Along the Trenches

Between Germany and Russia is a region strewn with monuments to the horrors of war, genocide and disaster – the bloodlands where the murderous regimes of Hitler and Stalin unleashed the violence that scarred the twentieth century and shaped so much of the world we know today. In September 2016 the German-Iranian writer Navid Kermani set out to discover this land and to travel along the trenches that are now re-emerging in Europe, from his home in Cologne through eastern Germany to the Baltics, and from there south to the Caucasus and to Isfahan in Iran, the home of his parents.

  This beautifully written travel diary, enlivened by conversations with the people Kermani meets along the way, brings to life the tragic history of these troubled lands and shows how this history leaves its traces in the present. It will be of great interest to anyone concerned with current affairs and with the events that have shaped, and continue to shape, the world in which we live today.

Review

‘Along the Trenches is an important and timely book, reminding us of the complex cultural and communal currents that have always flowed from Isfahan to Cologne and beyond, enriching along the way the lives of everyone they touch.

’John Burnside, University of St Andrews‘A book so moving and so powerful that it’s worth taking 54 days over it, so that each day you can immerse yourself in a new world.

’Katja Weise, NDR Kultur‘Kermani has succeeded in writing a stirring plea for Europe, one which confirms his place among the ranks of Germany’s most influential intellectuals.

’Rainer Hermann,Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung ‘A Herodotus for our times.

’Philipp Holstein, Rheinische Post“A breathtaking travel diary and a passionate plea for the diversity of cultures, for Europe and the beauty of stories.” Bayrischer Rundfunk“On almost every page there is something for the reader to think about, to learn, to marvel at.” Tages-Anzeiger"Navid Kermani… is the best kind of scholar: one who writes with a touch as elegant as it is light."Catholic Herald"revealing and thought-provoking"Financial Times