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Children of Jihad: A Young American’s Travels among the Youth of the Middle East Audiobook
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(3.05) - 295 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Defying foreign government orders and interviewing terrorists face-to-face, a young American tours hostile lands to learn about Middle Eastern youth—and uncovers a subculture that defies every stereotype.
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.
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"What can you say about a guy that explored the Middle East as a grad student, following up on exploring warzones in Africa? Cohen's stories are very telling and informative. He shares his deep understand of the history the sets the stage of the current situation in the Middle East and weaves into it what he sees firsthand. It's clear that the world here isn't the one we're told of in the news (and I feel I learned more about the Middle East from this book than from all other sources combined). His discussions on the role of religion and people and institutions are very accurate as well - strikingly consistent with my research in that subject. Cohen writes very well - this is one engaging read."
— Arnav (5 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“This young gutsy writer knows that the East-West struggle is being fought over the café tables of the Near and Middle East. Do the youth of the Islamic world dream of an engineering degree from Michigan State or a martyr’s death? This young American has had the moxie to sit and listen for hours at those tables. In the words of the poet, Jared Cohen has taken the road ‘less traveled by, and that has made all the difference.’”
— Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC’s Hardball and NBC’s The Chris Matthews Show. -
“Cohen’s chronicle is fine fieldwork for students of the Middle East.”
— Booklist
Children of Jihad Listener Reviews
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" This book provides a very interesting and untold perspective. "
— Harley, 2/9/2014 -
" Jared Cohen, c/o 2004, writes in a fluid informal style that makes his travelogue and historical recount of Middle East hot spots easy to read. "
— nooshisooshi, 1/28/2014 -
" Very accessible style of writing for young adults and will resonate, as it is written by a young man who meets other youths in the Middle East. "
— Tina, 1/26/2014 -
" a well written nonfiction book about a youth's travels in the Middle East. I enjoyed the narrative style of writing and the insight the author gives on the young people in the Middle East. Cohen humanizes the war with this book, giving us faces and feelings. Well done. "
— Connie, 1/17/2014 -
" The writing is a little juvenile sometimes, but wow--what a story. Cohen has cojones. His conclusion, that youth all over the world are essentially similar, despite ideological barriers. Riveting! "
— Moses, 1/14/2014 -
" Every American needs to read this book. "
— Rachael, 12/25/2013 -
" To be well informed about Middle Eastern politics is to read this book "
— Tammy, 12/9/2013 -
" horrible title. weird that someone younger than me is writing books. but so far it's an ok book. "
— Anamaria, 12/3/2013 -
" Valuable - Cohen is not a great writer (annoying overuse of the word random). I slogged thru to finish it - didn't have to. Read it right before Arab Spring ignited in MiddleEast. I found Iran & Syria chapters informative. "
— Jimileek, 10/7/2013 -
" American exceptionalism at its most naive. "
— Shaz, 6/23/2013 -
" This is the worst book I've read since, well, since grad school. The only interesting thing about it is the focus on youth, but oops! He fucks it up. He's a Rhodes scholar, so I hope this was really written by a ghostwriter. "
— Andrea, 6/13/2013 -
" Cohen's work is really interesting and he definitely traveled through some unique situations, but I'd have liked to know more about his methods and the languages in which he conducted his interviews "
— Christa, 3/7/2013 -
" Read this if you're curious about the lives of youth in the Middle East. This twenty-something author travels around Iran, Lebanon, Afghanistan, and Iraq- curious to interview the younger generation on their personal lives and view of Americans. The majority of their opinions are surprising. "
— Laura, 11/14/2012 -
" Very interesting, educational, and entertaining. It was often surprising what the "children" (they're not really children, but kids in their 20's) had to say about their views on the West. "
— Luda, 10/22/2012 -
" I recommend this to everyone!!! "
— Kim, 9/1/2012 -
" Slow at points. Very interesting topic and position. "
— Beth, 12/21/2011 -
" Twenty-something Jewish American Rhodes Scholar finds hope in his solo travels through Syria, Iran, Iraq, and the Palestinian territories as he interviews dozens of young people "
— George, 11/30/2011 -
" I recommend this to everyone!!! "
— Kim, 5/23/2011 -
" Interesting book and theory. Crazy kid! "
— Carrie, 4/8/2010 -
" Cohen's work is really interesting and he definitely traveled through some unique situations, but I'd have liked to know more about his methods and the languages in which he conducted his interviews "
— Christa, 3/23/2010 -
" The writing is a little juvenile sometimes, but wow--what a story. Cohen has cojones. His conclusion, that youth all over the world are essentially similar, despite ideological barriers. Riveting! "
— Moses, 2/19/2010
About Jared Cohen
Jared Cohen is a New York Times bestselling author of five books, including Accidental Presidents: Eight Men Who Changed America. He has been named to the “Time 100” list, Foreign Policy’s “Top 100 Global Thinkers,” and Fortune’s “40 Under 40.” He is the president of global affairs and cohead of applied innovation at Goldman Sachs, where he joined as a partner and member of the firm’s management committee in 2022.
About Jason Collins
Jason Collins has been seen on numerous stages in the Northwest, including the Seattle Shakespeare Company, Seattle Children’s Theatre, and Seattle Repertory Theatre. He is the recipient of three prestigious Footlight Awards.