The Pen and the Olive Branch

The Middle East as it was reported—not rewritten.

This anthology brings together the best of David Hirst’s reporting on the Middle East, spanning more than half a century. Edited by Charles Glass, the collection follows Hirst’s writing from the end of empire and the Arab–Israeli conflict through the rise of US power, repeated interventions, and their aftermath. Writing from the front lines of war, diplomacy, and political upheaval, Hirst cut through official narratives to explain how power operates and why conflicts endure. Read today, these articles offer both an essential guide to the modern Middle East and a reminder of what independent political journalism can achieve.