Description
Book SynopsisAn engaging and often funny introduction to Arab culture through the experiences of an English family living in the Middle East.
Trade Review“Inspiring, challenging, and valuable. It’s not easy to pigeon-hole as it’s autobiography combined with a hugely helpful and well-told narrative about the politics, ecology, cultures, and religions of the region at the crossroads of the world. If you’re puzzled by what’s on the news concerning Iraq, Syria, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the rest of the Middle East, this is a great place to start. It’s told with humour and empathy, and most of all with deep love for the people and the places where many of today’s global tensions focus. Read it soon and you’ll not only be better informed, you’ll see the people and region quite differently.” -- Reverend Dave Bookless, Director of Theology, A Rocha International
“This is Christianity bringing real hope to the wildlife, wild places, and the people of Lebanon’s Bekaa Valley and beyond. It is an extraordinary tale of faith in action with cultural and historical insights sandwiched in regional turmoil.” -- David Chandler, co-author of RSPB Guide to Birdwatching
“This is a very readable and compelling account of a family living through tumultuous events in the Middle East. I can’t think of a better way of getting beneath the surface and understanding something of the culture, religion and politics of the region than through the very varied experiences of Chris and Susanna and their family. Having lived through some of these same events and seen their creative conservation work in Lebanon, I can vouch for the fact that it made a very significant contribution in a troubled country.” -- Reverend Colin Chapman, formerly lecturer in Islamic Studies, Near East School of Theology, Beirut, Lebanon
“The environmental condition of the Middle East is easily forgotten amidst the maelstrom of politics and conflict. This rich and inspiring account of the Naylor family’s adventures in Lebanon, and the setting up of A Rocha’s project to help protect the priceless Aammiq wetlands in the Bekaa Valley, will help put many a conservation battle into perspective. It is thoughtful, wise, and compelling reading, with enough name-dropping of exciting fauna to make you thirst to go there yourself.” -- Dominic Couzens, bestselling natural history writer and author of Secret Lives of Garden Birds
“More than the story of a remarkable and pioneering family and the conservation organization they led, Postcards from the Middle East gives a hard-won and deeply grounded perspective on a beautiful and troubled country whose history has come to affect us all. Chris Naylor’s knowledgeable affection for the landscapes and cultures he gave so much to understand, and for the Lebanese people whose current diaspora are found all around the world, shines through every page. With every chapter, we become the beneficiaries of his many years in the region; the extraordinary legacy of his working years there give him a wise and moderate voice that deserves to be widely heard.” -- Peter Harris, President and co-founder of A Rocha
“Chris Naylor has reminded me of a carpet weaver in Medhat Bacha market in old Damascus. He was able to skilfully weave in various threads of culture, family, history, religion, mythology, and politics to produce a colourful carpet. Naylor’s lucid and conversational style makes the book an enjoyable reading. I appreciated his cultural sensitivity and authentic sincerity as he shares his and his family’s experiences and adventures. This book deserves to be placed next to Edward Said’s Orientalism, but I assure you that you will read it with lots of smiles and laughter!” -- Dr Riad Kassis, Director, Langham Scholars Ministry, Langham Partnership
Table of ContentsContents
Map of Lebanon 8
Acknowledgments 9
A Note on Transliteration of Arabic to English Text 10
Introduction: To Picnic or Not to Picnic? 11
Chapter 1: The Middle East and Back Again 21
Chapter 2: The Keys to the House: The Arabic Language 39
Chapter 3: Lebanon After the Civil War 55
Chapter 4: A History Told in Stone 71
Chapter 5: Grounded in the Valley 87
Chapter 6: Mission Impossible 101
Chapter 7: “Salaam Alaykum and Merry Christmas and Thanks Be to God” 115
Chapter 8: How I Got a Gun 125
Chapter 9: Crossing Cultures 141
Chapter 10: The Day the World Changed 153
Chapter 11: Myths, Legends, and Superstitions 165
Chapter 12: Valentine’s Day 181
Chapter 13: A Summer War 193
Chapter 14: The Final Departure 209
Chapter 15: A New Country 219
Appendix 231
The Naylor Family and the Middle East Timeline 237
Suggested Reading 239
Last Word… 240
