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title and the promise of this book is somewhat misleading, I have expected a book on religoulous fundamentalism in the Middle East, but this is rather a war diary from Iraq with some commentaries on the fundamentalism.
It is well written and interesting, but it's not what the book cover promises, Having said that, I am glad that I have read it, because it adds a human face to the news on tv, and has got few thoughtprovoking points.


Although Hider is an atheist, he is not aggressive in his writing about religious believes, and I like that.
He seemed to be stunned by what kind of atrocities some people can do in the name of God and not just "The Spiders of Allah", but Christians and Jews too.


The first two chapters are about IsraeliPalestinian conflict, its historical and biblical roots, as well as about today's fight for God's land.
The rest of the book is on Iraq, I liked Hider's unusual take on the beginnings of first civilization in Mesopotamia, this kind of commentary was what I was hoping for.
In the last chapters he writes about atheism and some biological and neurobiological theories why people believe, but this somehow didn't feel like it should be in this book.
What I have found interesting in his closing chapters was the new theory supported by latest DNA testings about Jews and Palestinians: that the Palestinians are really the descendents of those Jews who didn't leave their land.
Ironic, isn't it

Summarizing, I liked the book, but I think the author should have done a better job of editing his war diaries to fit the promise of the book more.


As a journalist writing about his many years spent in the middleeast war zones, James Hilder does a great job, and I appreciated that he didn't take sides.
The blurb on the back promises to discuss the religious aspects in detail, but they only get mentioned in bitsandpieces throughout the book.
Still, it was well written and interesting, A good read that helps give a much greater understanding into some of the conflicts going on throughout the world, Personally I found some of the more ancient history a bit tedious to read but that is where it all stems from so it can't really be left out.
A mesmerizing book about the dangerous intersection between human religions and the ability to coexist peacefullywell, it turns out to be an inablity, as the world continues to experience and witness.


The bulk of the action occurs in Iraq after God tells George Bush to impose his worldview over Saddam's.
Each chapter reinforces the folly and resulting horrors, with no sympathy for any ideology, But Hider also traces the current Middle Eastern conflicts through Gods and beliefs both ancient and forgotten and gradually transformed into the JewishMuslimChristian conflicts of.
It is bloody, senseless, and truely insane, This would seem to be obvious yet, obviously, it is not,

If you are suspicious of the truth and resulting actions of any or all of the world's competing religions, there is probably nothing real new in these narratives.
It will confirm your horrified helplessness and anger, And if you are among those who feel their God is the only true and just one, it will most likely not convert you to openminded tolerance.


But witnesses need to bear their unbearable stories, And these are important ones, told with all the skill of a fastpaced novel,

Platoon Sargeant Carlos Santilla, in his heartbreaking realism, provides a kind of Everyman's guide to survival in these crazy and dangerous times: "All I say is, don't be afraid of dying, but don't go looking for it.
"

If only the world's leaders possessed that much wisdom, Somewhat disjointed, but an interesting look at Iraq postinvasion and the Middle East, I'm not sure that this is gonzo journalism as described on the back cover and the author's antireligious beliefs, which I thought might present an interesting perspective, did not really add much.
In his fascinating, terrifying and often very funny book, James Hider takes his doubts about religious beliefs straight into the dark heart of the world's holy warsfrom Israel to Gaza to Iraqthe birthplace that spawned so many faithsand then back to Jerusalem.
From hardcore Zionist settlers still fighting ancient Biblical battles in the hills of the West Bank to Shiite death squads roaming the lawless streets of Iraq in the aftermath of Saddam whether it's the misappropriation and martyrdom of Mickey Mouse by Gaza's Islamists, or a US president acting on God's orders, Hider sees the hallucinatory effect of what he calls the 'crack cocaine of fanatical fundamentalism' all around him.
As he meets terrorists, suicide bombers, soldiers, ayatollahs, clerics, and ordinary and extraordinary people alike, the question that sparked his journey continues to plague his thoughts: how can people not only believe in this madness, but die and kill for it too This extraordinary and timely book takes the God Delusion debate onto the streets of the Middle East.
It casts an unflinching yet compassionate eye on the very worst and most violent crimes committed in the name of religion, and then sharply asks the questions the world needs to answer if we are ever to stand a chance of facing our own worst demons.
The book is packed full of information densely packed It is interesting and certainly educational but is not necessarily an easy read.
He has a highbrow writing style, which may not necessarily detract from the read, It created, for me, a sense that even though he is in the muck of it all, he is somehow completely removed.
At any rate, the book is perhaps an easier for people with avid interest in the subject matter, I do think it is a good book for everyone to read, as it is important to be informed about what is happening/ has happened around the world.
Not a bad read from an embedded journo though a touch lightweight at times, Woohoo! won another one looking forward to reading it,

