{"product_id":"dodgers-to-damascus-david-leschs-journey-from-baseball-to-the-middle-east-hardcover","title":"Dodgers to Damascus: David Lesch's Journey from Baseball to the Middle East - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eCatherine Nixon Cooke\u003c\/b\u003e (Author), \u003cb\u003ePeter C. Goldmark\u003c\/b\u003e (Foreword by)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn adventure-driven story that helps us understand the Middle East and Syria\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDavid Lesch is a modern-day Renaissance man whose work has spanned continents and allowed him to explore cultures near and far. An acclaimed scholar, educator, author, and conflict resolution specialist, he has advised five U.S. presidential administrations at the highest levels about the head-spinning political, religious, and cultural complexities of the Middle East. He is the author or editor of seventeen books, including The History of the Middle East since the Rise of Islam, Syria: A Modern History,  and The Arab-Israeli Conflict: A History.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLong before, as the number one draft pick for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1980, Lesch followed his American dream, playing with many baseball greats until a shoulder injury sidelined him. He later became a distinguished professor of Middle East studies at Trinity University in San Antonio and was soon tapped by the United Nations, the U.S. State Department, and policy centers and governments internationally. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDodgers to Damascus documents a part of the world that has been shrouded in mystery and plagued by conflict, power struggles, and warfare, and offers a firsthand glimpse inside modern Syria, its neighboring countries, and their connections to the rest of the world. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLesch's work in Syria resulted in a tenuous relationship with President Bashar al-Assad and many tense situations, including a poisoned meal that almost cost him his life. His encounters with elected officials, diplomats, spies, and conflict resolution specialists have all the elements of a Hollywood thriller and parallel his personal story of loss, crisis, and redemption.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003ePeter C. Goldmark\u003c\/b\u003e is an independent consultant in philanthropy, environmental policy, international affairs and development, and organizational development. He served as director of the Environmental Defense Fund's climate and air program, chair and CEO of the \u003ci\u003eInternational Herald Tribune, \u003c\/i\u003e and president of the Rockefeller Foundation. He lives in New York City.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 280\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.9 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e August 26, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52056199135533,"sku":"9781595343239","price":28.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0938\/3185\/6429\/files\/dodgers-to-damascus-david-leschs-journey-from-baseball-to-the-middle-east-hardcover-5074952.webp?v=1780169226","url":"https:\/\/ishookbooks.com\/products\/dodgers-to-damascus-david-leschs-journey-from-baseball-to-the-middle-east-hardcover","provider":"iShook Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}