Today is publication day for ‘Wounded Tigris’- you can order hardback, digital and audio copies here: Hurray! . I have no idea how to feel now that 4 years worth of work is finally released to the world, so I made a short thread:

RT @ATHARProject: NEW: @leonmccarron speaks to ATHAR Peoject’s @alazmamr for @newlinesmag about the growing illicit antiquities trade in th….

RT @newlinesmag: With 90% of the population going hungry, Syrians are turning to looting of archaeological sites just to survive. @leonmcca….

RT @hxhassan: Looting the Past To Survive. With 90% of the population going hungry, Syrians are turning to looting of archaeological sites….

Some of the sites I visited for this story on treasure hunters- the crusader castle at Krak des Chevaliers, the 3rd millennium BC port city of Amrite, classical-era Palmyra, and Roman Bosra. Such a privilege to see even a fraction of Syria’s riches.

I wrote about the damage caused by treasure hunters to heritage sites in Syria since the fall of Assad, and the circumstances that have caused such desperation. For @newlinesmag, here:.

RT @newlinesmag: NEW: With 90% of the population going hungry, Syrians are turning to looting of archaeological sites just to survive. @leo….

RT @NoemaMag: “For thousands of years, Syria was a crossroads of empires, a pivotal point for Silk Road trade & a bridge connecting the Med….

My report from Bosra in southern Syria for ‘From Our Own Correspondent’ on @BBCRadio4 and @bbcworldservice. I ask whether there are realistic hopes for a revival of tourism in the country, or if it is simply too soon, and too uncertain- starting at 22.20:

RT @NoemaMag: Could a railroad that once linked Damascus to Medina, its tracks & stations now crumbling or destroyed by treasure hunters, h….

I have spent most of this year in Syria, mostly researching an upcoming book. I wrote this essay for @NoemaMag from Damascus on the past, present and future of the Hejaz Railway:.

Wrapping up a life-enhancing four months at @Yale as part of the @WorldFellows. I’m very grateful to the program, to the students and faculty that I got to know, and especially to my 15 fellow fellows, all doing astounding things in their fields. Now heading back east for 2025…

Here are some pictures I found in the Hejaz station in Damascus in the spring. They used to be on walls but are not stacked on a corner, as no one is sure what to do with them

A #journorequest: I’m looking for Syrians who have memories of taking trains in the country. Most specifically I’m interested in Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Damascus and Dera’a, but happy for memories from anywhere. It’s a broad request- all stories welcome! Thank you 🙏.

Bus station in Derry. Are you going to Donegal? I ask a driver. ‘Are YOU going to Donegal?’ he replies. I’d like to, I say. ‘Sure we’d all like to go to Donegal,’ he says. ‘Letterkenny?’ asks a lady next to me. ‘We could try that too,’ he says, so we get on, confused but cheery.

I’ll be in #Belfast tomorrow night, Thursday, to talk about the Tigris river and Iraq. And whatever else comes up! . 7pm at Queen’s University, hosted by @RGS_IBG. It’s also free, and I’ll be signing books.

RT @sallyhayd: Given the news coming out of France, & how big the discussion around migration/immigration seems to be, I wanted to repost a….

I’m so pleased the paperback version of this book is out, and I’d be extra pleased if you decide to buy it from @StanfordsTravel! The travel writing genre can feel tough at times, but we are very lucky to have a renowned bookseller like Stanfords who offer so much support 🙏.

Last week I was awarded the Cherry Kearton Medal from @RGS_IBG, for a dedication to unearthing the importance, beauty and fragility of natural history. Came back from Iraq for the ceremony but arrived too late for pics, so here’s the medal now safely back in Ireland.

RT @LittleBrownUK: The river Tigris is in danger. It has been the lifeblood of ancient Mesopotamia and modern Iraq, but geopolitics and cl….

Wounded Tigris is out in paperback on Thursday, 6th June! Here I try to use the mountains in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, and the exquisite matching of tones between book and backdrop, to sell it to you. Order from your favourite bookstore here: