James Fergusson (born 1966) is a British journalist and author specialising in Muslim affairs.

Early life

Fergusson was born in London, the son of the Scottish journalist, author and MEP, Adam Fergusson, and Penelope Hughes (d.2009). He was educated at

Eton College Eton College ( ) is a Public school (United Kingdom), public school providing boarding school, boarding education for boys aged 13–18, in the small town of Eton, Berkshire, Eton, in Berkshire, in the United Kingdom. It has educated Prime Mini ...

and

Brasenose College, Oxford Brasenose College (BNC) is one of the Colleges of the University of Oxford, constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It began as Brasenose Hall in the 13th century, before being founded as a college in 1509. The l ...

Career

Fergusson started at The Independent before joining

Robert Maxwell Ian Robert Maxwell (born Ján Ludvík Hyman Binyamin Hoch; 10 June 1923 – 5 November 1991) was a Czechoslovakia, Czechoslovak-born British media proprietor, politician and fraudster. After escaping the German occupation of Czechoslovakia, ...

’s ill-fated weekly, '' The European'', where he became Op-Ed Features Editor. His interest in Islamic affairs developed when he turned freelance in the mid-1990s, and began reporting from Algeria, Bosnia and Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. In 1998 he moved to Sarajevo as press spokesman for the Office of the High Representative, the UN-mandated body charged with implementing the 1995 Dayton Peace Accord. This was followed by a stint in London as an executive at

Hakluyt & Company Hakluyt & Company is a British strategic advisory firm. The company is headquartered in London. Hakluyt was founded by former officials of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6). The company has recruited several former British spies and ...

, the secretive corporate intelligence agency. He returned to full-time writing in 2004 with the publication of his first book, ''Kandahar Cockney''.

Books

''Kandahar Cockney'' (

HarperCollins HarperCollins Publishers LLC is a British–American publishing company that is considered to be one of the "Big Five (publishers), Big Five" English-language publishers, along with Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group USA, Hachette, Macmi ...

2004) tells the story of Mir, an Afghan asylum-seeker in London who had worked for Fergusson as a translator on assignment in northern Afghanistan. It was a Radio 4 Book of the Week. This was followed by ''The Vitamin Murders'' (Portobello 2007), an account of the 1952 murder of the nutritionist

Sir Jack Drummond Sir Jack Cecil Drummond FRIC, FRS (12 January 1891 – 4/5 August 1952), known as a child as Jack Cecil Spinks, was a biochemist, noted for his work on nutrition as applied to the British diet under rationing during the Second World War. He w ...

. ''A Million Bullets'' ( Transworld 2008) a critique of Britain's military engagement in Afghanistan, was the British Army's Military Book of the Year. It was followed by ''Taliban – Unknown Enemy'' (2010), a plea for greater understanding and engagement with Nato's Afghan enemy. ''The World's Most Dangerous Place'' (2013) examines the security threat posed to the West by the failed state of Somalia and its diaspora. It was shortlisted for the

Orwell Prize The Orwell Prize is a British prize for political writing. The Prize is awarded by The Orwell Foundation, an independent charity (Registered Charity No 1161563, formerly "The Orwell Prize") governed by a board of trustees. Four prizes are award ...

. '' Al-Britannia, My Country'' (2017) recounts his year spent among Britain's Muslims, and argues for a new approach to that fast-expanding community. His latest book, ''In Search of the River Jordan'' investigates the politics of water supply in Israel-Palestine.Fergusson, James. 2023. ''In Search of the River Jordan : A Story of Palestine, Israel and the Struggle for Water.'' New Haven: Yale University Press.

Personal life

Fergusson married Melissa Rose Norman (1970-2021) in 2004. He lives in Edinburgh with his four children.

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fergusson, James 1966 births Living people Journalists from London People educated at Eton College Alumni of Brasenose College, Oxford British male journalists 20th-century British journalists 20th-century English male writers 21st-century British journalists 21st-century British non-fiction writers 21st-century English male writers