Distant Witness
Social Media, the Arab Spring, and a Journalism Revolution
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Distant Witness
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Narrated by:
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Andy Carvin
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By:
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Andy Carvin
About this listen
The series of Arab uprisings collectively known as the Arab Spring is a flashpoint in history - perhaps the biggest we've seen since the collapse of the Soviet bloc 20 years ago. It's also been a stunning revolution in the way breaking news is reported around the world - and who controls the news.
In this book, NPR social media chief Andy Carvin - "the man who tweets revolutions" - offers a unique first-person recap of the Arab Spring. Part memoir, part history, the book includes intimate stories of the revolutionaries who fought for freedom on the streets and across the Internet - stories that would have never been recorded before the days of social media.
©2012 Andy Carvin (P)2013 Audible, Inc.Listeners also enjoyed...
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Editorial reviews
The audio opens with Andy Carvin's claim that in order to write Distant Witness, he communicated - that is he exchanged phone calls, emails, Tweets, and Facebook posts - with more than 2,000 people around the world. The result is a thorough and media-based history of the Arab Spring, and how these uprising were shaped and recorded by social media. Carvin, who is NPR's senior product manager for online communities, explains how the instantaneous nature of social media has changed storytelling and news reporting; the public is now responsible for the witnessing and processing of modern history. Distant Witness is part memoir and part history. Carvin is a talented narrator who demands the listener's attention.
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- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 74
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 67
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 67
In The People's Republic of Amnesia, NPR correspondent Louisa Lim charts how the events of June 4 changed China, and how China changed the events of June 4 by rewriting its own history. Lim reveals new details about those fateful days, including how one of the country's most senior politicians lost a family member to an army bullet, as well as the inside story of the young soldiers sent to clear Tiananmen Square.
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5 out of 5 stars
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great book and recording
- By Robert Peters on 06-14-16
By: Louisa Lim
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The Third Target
- J. B. Collins, Book 1
- By: Joel C. Rosenberg
- Narrated by: David de Vries
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2,266
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2,057
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2,052
When New York Times foreign correspondent J. B. Collins hears rumors that an al-Qaeda splinter cell has captured a cache of chemical weapons inside Syria, he knows this is a story he must pursue at all costs. Does the commander of the jihadist faction really have the weapons? If so, who is the intended target? The U.S.? Israel? Or could it be Jordan?
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4 out of 5 stars
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Looking forward to get part 2 on sale
- By Marie on 03-17-18
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A Rage for Order
- The Middle East in Turmoil, from Tahrir Square to ISIS
- By: Robert Worth
- Narrated by: Will Damron, Robert Worth
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 86
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 73
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 70
In 2011 a wave of revolution spread through the Middle East as protesters demanded an end to tyranny, corruption, and economic decay. From Egypt to Yemen, a generation of young Arabs insisted on a new ethos of common citizenship. Five years later their utopian aspirations have taken on a darker cast as old divides reemerge and deepen. In one country after another, brutal terrorists and dictators have risen to the top.
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4 out of 5 stars
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What a mess!
- By Art Guzman on 01-19-17
By: Robert Worth
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Rosewater - Previously Published as 'Then They Came For Me’
- By: Maziar Bahari, Aimee Molloy
- Narrated by: Stephen Hoye
- Length: 11 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 270
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 230
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 230
When Maziar Bahari left London in June 2009 to cover Iran's presidential election, he assured his pregnant fiancée, Paola, that he'd be back in just a few days, a week at most. Little did he know, as he kissed her good-bye, that he would spend the next three months in Iran’s most notorious prison, enduring brutal interrogation sessions at the hands of a man he knew only by his smell: Rosewater.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Book that would've shined but for the narration
- By loix on 06-24-11
By: Maziar Bahari, and others
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I Was Told to Come Alone
- My Journey Behind the Lines of Jihad
- By: Souad Mekhennet
- Narrated by: Kirsten Potter
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 331
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 301
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Story5 out of 5 stars 302
For her whole life, Souad Mekhennet, a reporter for the Washington Post who was born and educated in Germany, has had to balance the two sides of her upbringing - Muslim and Western. She has also sought to provide a mediating voice between these cultures, which too often misunderstand each other.
