An Evil Cradling (Updated Edition)

Description

Brian Keenan went to Beirut in 1985 for a change of scene from his native Belfast. He became headline news when he was kidnapped by fundamentalist Shi'ite militiamen and held in the suburbs of Beirut for the next four and a half years. For much of that time he was shut off from all news and contact with anyone other than his jailers and, later, his fellow hostages, amongst them John McCarthy. This is his story.

Promotion info

'A moving and remarkable triumph' Sebastian Faulks, Independent on Sunday

Awards

Winner of Time-Life Silver Pen Award for Non-Fiction 1993 and Irish Times Literary Prize Irish Literature Category 1993.

Reviews

"Incredibly moving." -- Gina McKee Daily Express "An early nineties classic... It reminds you of the privilege of freedom" -- Joseph Fiennes Daily Express "There may have been more important books than Brian Keenan's An Evil Cradling, but its thoughtfulness and delicacy of feeling are unforgettable. Four years of savage captivity in Lebanon have been transmuted into understanding, not bitterness: a remarkable achievement" Daily Telegraph "From the horror has come something wonderful. An Evil Cradling is a great book... it has been created from harsh reality, and it has been created by a true writer... With the publication of An Evil Cradling, Brian Keenan is not letting the world forget. This is a mighty achievement by a magnificent writer" -- Frank McGuinness Irish Times "Scriptural in its resonances and its broad artistry, while being as gripping as an airport thriller" Observer

Author description

Brian Keenan was born in Belfast in 1951. An Evil Cradling is the story of his four years' captivity in Beirut and is recognized as a non-fiction classic. He is also the author of the novel, Turlough and two travel books, Between Extremes (with John McCarthy) and Four Quarters Of Light. He lives with his family outside Dublin.