Get our latest staff recommendations, award news and digital catalog links right to your inbox.
Published by Pegasus Books
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
A fascinating journey down the Tigris River—the lifeblood of human civilization—in search of history and hope.
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 its 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.
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 its 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.
Product Details
- Publisher: Pegasus Books (November 7, 2023)
- Length: 352 pages
- ISBN13: 9781639365081
Browse Related Books
Raves and Reviews
“Hewn with the visceral language and spirit you’d expect from this adventurer.”
– National Geographic Traveller
"A brave adventure grippingly evoked and featuring pertinent historical context. An Iraq-based Northern Irish journalist ventures down the Tigris River through the fraught landscape of Turkey, Kurdistan, Syria, and Iraq. The narrative flows organically, delineating such daily hardships as negotiating with the police, as well as the evening delights of breaking bread with new friends in their homes."
– Kirkus Reviews
“Real travel writing - hard hitting, with a flowing momentum, hitting a strong modern country…a truly epic journey.”
– Sophy Roberts, author of Lost Pianos of Siberia
“Brilliant. Documenting the reality of a war-torn region from a river’s point of view––including many stretches that are no longer navigable because of military ordinances––Wounded Tigris captures the peculiar beauty and enduring importance of one of humanity’s first waterways.”
– Foreword Reviews (starred)
“A reminder of what a great civilisation Iraq once was, what has been destroyed, and what humanity loses in the death of a civilisation. And it gave me itchy feet!"
– Emma Sky, Founding Director of Yale's International Leadership Center, author of The Unravelling
“Witty and urbane, and modest enough to make his feats seem quite normal.”
– The Irish Times on the author
“Unflinching account of a brave and worthwhile journey…a combination of honest writing, diligent research, abundant empathy and an eye for a good story.”
– Justin Marozzi, historian and author of Baghdad: City of Peace, City of Blood
“Reads like a classic piece of travel writing but it is also an urgent warning about the havoc we are wreaking on our environment.”
– Daunt Books
“A swashbuckling tale…dodging mines and gun-cradling militia, mccarron returns to tell a tale of a river under assault.”
– Financial Times
“A brilliant, beautifully written, mad and mystical journey. Read it.”
– Quentin Sommerville, BBC Middle East correspondent
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): Wounded Tigris eBook 9781639365081
