{"title":"Mike Thomson","description":"\u003cp\u003eExplore the insightful works of Mike Thomson, a master of contemporary reporting and narrative journalism. Delve into compelling accounts of global issues and human stories, perfect for readers of Jon Ronson.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"syria-s-secret-library-book-mike-thomson-9781474605908","title":"Syria's Secret Library","description":"Daraya lies on the fringe of Damascus, just south west of the Syrian Capital. Yet it lives in another world. Besieged by Syrian government forces since 2011, its people were deprived of food, bombarded by bombs and missiles, and shot at by snipers. Its buildings lay in ruins; office buildings, shops and family homes shattered by the constant shelling from government forces. But deep beneath this scene of frightening devastation lay a secret library.   No signs marked its presence. While the streets above echoed with rifle fire and shelling, the secret world below was a haven of peace and tranquillity. Books, long rows of them, lined almost every wall. Bloated volumes with grand leather covers. Tattered old tomes with barely readable spines. Pocket sized guides to Syrian poetry. Religious works with gaudy gold-lettering and no-nonsense reference books, all arranged in well-ordered lines. But this precious hoard of books was not bought from publishers, book warehouses, or loaned by other libraries. Many people had risked their lives to save books from the devastation of war. Because to them, the secret library was a symbol of hope - of their determination to lead a meaningful existence and to rebuild their fractured society.   This is the story of an extraordinary place and the people who made it happen. It is also a book about human resilience and values. And through it all is threaded the very wonderful, universal love for books and the hope they can bring.    \"Just like the body needs food the soul needs books.\"   Anas Habib (library user)","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49515279646993,"sku":"GOR009899328","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49561652625681,"sku":"GOR010368552","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49603036250385,"sku":"GOR010631424","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":50697553576209,"sku":"NGR9781474605908","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1474605907.jpg?v=1750988027"},{"product_id":"syria-s-secret-library-book-mike-thomson-9781474605922","title":"Syria's Secret Library","description":"'Hugely inspiring . . . A unique tribute to the power of books and the unquenchable human spirit' MICHAEL PALIN  'An inspiring read - humanity at its best' DAVID NOTT, author of War Doctor  Daraya lies on the fringe of Damascus, just south west of the Syrian Capital. Besieged by government forces since 2011, its people were deprived of food, bombarded by bombs and missiles, and shot at by snipers. But while the streets above echoed with rifle fire, deep beneath lay a secret library - a haven of peace with books lining almost every wall. Many people had risked their lives to save these precious titles from the devastation of war. Because to them, the secret library was a symbol of hope - of their belief that books would triumph over bombs and help them rebuild their fractured society. This is the true story of an extraordinary place and the people who made it happen.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49539337617681,"sku":"GOR010795275","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ LIKE_NEW \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49582283391249,"sku":"GOR011990827","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":49740488245521,"sku":"NGR9781474605922","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":50377846718737,"sku":"CIN1474605923A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":50958359232785,"sku":"GOR013566104","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"GB \/ WELL_READ \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":52416439222545,"sku":"GOR014520300","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1474605923.jpg?v=1763634258"},{"product_id":"syria-s-secret-library-book-mike-thomson-9781541767621","title":"Syria's Secret Library","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cb\u003eThe remarkable story of a small, makeshift library in the town of Daraya, and the people who found hope and humanity in its books during a four-year siege.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Daraya lies on the fringe of Damascus, just southwest of the Syrian capital. Yet for four years it lived in another world. Besieged by government forces early in the Syrian Civil War, its people were deprived of food, bombarded by heavy artillery, and under the constant fire of snipers. But deep beneath this scene of frightening devastation lay a hidden library. While the streets above echoed with shelling and rifle fire, the secret world below was a haven of books.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Long rows of well-thumbed volumes lined almost every wall: bloated editions with grand leather covers, pocket-sized guides to Syrian poetry, and no-nonsense reference books, all arranged in well-ordered lines. But this precious horde was not bought from publishers or loaned by other libraries--they were the books salvaged and scavenged at great personal risk from the doomed city above.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The story of this extraordinary place and the people who found purpose and refuge in it is one of hope, human resilience, and above all, the timeless, universal love of literature and the compassion and wisdom it fosters.\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":50791817216273,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50791817806097,"sku":"CIN1541767624G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ WELL_READ \/ SBYB","offer_id":52940624691473,"sku":"CIN1541767624A","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52998471614737,"sku":"NIN9781541767621","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":53393329914129,"sku":"GOR012150882","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53564392177937,"sku":"CIN1541767624VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1541767624.jpg?v=1751374378"},{"product_id":"syria-s-secret-library-the-true-story-of-how-a-besieged-syrian-town-found-hope-rare-book-mike-thomson-1744814845lee","title":"Syria's Secret Library: The True Story Of How A Besieged Syrian Town Found Hope","description":"2020. No Edition Remarks. 305 pages. Signed by the author. Paperback book with pictorial cover. Flat signed by the author to title page. Pages and binding are presentable with no major defects. Minor","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51444387643665,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":51444387676433,"sku":"1744814845LEE","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1744814845LEE_1.jpg?v=1745070956"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-mike-thomson.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}