Six Years with Al-Qaeda

The Stephen McGown Story

Stephen McGown and Tudor Caradoc Davies

Six Years with Al Qaeda is the winner of the South African Book Awards Adult Non-fiction Category 2021.

While riding his motorbike through Mali, on his way home from London to Johannesburg,
Steve McGown was taken captive in Timbuktu by Al Qaeda. Life as he knew it, changed in
that instant. With nothing to bargain with and everything to lose, for the next six years
Steve became reluctantly engaged in what he refers to as, “the greatest chess game of my
life.”

Reviews
“Genuinely gripping, surprising and haunting. Steve’s perspective is inspiring at a time when we could all use some inspiration.” – Rebecca Davis

“It draws you in immediately, starting with the kidnapping then backtracking to the broader sweep of McGown’s life. It’s an excellent read, part adventure story, part psychological drama, and part warning, perhaps, not to go gallivanting through war zones.” – Lesley Stones (via https://lesleystones.co.za/content/six-years-al-qaeda)

“This book was very much better than I had expected. Stephen McGown is a thoughtful man, and his reactions are rarely kneejerk. He was determined, if at all possible, both to survive and come out of the ordeal a better person. His reflections on one of the world’s most feared terror organisations are perceptive and nuanced.” – Vivien Horler (via https://thebookspage.co.za/2021/01/31/adventure-in-the-desert-turns-to-nightmare/)