*also called Into a World of Hate: A Journey Among the Extreme Right (USA/Canada)

'His style is bold, the reportage lively, and he makes the characters – some drawn with the power and detail of Dickens – menacing enough that you can hear them breathe heavily into your ears ... Ryan took seven years to penetrate the dark world of fascism in the 21st century. He took great risks and clearly put the whole of himself into the project. He is a compelling witness. He writes furiously, at times brilliantly. He makes you share his fears and passions.'

The Independent, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

Homeland Preface

We see them fleetingly. Men dressed in white sheets, paunchy figures in survival gear, throwing their Hitler salutes, almost unreal. We laugh or shake our heads, turn the page, and move on to less depressing or ridiculous news.

Like you, so I once thought. Sniggering at the TV, safe and comfortable, the world reduced to bite-sized headlines. After all, what have skinheads, hooligans and Nazi fanatics to do with the rest of us?

But what if – just if – these people represented something larger? Leading ordinary lives in and among us, with the same problems and fears. Not so different after all.

Homeland is the story of my journey into their world. A glimpse into a place most of us will not, or choose not, to see.

An exposé which combines both investigation, history lesson, and a political warning, this book is one man's recollection of his time spent amongst these men and women. It is six years of my life writ large, for better or worse: as much my story as theirs.

I hope you learn from it.

What is Homeland?

Homeland tackles the rise of the extreme Right in a unique, often disturbing, adventure/odyssey. It's a mix of adventure, travel and extremism, all rolled into one.

Moving from British neo-nazi gangs to US Presidential candidates and Europe’s political zealots, Homeland is a gripping six-year adventure and social commentary, a truly unique account of the underbelly of modern society.

Describing how he builds trust with the men and women at the heart of such movements, Nick Ryan depicts a search for identity, belonging and belief, as he travels through an interconnected network of both violent and political extremists.

If you want to know about the coal face of extremism, how fundamentalism as dangerous and threatening as al-Qaeda in the East is now rising in the West – indeed, is inextricably linked to it – Homeland is the place to find it.

The work for the book led to Nick's involvement with the critically-acclaimed BBC drama England Expects (written by Frank Deasy), which he helped produce over a three-and-a-half year period.

Homeland Extract: Prologue

Julie (not her real name) is British, through and through. Her father came here decades ago, from Jamaica. Her mother is English. So she’s British. Not in the Midlands, though. There, she’s a half-caste. Mixed race. Mulatto.

Homeland Extract: Homeland (chapter 1)

The rain cracks hard on the cold London tarmac. The drumming rhythm vibrates through bone, into my head. I rub my jaw, yawning to relieve the tension.

Homeland Extract: Homeland (chapter 4)

Something crashes into my shoulder. A young black face glares at me. I'm shoved sideways into the road, stumbling, blinking and amazed. The figure strides on, angry, purposeful, leaping the barrier that fences off the dark tarmac. His taut, muscular back runs across the road and down past the Tube station entrance.

Interview: World of Hate (London Jewish News)

For someone who has got drunk with far-right extremists, Nick Ryan is far from what you expect. The award-winning journalist – who has travelled the world writing about the sort of people you definitely would not like your mother to meet – is well-turned out and spoken, polite and very middle-class.

Jon Ronson & Nick Ryan at Edinburgh:
'a surprisingly funny event...both are excellent'

More reviews for Homeland: 'a terrifying book that provokes nightmares, and makes me fear for the future of our civilised society...writing it cannot have been easy...there could be no finer testament to his talent as a reporter...should appear in the bookcases of every politician in the land.' (Critic's Choice) Daily Mail, Geoffrey Wansell. 'reportage of the most illuminating kind - a vividly atmospheric narrative... unsettling and fascinating.' Times Literary Supplement, John Gray. 'As relevant to its time as Orwell's Homage to Catalonia, which is high praise indeed and well-deserved...first-rate reportage.' BlueEar.com, Ethan Casey. 'Fascinating material - Nick Ryan is a very brave man...great stuff.' Hari Kunzru, bestselling author The Impressionist, Whitbread Prize nominee. 'a tale of horror...unnerving but vital' The LIP Magazine 'reminiscent of George Orwell's early non-fiction ... written as literary reportage. The twists and turns of the journey leave the reader no less exhausted than the man who came to write about it.' Books in Canada 'One of the most powerful and bleak books of the year. I can't praise it enough.' Craig McGill, author, Human Traffic. 'Densely-researched...explosive' (Release of the Week) The Scotsman 'disturbing...gripping and informative' Jerome Weeks, Dallas Morning News 'a complex portrait of individuals...brave and fascinating' Three Monkeys Online, Michael O'Connor 'Very good: nice writing and nice scenes and smart thinking.' Southern Poverty Law Center (USA), Mark Potok. 'I love the way you write.' Martin A. Lee, bestselling US author, The Beast Reawakens. 'brilliant...it reminded me of Hemingway.' J V, reader. 'a tour de force...grippingly written...the breadth is astonishing' Heather Welford, journalist and author. 'an excellent book that walks a delicate line...deserves to be read by a wide and attentive audience.' Martin D. Brown, historian. 'emotionally powerful...prompting a justified comparison to Orwell's Road to Wigan Pier.' Roger Tatoud, writer. 'a book that reads like fiction...provides an honest and intriguing picture of the extreme right margins' Cas Mudde, academic expert on extreme right 'gripping...as much about Ryan's story as that of the far right' Morning Star 'extraordinary' New Internationalist 'It takes a thick skinned individual to sit in a room where football hooligans, Holocaust deniers, neo-Nazi ultra-nationalists, extreme right-wing politicians, Hitler enthusiasts and nutty preachers spew their vitriolic hatred of Jews, immigrants and anyone else who is non-white. It takes an even stronger individual to do this for six years. But that is exactly what Nick Ryan did.' Jerusalem Post, Harry Rubenstein 'uncomfortable...chilling...revealing...thought-provoking... excellent.' Corinna Lotz, Movement for a Socialist Future 'an epic journey [with] powerful writing...all anti-fascists should own a copy.' Searchlight, Steve Silver 'As a piece of investigative journalism, this is both sweeping and disturbing.' The Good Book Guide 'this book is going to be the biggest, and most disturbing shock that your system will receive this year...Essential reading for anyone who wants to know what lies behind the new, slick face of right-wing politics.' (Book of the Month, 5 stars) FRONT magazine 'shocking and scary' ICE magazine 'Homeland is similar in scope to Them, by another British journalist, Jon Ronson, but much better. Recommended.' Original Dissent message 'a far better book on the far right...is Nick Ryan's Homeland' Pearsall's Books 'can't recommend this enough' Billy Bragg forum 'really enjoyed it' Richard Allan, Liberal Democrat MP. 'vivid...the web of deceit, self-deceit, and denial is compelling.' Drowned in Sound 'a timely book' Campaign Against Racism and Fascism 'brilliant' Forum Against Islamophobia and Racism 'It reports conversation after conversation with racists of every kind. But this very informality and faithfulness to Ryan's own observations and reportage are what make Homeland's message accessible to a new and wider audience...In penetrating below that bright surface to chart the murky and dangerous depths below, Ryan has performed for us all a valuable and lasting service' Race & Class 'terrifying, chilling, fascinating' Deepa Kandaswamy, OnceWritten.com 'less an observational tour and more of a 'lived' experience' (Book of the Month) The Insight 'you will find a lot in this book...well worth a read' Chicago Indymedia 'recommended reading' Societyminus 'brilliant' Ruth Caleb, BBC Executive Producer, Drama 'brilliant-classic-must-read' Goodreads.com Neo-Nazis, Skins, and the extreme right. Homeland, a must read! Dr. Birkin, Dorq

