why it might seem unwise to walk, mostly alone, through the Middle East. That, in part, is exactly why Leon McCarron did it. From Jerusalem, McCarron followed a series of wild hiking trails that trace ancient trading and pilgrimage routes and traverse some of the most contested landscapes in the world. In the West Bank, he met families struggling to lead normal lives amidst political turmoil and had a surreal encounter with the world’s oldest and smallest religious sect. In Jordan he visited the ruins of Hellenic citadels and trekked through the legendary Wadi Rum. His journey culminated in the vast deserts of the Sinai, home to Bedouin tribes and haunted by the ghosts of biblical history. McCarron’s journey led him back through time, from the quagmire of current geopolitics to the original ideals of the faithful, through the layers of history, culture and religion that have shaped the Holy Land. Along migration and trade routes, pilgrimage trails and Bedouin paths, he found connection rather than division, hope instead of hatred and, ultimately, a shared humanity that borders and politics will never diminish.

Biographies & Memoirs

Historical

I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd

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Books by McCarron, Leon