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4 out of 5 stars
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A timely book with poor narration
- By F. AHMAD on 07-15-17
By: Souad Mekhennet
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Operation Pineapple Express
- By: Scott Mann
- Narrated by: Lt. Col. Scott Mann
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 304
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 280
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Story5 out of 5 stars 280
In April 2021, an urgent call was placed from a Special Forces operator serving overseas. The message was clear: Get Nezam out of Afghanistan now. Nezam was part of the Afghan National Army’s first group of American-trained commandos; he passed through Fort Bragg’s legendary Q course and served alongside the US Special Forces for over a decade. But Afghanistan’s government and army were on the edge of collapse, and Nezam was receiving threatening texts from the Taliban.
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5 out of 5 stars
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amazing, uplifting, heart wrenching
- By Lisa L. Weinley on 09-13-22
By: Scott Mann
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To Die in Mexico
- Dispatches from Inside the Drug War
- By: John Gibler
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 43
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 36
Combining on-the-ground reporting and in-depth discussions with people on the frontlines of Mexico's drug war, To Die in Mexico tells behind-the-scenes stories that address the causes and consequences of Mexico's multibillion dollar drug trafficking business. John Gibler looks beyond the myths that pervade government and media portrayals of the unprecedented wave of violence now pushing Mexico to the breaking point.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Warning: you may finish this audiobook outraged.
- By Susie on 07-13-16
By: John Gibler
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Into the Hands of the Soldiers
- Freedom and Chaos in Egypt and the Middle East
- By: David D. Kirkpatrick
- Narrated by: David D. Kirkpatrick
- Length: 13 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 110
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 96
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 96
Egypt has long set the paradigm for Arab autocracy. It is the keeper of the peace with Israel and the cornerstone of the American-backed regional order. So when Egyptians rose up to demand democracy in 2011, their 30 months of freedom convulsed the whole region. Now a new strongman, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, is building a dictatorship so severe some call it totalitarian. The economy sputters, an insurgency simmers, Christians suffer, and the Israeli military has been forced to intervene. But some in Washington - including President Trump - applaud Sisi as a crucial ally.
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2 out of 5 stars
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may get better, but presentation is off putting
- By Fruggs on 08-28-18
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The Fox Hunt
- A Refugee's Memoir of Coming to America
- By: Mohammed Al Samawi
- Narrated by: Assaf Cohen
- Length: 10 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 154
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 139
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 138
Born in the Old City of Sana’a, Yemen, to a pair of middle-class doctors, Mohammed Al Samawi was a devout Muslim raised to think of Christians and Jews as his enemy. But when Mohammed was 23, he secretly received a copy of the Bible, and what he read cast doubt on everything he’d previously believed. After connecting with Jews and Christians on social media, and at various international interfaith conferences, Mohammed became an activist, making it his mission to promote dialogue and cooperation in Yemen. Then came the death threats....
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4 out of 5 stars
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Engaging and informative memoir
- By Mark on 08-02-18
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The Morning They Came for Us
- Dispatches from Syria
- By: Janine di Giovanni
- Narrated by: Teri Schnaubelt
- Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 66
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 60
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 60
Doing for Syria what Imperial Life in the Emerald City did for the war in Iraq, The Morning They Came for Us bears witness to one of the most brutal, internecine conflicts in recent history. Drawing from years of experience covering Syria for Vanity Fair, Newsweek, and the front pages of the New York Times, award-winning journalist Janine di Giovanni gives us a tour de force of war reportage, all told through the perspective of ordinary people.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Bearing Witness to the Brutalities of War
- By Theo Horesh on 06-07-18
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I Lost My Love in Baghdad
- A Modern War Story
- By: Michael Hastings
- Narrated by: Michael Hastings
- Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 33
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 25
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 27
At age 25, Michael Hastings arrived in Baghdad to cover the war in Iraq for Newsweek. He had at his disposal a little Hemingway romanticism and all the apparatus of a 21st-century reporter: cell phones, high-speed Internet access, digital video cameras, fixers, drivers, guards, and translators.
