Mirror To Damascus

One of the oldest, most mysterious and fascinating cities in the world has found a worthy biographer: a rare event and one not to be missed * Sunday Times *One of the most subtly beautiful books about a city I have ever read – Jan MorrisColin Thubron writes in a classical style of grave beauty, with an intense feeling for place and people * New York Times *From the earliest legend to the latest coup, Mirror to Damascus reflects every discoverable facet of the city… a quite exceptional travel writer * Daily Telegraph *One of the great merits of Mr Thubron’s admirable book is that he balances this tribute to a place of which he is clearly very fond with the harsh facts of history… he was always moved by the best motives - curiosity and affection * The Times *Mr Thubron is a man of singular enterprise, and a writer of remarkable distinction. Surely Damascus was never sacked to better purpose * Observer *A passionate, enchanted and highly intellectual experience, both for author and reader – Richard Church * Country Life *

Colin Thubron is an acknowledged master of travel writing, and the winner of many prizes and awards. He first visited Syria in 1965 and his portrait of its capital city, Mirror to Damascus, was published to critical acclaim in 1967. He has also written about Lebanon, Cyprus and Russia. From these early experiences developed his classic travel books- Behind the Wall (winner of the Hawthornden Prize and the Thomas Cook Travel Award), The Lost Heart of Asia, In Siberia (Prix Bouvier), Shadow of the Silk Road and To a Mountain in Tibet. Colin Thubron was President of the Royal Society of Literature from 2010 to 2017.