To the Mountains: My Life in Jihad, from Algeria to Afghanistan

**Selected as one of the 'Biggest Non-Fiction Books of 2019' by The Times** As one of theearliestArabs to join the Afghan Jihad, theAlgerian IslamistAbdullah Anas counted as brothers-in-arms the future icons of al-Qaeda's global war, from Abdullah Azzam to Osama bin Laden, and befriended key Afghanresistance leaderssuch as Ahmad Shah Massoud. Brushing shoulders witheveryone from Zarqawi to Haqqani, Anasdistancedhimself from their movements, disagreeing with their narrow interpretations ofpoliticalIslam. While he remains committed to Jihad,to this dayAnas takes issue with the extremist trajectories of his one-time companions. Co-written with investigative journalist Tam Hussein,To the Mountainsis an intimate and penetrating portrait of the networks that formed during the Afghan-Soviet war. In this revealing memoir, Anas shatters some of al-Qaeda's foundational myths, and rethinks what it means to be a Jihadist in the modern world. 'An unusual personal foray into the motives of the jihadis from one of their number. Anas...describes vividly for a western audience the human story...[a] fascinating book.' - The Times 'A tantalising account.' - The Financial Times 'Specialists and scholars will enjoy the accounts of arguments among different Afghan factions and the personal details related about key figures from the period...a valiant attempt to create something accessible and readable.' - The Observer 'This important memoir...is a valuable resource that deserves a broad readership.' - The New Arab 'A fascinating book with new insights and anecdotes in a history which resonates to this day.' - Lyse Doucet

About the Author :
Abdullah Anas is an Algerian politician-in-exile and former member of the mujahideen who fought alongside bin Laden before falling out with the Al-Qaeda leader over his plans for a global jihad. He lives in London, having gained political asylum. Tam Hussein is an award-winning investigative journalist and writer who has reported on UK jihadi networks and British foreign fighters in Syria.

Review :
'An unusual personal foray into the motives of the jihadis from one of their number. Anas . . . describes vividly for a western audience the human story . . . [a] fascinating book.' ‘This important memoir … is a valuable resource that deserves a broad readership.’ 'Specialists and scholars will enjoy the accounts of arguments among different Afghan factions and the personal details related about key figures from the period . . . a valiant attempt to create something accessible and readable.' ‘A treasure trove for scholars and historians, ["To The Mountains"] also provides fresh food for thought for all those, Muslim or non-Muslim, trying to understand how to build enduring peace settlements in Muslim-majority countries.’ 'Paints a dystopian picture of endless warfare in impoverished cities.' ‘Provides an insider’s perspective of how jihadism emerged from the Afghan-Soviet war.’ 'A fascinating book with new insights and anecdotes in a history which resonates to this day.' 'No one knows the story of the Afghan Arabs better than Abdullah Anas. His personal story, and his observations of the recent developments in the Arab world, will surely be a revelation.' 'Abdullah Anas has had a ringside seat at the most important moments in the evolution of the Islamist movement from his early involvement in the Afghan War during the mid 1980s where he met and befriended Osama bin Laden to his more recent role as a negotiator with the Taliban as well as his place as a respected Islamist intellectual around the Arab world as it undergoes its present revolutionary upheaval.' 'Abdullah Anas is an Algerian mujahed who can tell the real story of the Afghan jihad and his life as one of those Arabs involved there. He can speak with true and lived knowledge about Abdullah Azzam, Osama bin Laden, Ahmed Shah Massoud, Hekmatyar and Sayyaf. I have no doubt that this book will be useful for future generations to understand this history, to take advantage of his experience and to avoid making the mistakes that many of his generation made.' 'Abdullah Anas is an essential voice in the debate about jihad, and what it means for our societies. Told with honesty, modesty and clarity, "To the Mountains" deserves to be widely read.' '"To the Mountains" presents stories from the beating heart of the Afghan jihad. This is essential reading, a first-hand eyewitness account with a message for the next generation.' 'Through the mountains of Afghanistan, the killing fields and torture chambers of Algeria, the streets of Londonistan, and the highest diplomatic venues of Kabul, Kandahar, Riyadh and Mecca, Anas traces a journey that ends, despite everything, in unexpected hope.'