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2 out of 5 stars
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Sad story...
- By kathryn on 01-01-09
By: Michael Hastings
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The Tunnels
- Escapes Under the Berlin Wall and the Historic Films the JFK White House Tried to Kill
- By: Greg Mitchell
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 11 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 57
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 49
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 49
A thrilling Cold War narrative of superpower showdowns, media suppression, and two escape tunnels beneath the Berlin Wall.
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5 out of 5 stars
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captivating
- By maria on 11-28-16
By: Greg Mitchell
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Son of Hamas
- A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices
- By: Mosab Hassan Yousef, Ron Brackin - contributor
- Narrated by: Mosab Hassan Yousef
- Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2,084
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Performance5 out of 5 stars 1,918
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Story5 out of 5 stars 1,912
Since he was a small boy, Mosab Hassan Yousef has had an inside view of the deadly terrorist group Hamas. The oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas and its most popular leader, young Mosab assisted his father for years in his political activities while being groomed to assume his legacy, politics, status...and power. But everything changed when Mosab turned away from terror and violence and embraced instead the teachings of another famous Middle East leader.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Very insightful look at the underbelly of Hamas.
- By C,L, Richey on 05-05-14
By: Mosab Hassan Yousef, and others
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The Shattered Lens
- A War Photographer's True Story of Captivity and Survival in Syria
- By: Jonathan Alpeyrie, Stash Luczkiw
- Narrated by: Qarie Marshall
- Length: 7 hrs and 58 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4 out of 5 stars 44
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 38
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Story4 out of 5 stars 38
Capturing history was Jonathan Alpeyrie's job, but he never expected to become a news story himself. For a decade, the French-American photojournalist weaved in and out of over a dozen conflict zones. But, during his third assignment to Syria, Alpeyrie was betrayed by his fixer and handed over to a band of Syrian rebels. For 81 days, he was bound, blindfolded, and beaten. Over the course of his captivity, Alpeyrie kept his spirits up and strived to see, without his camera lenses, the humanity in his captors.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Everyone should read this
- By Magdoll on 11-14-18
By: Jonathan Alpeyrie, and others
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No Turning Back
- Life, Loss, and Hope in Wartime Syria
- By: Rania Abouzeid
- Narrated by: Susan Nezami
- Length: 14 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 54
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Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 48
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 47
Based on more than five years of clandestine reporting on the front lines, No Turning Back is an utterly engrossing human drama full of vivid, indelible characters that shows how hope can flourish even amid one of the 21st century's greatest humanitarian disasters.
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4 out of 5 stars
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SYRIA'S FAMILY BUSINESS
- By chetyarbrough.blog on 12-03-22
By: Rania Abouzeid
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The Operators
- The Wild and Terrifying Inside Story of America's War in Afghanistan
- By: Michael Hastings
- Narrated by: Lloyd James
- Length: 12 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 439
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 382
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 386
An explosive, behind-the-scenes look into the workings of the U.S. war in Afghanistan that lifts the curtain of the world stage to reveal the devastating greed, waste, and failure surrounding this unwinnable war.
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4 out of 5 stars
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VERY INTERESTING STORY
- By Professor on 01-04-13
By: Michael Hastings
What listeners say about Distant Witness
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lindz
- 09-02-17
#Jan25
I saw Egypt begin her fight, but was forced to leave in February. I monitored the Arab Spring on twitter, following @acarvin and many of these people he mentions. All of it comes back in greater context and understanding as I listen to his story.
It broke my heart to leave. Thank you for this book. Like social media did for those of us who cared, you connect us once more to the real, complex, human story, past and current, of heroes and their sacrifice.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Customer
- 11-25-15
Good and different.
A unique way write to write a book, and tell the story of the Arab Spring; told from the viewpoint of the people at the fore front, armed only with their phones, and cameras.
Only dry part of the story is about the Syrian lesbian, it dragged on too long.
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