Last Train from Damascus

A Journey Along the Hejaz Railway

Leon McCarron

An unforgettable journey through the Middle East that follows the history of the miraculous and promise-filled Hejaz Railway.

Just over a century ago, it was possible to leave Damascus by train and head south, into the desert, towards the holy city of Medina. The laying of 800 miles of track at the dawn of the twentieth century offered a political and military lifeline for the ailing Ottoman Empire, and revolutionized the Hajj pilgrimage from a forty-day overland ordeal to just three days by train. The Hejaz Railway was meant to fasten together a new vision of unity in the Middle East, but it never had the chance to live up to that promise. By 1917, less than a decade after its completion, large sections were already in ruins, blown up by Arab tribes and British soldiers, including T.E. Lawrence. The line—once considered a miracle—became a memory.

In From Damascus to Medina, Leon McCarron follows the ghost of this forgotten railway, listening to those who live along its route. He spends weeks in Syria in the immediate aftermath of the fall of the Assad regime, travels by train on the historic route in Jordan, and walks through the desert where relics of the railway meet the new ambitions of a rapidly changing Saudi Arabia.

This is not just the story of imperial ambition, but also of the people who inherit its legacy today. Through their recollections, McCarron conjures a vision of a time when the land was less divided than it is now, and explores what its revival could offer in an era of hard borders and fragile hope. Weaving together history, travelogue, and oral testimony, From Damascus to Medina captures the region in a moment of great upheaval, and asks whether the dreams of the railway might yet be fulfilled.

Leon McCarron is an award-winning writer, broadcaster, and explorer from Northern Ireland. He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, the Geographical Society of Philadelphia's Explorer of the Year, and is known for long-distance expeditions and immersive multimedia storytelling. In the past decade he has travelled over 50,000km by human power, and is currently based in Iraq.

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Endorsements & Reviews

Praise for Leon McCarron

“A journey through both time and ecological crisis: as epic as it is engaging.”
Tom Holland, author of Rubicon, Dominion, and Persian Fire, host of The Rest is History

"Jaunty and highly informative." The New York Review of Books 

“Real travel writing—hard hitting, with a flowing momentum. A truly epic journey.”
Sophy Roberts, author of The Lost Pianos of Siberia

"Wounded Tigris is a fine book. Overcoming considerable difficulties, Leon McCarron’s tough journey paints a rich and enthralling portrait of a river that once helped create the first cities on earth, and is now fighting a battle for survival." Michael Palin, star of A Fish Called Wanda and Monty Python and the Holy Grail

“Hewn with the visceral language and spirit you’d expect from this adventurer.” National Geographic Traveler

"Brilliant. Wounded Tigris captures the peculiar beauty and enduring importance of one of humanity’s first waterways.” Foreword Reviews (starred)

"A brave adventure grippingly evoked and featuring pertinent historical context. The narrative flows organically, delineating such daily hardships as negotiating with the police, as well as the evening delights of breaking bread with new friends in their homes." Kirkus Reviews