Taking Sides

The deeply moving memoir of an award-winning war correspondent turned activist—and her rousing defence of human rights in times of resurgent authoritarianism.

As a broadcast journalist for Sky News and Al Jazeera, Sherine Tadros was trained to tell only the facts, as dispassionately as possible. But how can you remain neutral when reporting from war zones, or witnessing brutal state repression?

For twenty-six years, Tadros grew up in the quiet surroundings of her family's London home, and yet injustice was something her Egyptian immigrant parents could never shelter her from. From her first journalistic assignment trapped inside a war zone in the Gaza Strip, to covering the Arab uprisings that changed the course of history, Tadros searched for ways to make a difference in people's lives. But it wasn't until her fiancé left her on their wedding day, and her life fell apart, that she found the courage to find her true purpose. It was the beginning of a journey leading to her current work for Amnesty International at the United Nations, where she lobbies governments to ensure that human rights are protected around the world.

With the compassion and verve of a clear-sighted campaigner and a natural storyteller, Tadros shares her remarkable journey from witnessing injustice to fighting it head on in the corridors of power.

Taking Sides isn't just a memoir but a call to action. It's a testimony to how fighting inequality and injustice takes continuous engagement by those who choose to step up.
- Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Liberian peace activist

Sherine Tadros has written a gripping and powerful memoir of her journey through journalism, hope, and despair to activism. It's a candid guidebook that will empower anyone who wants to make the world a better place.
- Kim Ghattas, author of Black Wave

An engaging, intelligent, and intensely personal story set against the backdrop of conflict in Lebanon, Gaza, and Egypt.
- Lara Marlowe, The Irish Times