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The New Odyssey: The Story of the Twenty-First Century Refugee Crisis Kindle Edition

by Patrick Kingsley (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 276 ratings
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Named one of the Best Books of the Year by NPR and Christian Science Monitor


In the humane tradition of Katherine Boo’s Behind the Beautiful Forevers comes a searing account of the international refugee crisis.


On the day of his son’s fourteenth birthday, Hashem al-Souki lay somewhere in the Mediterranean, crammed in a wooden dinghy. His family was relatively safe—at least for the time being—in Egypt, where they had only just settled after fleeing their war-torn Damascus home three years prior. Traversing these unforgiving waters and the treacherous terrain that would follow was worth the slim chance of securing a safe home for his children in Sweden. If he failed, at least he would fail alone.


Hashem’s story is tragically common, as desperate victims continue to embark on deadly journeys in search of freedom. Tracking the harrowing experiences of these brave refugees, The New Odyssey finally illuminates the shadowy networks that have facilitated the largest forced exodus since the end of World War II.


The Guardian’s first-ever migration correspondent, Patrick Kingsley has traveled through seventeen countries to put an indelible face on this overwhelming disaster. Embedding himself alongside the refugees, Kingsley reenacts their flight with hundreds of people across the choppy Mediterranean in the hopes of better understanding who helps or hinders their path to salvation. From the starving migrants who push through sandstorms with children strapped to their backs to the exploitive criminals who prey on them, from the smugglers who dangerously stretch the limits of their cargo space to the volunteers who uproot their own lives to hand out water bottles—what emerges is a kaleidoscope of humanity in the wake of tragedy. By simultaneously tracing the narrative of Hashem, who endured the trek not once but twice, Kingsley memorably creates a compassionate, visceral portrait of the mass migration in both its epic scope and its heartbreaking specificity.


Exposing the realities of this modern-day odyssey as well as the moral shortcomings evident in our own indifference, the result is a crucial call to arms and an unprecedented exploration of a world we too often choose not to know.

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  1. Print length
    311 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  4. Publisher
    Liveright
  5. Publication date
    January 10, 2017
  6. File size
    22433 KB
  7. Page Flip
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  8. Word Wise
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A lucid and unflinching book that captures the ripples of the largest wave of mass migration since World War II. The New Odyssey delicately grapples with the task of encapsulating the crisis without diminishing its sprawling horror...The New Odyssey is a story that you cannot avoid."
― Lauren LeBlanc, St. Louis Post Dispatch

"Tremendously impressive…The details are vivid, sometimes shocking, always telling; and the desperation and courage of those such as Hashem al-Souki are profoundly moving. The story of what lies behind the continuing and appalling news from the Mediterranean has rarely been told so strongly."
― Phillip Pullman

"[A] a deeply reported account… Kingsley gives a sympathetic and often damning portrayal of the extraordinary risks and efforts that so many refugees have taken to find a new life. He puts a human face on the hyper-politicized refugee crisis while conveying the magnitude of the crisis."
― The Washington Post

"Policymakers can often forget the plight of the individual men, women, and children who have migrated. . . . The New Odyssey . . . chronicle[s] the uncertainties and fears of the courageous, desperate, and sometimes foolhardy voyagers. They offer an important rejoinder to the idea, widespread across Europe, that such journeys are acts of pure opportunism."
― Elizabeth Collett, Foreign Affairs

"[A] fascinating study…The New Odyssey start[s] to do for the refugees what British abolitionists did for the slave trade. [It] mobilize[s] eyewitness testimony to promote empathy, and through empathy, better policy."
― Maya Jasanoff, Guardian

"An essential account of a crisis we’ve hardly begun to grapple with."
― O, The Oprah Magazine

"[An] an urgent appeal to humanity and reason…a compelling read."
― New Republic

"Kingsley is doing the world an invaluable service by showing that migrants are particular and human, not collective and a group, and that each of them―just like us―has a story of their own."
― David Hare

"[One of] the most important books you will read this year…[Kingsley’s] experience reporting from the front lines of the crisis gives an unrivaled perspective…powerful."
― Suzanne Lynch, Irish Times

