Parallel Roads to Ruin
Islamism, Zionism and the Struggle for Palestine
$49.30
- Hardcover
368 pages
- Release Date
26 November 2026
Summary
A vivid account of Zionism and Islamism’s deadly embrace.
Zionism and Islamism both emerged in response to oppression and injustice, aiming to bring dignity, freedom and security to the downtrodden followers of one of the world’s great religions. Yet both have since created oppression and injustice and used violence to attain their goals, fomenting bitter hatreds. These led directly to the horrifying October 7 attacks and ensuing destruction of Gaza.
John McHu…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781805266679 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 1805266675 |
| Author: | John McHugo |
| Publisher: | C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd |
| Imprint: | C Hurst & Co Publishers Ltd |
| Format: | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages: | 368 |
| Release Date: | 26 November 2026 |
| Dimensions: | 156mm x 234mm |
Critics Review
‘McHugo traces the parallel trajectories of two peoples vying for supremacy in historic Palestine. He argues that although Zionism and Islamism both began as responses to European imperialism, each fostered its own form of domination over the other, tragically turning the conflict between Arabs and Jewish Israelis into a zero-sum game. Compelling, original, and clearly written, McHugo’s remarkable book sheds new light on well-trodden historical terrain. It will find a privileged place on the bookshelves of students and seasoned researchers alike.’
* John Calvert, Professor of History, Creighton University, and author of Sayyid Qutb and the Origins of Radical Islamism *‘John McHugo confronts a morass of linguistic, conceptual and analytical traps to offer a thought-provoking juxtaposition of Zionism and Islamism that both clarifies and challenges.’
* Matthew Teller, author of Nine Quarters of Jerusalem: A New Biography of the Old City *‘This book shows how Islamism and Zionism share responsibility for the atrocities of 7 October 2023 as well as the genocidal destruction of Gaza and the terror that has been inflicted on the West Bank. It argues that peace can only be attained by reaching for genuinely universal principles and by rooting that search in the lessons of history. An indispensable contribution to the most vital debate of our time.’
* Bruno Maçães, former Secretary of State for European Affairs, Portugal, and bestselling author, including of Geopolitics for the End Time: From the Pandemic to the Climate Crisis *‘Parallel Roads to Ruin is a meticulous and dispassionate account of choices made and roads not taken in the intertwined paths that culminated in the horrific events of 7 October 2023. John McHugo adopts an original approach which weaves nuance and comparative insight into the century-long struggle for Palestine.’
* Kristian Coates Ulrichsen, Fellow for the Middle East, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy *‘A much needed addition to the literature on the modern Middle East, and a corrective to the often over-simplified narratives on Israel and Palestine. By tracing the deep roots of both Zionism and Islamism, McHugo shows us how they intertwine, diverge and ultimately clash in the tragedy now playing out in the Levant.’
* Hannah Lucinda Smith, writer and journalist, The Times and The Economist, and author of Hinterlands: Journeys Through Europe’s Unfinished Frontiers *‘A fascinating journey through the history of the key protagonists, McHugo’s shrewd and innovative analysis reveals how conflicts between nationalised religions — Judaism and Islamism — precipitated the Gaza War massacres.’
* Menachem Klein, Professor Emeritus, Bar-Ilan University, author of Split Lives: Jerusalem and Berlin Divided, 1948–1967 *‘John is a thoughtful and knowledgeable scholar of the region. This timely book offers dives into uncomfortable history to offer a fresh perspective to the conflict between Israel and Palestine. A must read for anyone asking themselves the question - how did we get here?’
* Layla Moran MP *‘Parallel Roads to Ruin is a genuinely disordering book. John McHugo takes two ideological movements — Zionism and Islamism — usually narrated in separate moral universes, and places their histories and protagonists in dialogue with one another. The result will infuriate partisans on both sides. That is precisely its achievement: showcasing how movements born in opposition to nineteenth-century European nationalism, imperialism, oppression and dispossession could themselves become engines of exclusion and seemingly perpetual conflict.’
* Jason Pack, Host of the Disorder Podcast and author of Libya and the Global Enduring Disorder *‘So vast is the literature on the conflict in Palestine and Israel, that it is hard to imagine anyone with anything new to say. But McHugo’s approach as a historian is novel and his argument strikingly original. The book will be controversial for people on both sides of the conflict. But McHugo makes his case without fear or favour, solely with an eye to shedding light on a subject that is humanly complex and deeply painful. He succeeds. This is history-writing at its very best.’
* Brian Klug, Honorary Fellow in Social Philosophy, University of Oxford *John McHugo
After studying Arabic and Islamic studies at the University of Oxford and the American University in Cairo in the 1970s, John McHugo practised international law in the Middle East, where his work during the 1980s and 1990s concentrated on boundary disputes between sovereign states. In the early 2000s, he turned his attention to studying and writing about the history of the Middle East and Islam. His books include A Concise History of Sunnis and Shi‘is; A Concise History of the Arabs; and Syria: A Recent History.
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