This was an interesting read, Part history lesson, part philosophical discussion, part storytelling, the author uses his experiences in the Middle East to tell a story that reawakened my interest in Middle Eastern culture and history.
The book is very conversational in tone which is strange at times considering the amount of carnage and human suffering recounted in its pages.
The author is an atheist and naturally describe his experiences in terms of his worldview, marveling in disbelief at the things people are willing to die and/or kill for.


The day to day experiences of the author are surreal, He spends almost every day amidst violence and danger, and not only is he surrounded by it, it is his job to seek it out.
I think I've become more appreciative of investigative journalists thanks to this book, Interesting stories of the journalist's time in Iraq, A chapter orat the end trying to get philosophical, the author expounding on how people are killing each other for "something that doesn't exist".
Not a bad book, but the subtitle and the last chapters aren't really necessary I wish the author had let people draw their own conclusions instead of proselytizing atheism.
i LOVED this book. it was the one that i chose as my "extra" summer AP reading novel and i definitely made the right choice.
It was about a british reporter who did not believe in a god reporting in the Middle East a place that is so controlled by its religion.
Hider exposed ridiculous customs and why people were killing so aimlessly, This book was enlightening and interesting and I would recommend it to anyone who likes learning about the middle east and isnt too religouslyinclined.
This isn't the kind of book I normally read, but it caught my eye so I gave it a shot, James Hider was the Times UK Middle East station chief, and he chronicles his experiences in both Israel and Iraq, Fascinating and terrifying. James Hider has written an interesting and engaging look at the Middle East, Journalism, and even a bit of psychiatry, With a title like “The Spiders of Allah” and a subtitle of “Travels of an Unbeliever on the Frontline of Holy War” one might think that this was going to be yet another attack on Religion in general, and Islam in particular, but that is not the case.
Of course, there are moments when he takes on some questionable religious practices, in particular in the final chapter, but his comments are relatively balanced when one considers that the majority of this book focuses on the war in Iraq, and frankly the tone of most of the book is stories from a journalist reporting on the war and have nothing to do with religion.


In the introduction, Hider compares the real inhuman crimes of AlQaeda with those dreamt up by Hollywood, From there Hider takes us quickly through his time in Israel with a couple of short chapters, From there on, almost the entire book focuses on Iraq and the stories of Hiders time there, I dont want to

imply that religion does not play a role in these stories, because of course it does, Religion is certainly a backdrop to most of the problems of that region, However, many of the stories are not about religion, but rather a complete lack of moral guidance being displayed by any of the participants.
At one point in the book, Hider is compelled to leave the region himself, because he caught himself dismissing the execution murder of people and instead was irate about how it caused a traffic jam.
One can only wonder at how seeing such horrible acts and scenes everyday would affect ones mind, and that story helps one understand how people can become desensitized to violence.


The last chapter is significantly different than those which came before, as James Hider looks at humanity, i, e. homosapiens, and why we are able to believe so strongly in things we cannot prove exist, It is an interesting look at popular culture, history, fact, and fiction, It leads perfectly into the Epilogue which takes a look at the PalestinianIsraeli situation from a different perspective, On the whole, this was a very good book and an interesting look at a conflict which has gone on for thousands of years.
I think some of the sections could have been improved with some better editing, or perhaps some rewriting, and perhaps that will take place before the book is published.

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