"A vivid picture of the human suffering that migrants face during their journey. . . . Anyone who thinks that the refugee crisis is a straightforward problem – to be solved with iron fences or with welcoming committees – will benefit from The New Odyssey...By looking at warm-hearted rescuers as well as cold-blooded smugglers, and possible solutions as well as grave problems, Kingsley finds the good – and the hope – in a truly massive challenge to our collective humanity."
― James Norton, Christian Science Monitor

"Bravely following the refugee crisis from the Middle East to the European Union as it gains volume and urgency…Kingsley (How to be Danish: A Journey to the Cultural Heart of Denmark, 2014) takes both a personal and altruistic approach to the massive migration of peoples fleeing Syria and other global hot spots…A powerful firsthand account of a crisis that will continue to receive even more attention in the years to come."
― Kirkus (starred review)

About the Author

Patrick Kingsley is the Guardian’s inaugural migration correspondent. An award-winning journalist, he has reported from more than twenty-five countries and is the author of The New Odyssey and How to Be Danish.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B01HDSU7I6
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Liveright (January 10, 2017)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 10, 2017
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 22433 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 311 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 276 ratings

About the author

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Patrick Kingsley

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Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
276 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Luc Victor
5.0 out of 5 stars socio-political travelogue
Reviewed in the United States on February 27, 2023
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Patrick Kingsley gave a human face to the plight of the denizens on the move…and their modern day trials and tribulations…The new odyssey is a modern day take on the pilgrim’s progress…not in the religious sense … but in the canvass where intersections of the social, political and economic spheres align on a spiritual backdrop… where one seeks to find humanity … if it still exists… and to be lost in the labyrinth of red tape and bureaucracy…only to find salvation in the small acts of kindness of the nameless and faceless souls who champion all that’s humanly possible and good…A great read…
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C. Macauley
5.0 out of 5 stars The Lives of Today's Refugees
Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2017
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I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which covers the journeys of several refugees and refugee families from Africa and the Middle East to their final destinations in Europe. The author traveled with the refugees and experienced many of the same dangers and challenges that they did, which must have been a monumental task, but allows him to see inside their lives. He also interviewed many other people involved in one way or another with refugees, including people-smugglers, immigration officials, aid workers and resettlement officers. The barriers put up to control refugees are frequently based on misinformation and false assumptions, and the toll in human life is high. The resilience and determination of the refugees themselves is portrayed with compassion and sensitivity here.

Kingsley also puts today’s mass migration into context: people have been migrating to Europe for centuries, and in large numbers since the 1960s, so the current movement should be no surprise. For the most part, Kingsley lets the stories stand on their own, and allows the reader to decide what should be done to change this situation. As of today, trends in migration to Europe show no sign of abating, so even this story of refugees in 2015 remains relevant and important.
2 people found this helpful
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SV
4.0 out of 5 stars A compelling and humanizing account of Europe's migrant crisis.
Reviewed in the United States on May 14, 2016
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Mr. Kingsley's account of his experiences in North Africa and Europe, interviewing and following men and women fleeing from Syria, Eritrea, Afghanistan, and other countries, is a compelling and important read for anyone interested in this massive and unfortunate crisis. While there's nothing particularly novel about the information he presents, especially if you've stayed informed on the topic, the level of detail about the tragedies that these men and women face is refreshing, and the chance to read about the stories of individual men and women (rather than just an inhuman, mass block of migrants/refugees) is invaluable.

I would warn anyone reading reviews of this book to ignore those bashing it for Mr. Kingsley's bias; it's definitely there (he argues quite specifically, several times throughout the book, for a more streamlined and uniform asylum process, and that those making their way to Europe should be welcomed), but I'm not sure how you could expect any journalist who took Mr. Kingsley's journey to feel any other way. If you're looking for a completely neutral take on the topic, this book isn't it, but even if you're anti-migration, I think it's worth the read.