Photo: Simon Wheatley

HOMELAND BOOK

Homeland: Into A World Of Hate
by Nick Ryan
ISBN 1840184655
Amazon Kindle edition $5.00 only!

Original UK edition: £15.99 (hbk) or £9.99 (pb) Mainstream Publishing/Random House (UK)

Cover photo 'White Man Black Mask, Mongrel, National Heritage 1998; mongrelx.org

BUY THE BOOK!

Homeland: Into A World Of Hate $5 only! (Amazon Kindle edition)

Original UK hardback £10.59! (Amazon.co.uk)

UK paperback £6.99!
(Amazon.co.uk)

US Kindle e-edition $20.66!
(via Amazon.com)

US hardback only $31.20!
(Amazon.com) or at Barnes & Noble

North American edition Into a World of Hate (Routledge, ISBN 041594922X, e-book)*

Canada CAD$41.26 (Amazon.ca)

"descends into a 'heart of darkness'...a harrowing tale...buy the book for its perceptive reporting and excellent writing"
Heidi Beirich, Southern Poverty Law Center

Find out why I wrote this book: read Beneath the Skin, which was a cover story in the Big Issue.

Hear me speak on BBC Radio 4, CKNW (Tuesday 13 April 2004, 11am link) and WILLam580 and read this profile of me in The Hindu, India's oldest paper.

And guess which musician is reading Homeland? (scroll to end)
NEW SPANISH EDITION!

Descenso a Un Mundo de Odio (Oceano De Mexico)

Buy PeaceFire: Fragments from the Israel-Palestine Story for which I was a contributor.

Reviews for Homeland: 'a tremendous scary exposé of the re-activated politics of hatred...drawn with the power and detail of Dickens...he writes furiously, at times brilliantly...engrossing and unnerving.' The Independent, Yasmin Alibhai-Brown. 'Ryan's hard-hitting look at racist and fascist factions is topical to say the least...the overall picture of hatred on our streets is vivid.' The Mirror, Andrea Henry. 'A book on the far Right could not be more timely ...a disturbing read.' The Observer, Antony Barnett. 'As in George Orwell's similar journeys into a world that few of us see, this investigation of the outer fringes of bigotry is both edifying and frightening ... As a piece of investigative journalism, this is both sweeping and disturbing.' Kirkus review 'deliciously vicious opening...a fascinating read.' The Times, Vanora Bennett. 'courageous and dedicated...admirable.' The Guardian, Matthew Collin. 'powerful cutting-edge ...highly-descriptive and fast-flowing prose, as heart stopping as any Tom Clancy thriller ...essential.' London Jewish News, Andrew Morris 'Ryan is a stunning writer...intense, angry with an enviable gift for accessible analysis.' The List, Paul Dale 'first-class reportage.' FHM 'astonishing piece of non-fiction...read it and worry.' Daily Sport Ladsmag 'a classic' The Hindu 'timely...worthwhile and often entertaining.' Mail On Sunday, John Williams 'A personal odyssey ...makes for uncomfortable, even frightening, reading.' The Literary Review, Christopher Ondaatje. 'Nick Ryan's journalistic odyssey into an underworld of pure hate...a warning for us all.' The Herald, Allan Laing 'an uncomfortable journey into the mentality of the extreme right.' Jewish Chronicle 'a gripping adventure and a social commentary in his truly unique account of the underbelly of modern society.' Greenock Telegraph 'This book is a timely and well-researched excursion into white nationalism' The Irish Times, Nuala Haughey 'extremely interesting ... chilling' Jihad Watch 'Me want' Spike magazine