A Season in Hell

My 130 Days in the Sahara with Al Qaeda

By: Robert R. Fowler

Narrated by: David H. Lawrence XVII

Length: 12 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

For decades, Robert R. Fowler was a dominant force in Canadian foreign affairs. In one heart-stopping minute, all of that changed. On December 14, 2008, Fowler, acting as the UN Secretary General's Special Envoy to Niger, was kidnapped by Al Qaeda, becoming the highest-ranked UN official ever held captive. Along with his colleague Louis Guay, Fowler lived, slept, and ate with his captors for nearly five months, gaining rare first-hand insight into the motivations of the world's most feared terror group. Fowler's capture, release, and subsequent media appearances have helped shed new light on foreign policy and security issues as we enter the second decade of the "War on Terror."

A Season in Hell is Fowler's compelling story of his captivity, told in his own words, but it is also a startlingly frank discussion about the state of a world redefined by clashing civilizations.

©2011 Robert R. Fowler (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Narrator David H. Lawrence's fine delivery takes listeners behind today's headlines. Fowler, a Canadian diplomat and U.N. envoy, and his colleague, Louis Guay, were kidnapped in 2008 by Al Qaeda in Niger and then moved to Mali. Fowler's back was badly injured, food was scarce, and he worried about drinking the water. Lawrence vividly recounts Fowler's descriptions of the desert, his abductors, and his fear. He does an outstanding job with the many accents and personalities of the principal characters and differentiates the terrorists - some fairly reasonable and others cruel. It's moving to hear how Fowler and Guay support each other, with Fowler noting that many hostages had worse conditions, often going it alone. He concludes with a summary of thoughtful suggestions for peace in the future." (AudioFile Magazine)

Thank you Robert.

As one who has done volunteering work in sub Saharan Africa for the past 7 years I read this book brought to my attention by one of my relatives a former Canadian Special Forces Officer who showed me his autographed copy and said “you need to read this book”. He has at times worried about my safety. With his experience seeing the underbelly of Africa and parts of the world unknown I picked up your book on Audible. I am thankful you have shared this experience in a book, it makes me even more keenly aware of risks often unseen to me, of pursuing making a positive difference in the world. I had thought much of these rumoured takes only shares with us through the lens of the press were perhaps exaggerated for attention and for geopolitical purposes. Your story gives me real context and understanding for why he always insists on an agreed security plan. I also read the story and am ashamed of our governments handling of families like yours through these crises and it reinforces the reason why the RCMP international force was replaced with creation of JTF2. Thank you for your service, and your sacrifice in the pursuit of peace in your career. Please make sure you are focussed 200% on QTR. Your book is a sobering must read for any international volunteers or workers engaging in one of the most beautiful continents in the world.

Really enjoyed it

Incredible story. To hear what people go through and make it out is just heart wrenching. The ones that don’t are just devastating. Thank you for sharing your story

Fascinating

I couldn't imagine a more informative detailed account of James Fowlers ordeal. I learned a lot about AQID Muslim extremists,their misguided beliefs and violent behaviors. A must read.

Preaching morality turned me off

I downloaded the book and enjoyed the first few chapters until the author, when talking about the clips his captors showed them, went into a long diatribe American politics, esp morality as if the people who holding him somewhat were somewhat morally superior. He went on and on about how Americans who tortured terrorists stooped so low! I’m sorry but that is a turned off. Talk about your experience, leave your moral high grounds out of it! People would love to know how you survived, not whether or not torture is evil, esp. when applied to people who beheaded Americans and westerners!

I’m not going to listen anymore, nor recommend this to anyone!