The writing alone deserves five stars, but unfortunately the book could have used a little more editing, mostly to make tangential transitions stronger and to reduce content redundancy in chapters, but for the most part the book flowed well. In my Kindle version, though, there were several misspellings and a lot of weird errors where words were split into two.
19 people found this helpful
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Miki
5.0 out of 5 stars What an eye opener. Be prepared to feel anger, shock and despair for these refugees.
Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2017
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What a touching and informative book! I appreciate the political back stories that Kingsley gave of what led to the failed state of Syria. I also learned so much of the struggle and lives that millions of refugees and those living in terror face each day. I can only hope that policy makers in Europe and the United States read this book so that they can have a deeper understanding of the crisis and recognize that their unity in resettling the refugees is needed!
One person found this helpful
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KJ in AK
5.0 out of 5 stars I wish everyone would read this book
Reviewed in the United States on May 15, 2019
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It’s a very thorough and very readable examination of the current refugee crisis. Kingsley provides the information you need and moves you with accounts about the people he meets. I recommend this book to any one who wants to know more about this tragic situation. Hopefully it will also move and inspire you to help.
One person found this helpful
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Laura
5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read
Reviewed in the United States on April 8, 2017
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For anyone who wants to better understand the refugee crisis that is defining our times, and for those who think they already know it all, I highly recommend this book. The author does a phenomenal job of giving us a glimpse into the lives of those who are most affected by the current events, an understanding of their decisions, and compassion for their plight. Thank you, Patrick Kingsley!
One person found this helpful
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Diane
5.0 out of 5 stars Lively and engaging
Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2021
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I could t put the book down. The writer did an amazing job of capturing the entire trek of Hashemite and detailing the challenges faced.
One person found this helpful
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susan montgomery
5.0 out of 5 stars Migration -- the human condition
Reviewed in the United States on February 19, 2017
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Excellent book. I read it on several levels -- the current migrants, but some of the descriptions bring to mind other migrations, voluntary and non-voluntary. The author's engagement with the people and the topic is more than academic, and that makes the work even more effective.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Luca Gatto
5.0 out of 5 stars Magistrale
Reviewed in Italy on April 20, 2022
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C'è veramente poco da dire per questo capolavoro del giornalismo contemporaneo. Kingsley racconta in maniera magistrale la vita, la storia, il viaggio, le paure, le speranze e le atrocità che i rifugiati siriani hano subito per fuggine in Europa. É un racconto crudo e diretto di quella che può essere considerata a tutti gli effetti la Nuova Odissea. La storia di Hashem accompagna la cronaca degli avvenimenti che nel 2015 dalla "crisi dei rifugiati" ha spaccato l'Europa fra barriere, respingimenti, fughe e speranze. Un libro che dovrebe leggere chiunque, per capire di prima mano cosa provano le persone che fuggono da una guerra per un nuovo futuro, una speranza per se stessi e per i propri figli. Magistrale. Consigliatissimo.
One person found this helpful
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sanjeev k.
1.0 out of 5 stars Ok.
Reviewed in India on January 13, 2019
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Ok.
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Carol johnson
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in Canada on April 14, 2017
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Everyone should read this book. i wish we would be more open and generous.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read
Reviewed in Germany on October 3, 2016
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This book and the detailed investigation behind it was an extremely humane treatment of an inhumane situation. The book goes into details about the atrocities of the countries most of the migrants are fleeing along with the atrocities they must endure along their journey to freedom and peace.
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James Ward
5.0 out of 5 stars Homer for the modern-day
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 13, 2016
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An outstanding account of the current refugee crisis. Of course, any book about current affairs will encounter a subject that has already "moved on" to some extent: it takes books a while to be proofread, packaged and distributed. The upshot of any such complaint would be that texts like The New Odyssey shouldn't be written: instead, we should rely on the internet, TV and Twitter. However, The New Odyssey documents events in 2015. Four months into 2016 doesn't seem like too long after the events to me. In fact, the opposite.

Anyway, a reliance on the internet would be silly - and problematic for obvious reasons. Kingsley tells an excellent collection of true-life stories in here and he has a novelist's gift for bringing life to the characters and situations he describes. One feels a little bad for saying so (with a subject like this), but this book was a pleasure to read. I never felt as if I was completing a chore out of a duty to keep myself informed. In the words of the cliche, a page-turner.

The blurb on the back of the book says "this is the definitive story of life, death and survival on the refugee trail". I've read a few books on this subject recently, and I will read more.

But so far, the blurb's right.
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