Hostage
OFFICIAL EDITION: The first memoir by an Israeli hostage
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Swift Press
Published:9th Oct '25
Should be back in stock very soon
This hardback is available in another edition too:
- Paperback£10.99(9781800756557)
THE TELEGRAPH, BLOOMBERG AND TIME 'BOOK OF THE YEAR'
'A taut, immersive chronicle of endurance' Time Magazine
'One of the most compelling and unflinching books you will ever read' Daily Telegraph
On 7 October, 2023, Hamas terrorists stormed Kibbutz Be’eri, shattering the peaceful life Eli Sharabi had built with his British wife, Lianne, and their teenage daughters, Noiya and Yahel. Dragged barefoot out of his front door while his family watched in horror, Sharabi was plunged deep into the suffocating darkness of Gaza’s tunnels. As war raged above him, he endured a gruelling 491 days in captivity - all the while holding onto the hope that he would one day be reunited with his loved ones.
In the first memoir by a released Israeli hostage, and the fastest-selling book in Israel’s history, Sharabi offers a searing firsthand account of survival under unimaginable conditions - starvation, isolation, physical beatings, and psychological abuse at the hands of his captors.
Eli Sharabi’s story is one of hunger and heartache, of physical pain, longing, loneliness and a helplessness that threatens to destroy the soul. But it is also a story of strength, of resilience, and of the human spirit’s refusal to surrender. It is about the camaraderie forged in captivity, the quiet power of faith, and one man’s unrelenting decision to choose life, time and time again.
Reminiscent of Elie Wiesel’s Night, Hostage is a profound witness to history, so that it shall be neither forgotten nor erased.
‘One of the most compelling and unflinching books you will ever read’ - Daily Telegraph
‘A book of startling eloquence, unimaginable anguish and exceptionally restrained rage’ - Wall Street Journal
'Hostage is a highly readable account of a near impossible to imagine nightmare. For all the pain it recounts, it’s ultimately about finding the light in the darkest of circumstances' - Jewish Chronicle
‘Five days after it was released, Sharabi’s memoir became the best-selling book in Israeli history. That’s no surprise: his account of being held hostage by Hamas for 491 days is by turns moving, compelling and deeply harrowing' - Telegraph Books of the Year
‘A testament to the human spirit. In the depths of captivity for over 400 days [after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack in Israel] and emerging to discover that his wife and daughters had been murdered and yet having the strength and determination to live life and dwell on the positives. Inspirational’ - Jonathan Goldstein, Bloomberg Books of the Year
‘A memoir that bears witness to the atrocities of October 7 and, at the same time, makes the experience very personal and intimate’Jewish Book Council
'This book is vital for anyone wishing to understand the horror of the past two years from a perspective that has too often been overlooked. But there is a more general message here too, about survival, perseverance and the power of human endurance in the face of unimaginable trauma’ The New Statesman
‘A portrait of a man miraculously unbroken and unbowed by his torment. Sharabi’s remarkably dignified comportment offers an example of resilience for Jews around the world’ Commentary Magazine
‘A classic work about captivity… examining the human spirit under the worst possible circumstances’ The Washington Free Beacon
‘Captivating and inspiring’The Washington Free Beacon
‘Nothing short of extraordinary’Entertainment Focus
‘One of the year’s must-read books’ Entertainment Focus
‘A vital message of sorrow, resilience, and survival’ Jonathan Sacerdoti, The Spectator
‘A devastating account of hope in the most inhumane conditions. It is also an intimate portrait of the terrorist mindset, based on Sharabi’s time as a forced observer’ The Times
‘A raw, intimate point of view on one of the most divisive conflicts in modern history’ Times The 100 Must-Read Books of 2025
ISBN: 9781800756526
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
208 pages