The Spiders of Allah

The horrors committed in the name of religion in the world today are nowhere more obvious than in the Middle East. Whether we are talking about Shi-ite death squads roaming the lawless streets of Iraq in the aftermath of Saddam or hardcore Israeli settlers condoning 'tactical strikes' to clear the way for more new homes; whether it's the delusional leader of the Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade in Gaza or a US marine convinced that he's doing god's work when he tortures a prisoner, James Hider sees the malign influence of what he calls the 'crack cocaine of fanatical fundamentalism' all around him.

He's not the kind of journalist to shy away from danger, so as he travels around the middle East, from Israel to Gaza and finally to Iraq, he takes his doubts about religious belief to the very heart of the world's holy wars. He meets terrorists and suicide bombers, soldiers and ayatollahs, ordinary people and extraordinary people. The question in the back of his mind is why if all these people are so religious do they expend so much time and energy on trying to kill each other?

This extraordinary and timely book is a fascinating, terrifying and yet often very funny extension of the God Delusion debate, in travelogue form. It casts an unflinching eye on the very worst and most violent crimes committed in the name of belief and asks questions which the world needs to answer in order to stand a chance of survival.