News 16 November 2001

JIHAD! BACK IN THE HEADLINES

A controversial interview by the BBC's Newsnight has succeeded in bringing Tom Carew's Jihad! back to media prominence. On Wednesday the BBC claimed that the author Tom Carew had not served in the SAS for 14 years; various national newspapers followed this up; the implication was that Carew's record in Afghanistan was suspect.

In fact, the BBC did agree that Carew had served as a member of the 22 SAS Demonstration Troop and did not question that he had fought with the Mujahideen in Afghanistan.

On Friday we were able to speak to Carew for the first time. He is seeking legal redress over the deception and outright dishonesty used by the BBC to stage a 'confrontation' with him.

Jihad! is about Carew's involvement in Afghanistan and the disputed passages amount to three paragraphs in a book of 282 pages.

Ironically Carew did not need to exaggerate details of his membership of the SAS. The book has become an international best seller because it is the first insightful, realistic account of what it is like to live and fight alongside the Afghans Mujahideen, not because it has been marketed as an SAS memoir.

Carew can write about Afghanistan because, unlike the other armchair pundits, he fought there.

BIN LADEN SOLD TO US PUBLISHER

BIN LADEN was serialised in the Daily Mail on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday of this week. The first extract which referred to Bin Laden attending an Arsenal football match has captured the British imagination. On Saturday night it was referred to on Parkinson's prime time chat show on BBC1 and the Sky News web site picked up the story today:

"Despite the Taliban's crackdown on sport, its guest Osama bin Laden was a fanatical football fan when living in England, according to one author. BIN LADEN: Behind the Mask of Terror, by Adam Robinson, claims the world's most wanted man was an Arsenal supporter and cheered on his team at their Highbury ground in London. Arsenal bosses say he will not be allowed back in the ground."

Rights for BIN LADEN have been sold to Arcade Publishing in the States. It has also been sold to publishers in India and Japan.

THE BIG BREACH TO BE PUBLISHED IN EUROPE

THE BIG BREACH, which made headline news around the world when it was published earlier this year, continues to create a stir. It is now out in German (Heyne). It will be released in French in February (Favre) and Catalan & Spanish next March. US rights are being handled by Thomas Wallace.

And Finally...

the newspaper Scotland on Sunday publishes a list of Scotland's most eligible men and women this weekend. Mainstream is delighted to announce that Tina Hudson, our jacket designer, will be featured in the list