An American traveling alone meets smugglers, mystics, revolutionaries, Bedouins, wise men, secret police—and other ordinary Syrians. 

In February 2001 Scott C. Davis flew to Damascus, attended raucous political salons, talked all night, and sat in local cafes debating the nature of the evolving Syrian nation. Such openness was new in Syria. Was it a sign of things to come? Would the Damascene Curtain fall as heavily and permanently as did the Berlin Wall? Would Damascus become another tourist trap bursting with American franchise restaurants, another Amman? 

To answer these questions, and to give a feel for the real country beneath the rapidly changing surfaces, Davis tells a story of an earlier time when Syrians did not discuss politics for fear of the mukhabarat and when some hesitated, in their own homes, even to mention the name of the Syrian president. 

Fourteen years earlier, in October 1987, Davis had come to Damascus and begun a slow, difficult journey through Syrian society. He met artists and intellectuals, wealthy landowners, retired mystics, and also slept on the floor beside humble peasants and working folk. The times were quiet, jobs scarce, and ordinary folk could take a few moments for tea with a guest. Many of those Davis met took pride in their own simplicity. Denied political power and wealth, they aspired instead to wisdom—or at least to perfecting a sardonic wit. 

"An excellent read, with an important message. Much more than an amusing travelogue, it is really a crash course in world cultures and a reflection of the author’s unique personality, humor, and warmth."
—Benjamin Beit-Hallahmi,
Author of Original Sins

"In this remarkable journal, Davis describes with unerring detail and honesty his headlong plunge into the rich, complex, and ancient land of Syria. Deftly written and fast-paced, the book brings out vividly the human face of the Syrian people."
—Paul J. Hare,
Middle East Institute

"The Road from Damascus is more than a travelogue, it is odyssey."
—Al-Jadid Magazine
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Scott C. Davis is a freelance writer based in Seattle. His first two books won awards: The World of Patience Gromes: Making and Unmaking a Black Community and Lost Arrow and Other True Stories. For more Click here.

Comments from Readers
"The Road from Damascus truly is a most unusual travel book... The author covered so much ground in that small country, both internally and externally.  He is a remarkable writer, as well as thinker, and I feel very rewarded for having taken this journey with him."
—Marge Hamlin
St. Louis, MO

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