Extreme Rambling - Softcover

Thomas, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0091927803 ISBN 13: 9780091927806

Publisher: Ebury Press, 2011

Synopsis

'Good fences make good neighbours, but what about bad ones?'. The Israeli barrier is probably the most iconic divider of land since the Berlin Wall. It has been declared illegal under international law and its impact on life in the West Bank has been enormous. Mark Thomas - as only he could - decided the only way to really get to grips with this huge divide was to use the barrier as a route map, to 'walk the wall', covering the entire distance with little more in his armoury than Kendal Mint Cake and a box of blister plasters. In the course of his ramble he was tear-gassed, stoned, sunburned, rained on and hailed on and even lost the wall a couple of times. But thankfully he was also welcomed and looked after by Israelis and Palestinians - from farmers and soldiers to smugglers and zookeepers - and finally earned a unique insight of the real Middle East in all its entrenched and yet life-affirming glory. And all without hardly ever getting arrested.

About this title

About the Author

Mark Thomas has worked as a comedian for over twenty years. His activist, campaigning brand of comedy has been a thorn in the side of many politicians and corporations. However, recently he has been invited to give evidence at various government select committees. He is one of a limited number of people to be awarded a UN Global Human Rights Defender Award and has also been awarded a Kurdish National Congress Medal of Honour amongst other citations. His three-year campaign to stop the building of the Ilisu dam in Turkey was ultimately successful and saved 78,000 Kurds from being displaced.

From the Back Cover

'Good fences make good neighbours, but what about bad ones?'

The Israeli Barrier is probably the most iconic divider of land since the Berlin Wall. It has been declared illegal under international law and it's impact on life in the West Bank has been enormous.

Mark Thomas - as only he could - decided the best way to really get to grips with this huge divide was to use the Barrier as a route map, to 'walk the wall', covering the entire distance with little more in his armoury than Kendal Mint Cake and a box of blister plasters.

He was tear-gassed, stoned, sunburned, rained on, hailed on and even lost the wall a couple of times.But thankfully he was also welcomed by Israelis and Palestinians - from farmers and soldiers to smugglers and zookeepers - earning a unique insight into the deep-rooted tensions but also the life-affirming glory of the real Middle East.And all without hardly ever getting arrested!

'John Pilger with laughs' Guardian

Edition details

• Publisher: Ebury Press
• Publication date: 2011
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0091927803
• ISBN 13: 9780091927806
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 352