Product Description

Brian Keenan went to Beirut in 1985 for a change of scene from his native Belfast. He became headline news when he was kidnapped by fundamentalist Shi'ite militiamen and held in the suburbs of Beirut for the next four and a half years. For much of that time he was shut off from all news and contact with anyone other than his jailers and, later, his fellow hostages, amongst them John McCarthy. This is his story.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #6474 in Books
• Published on: 1993-04-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 307 pages

About the Author
Brian Keenan was born in Belfast in 1950. An Evil Cradling, his account of being held hostage for four and a half years was published in 1992.

Customer Reviews

Non-fiction at its very best.
Brian Keenan's account of his and John McCarthy's incarceration in Beirut is, in my opinion, the greatest non-fiction title ever written. What makes this book stand head and shoulders above all of the other factual accounts I have read over the years is Keenan's superlative prose. Unlike other titles that survive purely on the strength of the story alone, Keenan's masterly use of the English language turns this book into an epic. Everyone should read this book.

Excellent, have never read beter
I found this book both compelling and intriuging and found it hard to put down. The experience suffered by Brian and the other captives was horrific and to put that down on paper was truly amazing. Keenan dragged the reader through the awful times that he was going through and shared his inner most fears and feelings with the reader. This book was about strength and courage to survive unimaginable circumstances put upon him by Islamic Jihad the captors that took him in 1985. I have to say that I enjoyed this book in a strange kind of way and I was gripped by what was going to happen next. It was over 6 months ago that I read An Evil Cradling but it will stick in my mind for a long time.

The Best
Having never written a review before, I am compelled to in respect of this book. I read, in order of their release, An Evil Cradling, Some Other Rainbow and Taken on Trust - all separate accounts of the Beruit hostages. But an Evil Cradling by Brian Keenan was by far the best. He writes with sensitivity and humour yet doesn't pull any punches. His instant raport and emerging relationship with fellow prisoner John McCarthy permeates the whole of the story and makes for remarkable reading. Even now, having read countless bio/autobiographies, it still remains one of my favourite reads. CHOOSE JOY!