Dodgers to Damascus - by Catherine Nixon Cooke (Hardcover)

About the Book

An adventure-driven story that helps us understand the Middle East and Syria

Book Synopsis

David Lesch is a modern-day Renaissance man whose work has spanned continents and allowed him to explore cultures near and far. An acclaimed scholar, educator, author, and conflict resolution specialist, he has advised five U.S. presidential administrations at the highest levels about the head-spinning political, religious, and cultural complexities of the Middle East. He is the author or editor of seventeen books, including The History of the Middle East since the Rise of Islam, Syria: A Modern History, and The Arab-Israeli Conflict: A History.

Long before, as the number one draft pick for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1980, Lesch followed his American dream, playing with many baseball greats until a shoulder injury sidelined him. He later became a distinguished professor of Middle East studies at Trinity University in San Antonio and was soon tapped by the United Nations, the U.S. State Department, and policy centers and governments internationally.

Dodgers to Damascus documents a part of the world that has been shrouded in mystery and plagued by conflict, power struggles, and warfare, and offers a firsthand glimpse inside modern Syria, its neighboring countries, and their connections to the rest of the world.
Lesch's work in Syria resulted in a tenuous relationship with President Bashar al-Assad and many tense situations, including a poisoned meal that almost cost him his life. His encounters with elected officials, diplomats, spies, and conflict resolution specialists have all the elements of a Hollywood thriller and parallel his personal story of loss, crisis, and redemption.

Review Quotes

"As I imagine what David might do in his 'next chapter' I always come back to him being in a perfect position from his own work and experience to be one of the people who helps broker long-term peace in the Middle East. He's well equipped for it. And if there is hope for it, somehow David has to be involved in it." -Ron Nirenberg, former Mayor of San Antonio, Texas

"An eye-popping biography of an allAmerican boy growing up with baseball who is catapulted into an unlikely life as scholar, professor, and unofficial diplomat in the most conflict-torn region in the world. I had the privilege of witnessing David Lesch at work in Syria, only for him to be poisoned and, fortunately for all of us, to survive. Read this riveting account and be inspired." - William Ury, author of Possible: How We Survive (and Thrive) in an Age of Conflict

"Most elite athletes blaze a brief trail before their star burns out. David Lesch, a number one pick for the LA Dodgers before injury ended his baseball career, built a new life based on his study of conflict. An academic by day, Lesch also knew the dark underworld of spies and subterfuge that almost claimed his life in the Middle East. Historian Catherine Nixon Cooke possesses a fine sensibility about the cultural differences fueling conflicts in that part of the world and does full justice to a fascinating story." - Rosalind Miles author of The Women's Modern History of the World: How Radicals, Rebels, and Everywomen Revolutionized the Last 200 Years

"A compelling biography that demonstrates how adaptability, cultural intelligence, and resilience-- whether facing baseball batters or authoritarian leaders--are essential skills for anyone working to bridge divides in our fractured world. Replete with ruthless dictators, fanatical fighters, villains, and victims, this book offers invaluable insights for conflict resolution practitioners, historians, and ordinary folks interested in a wonderful story." - Hrair Balian, former director of the Carter Center's Conflict Resolution Program

"David has been at the upper end of consultancies with the five U.S. presidents. He is one of the brightest people I've ever met. You can put him in the desert and he'll find water." -Williston "Bill" Clover, founder Panorama International

"It is hard to imagine that any American will be able to replicate the kind of knowledge David has about Syria. But beyond that special knowledge, David offers something else-that conviction that despite everything---yes we can and must---make a difference." -Hon. Jeffrey Feltman, Brookings Institute Fellow, former U.S. ambassador to Lebanon

"It would not surprise me if some administration appoints him as an ambassador, or to the State Department. He certainly has the breadth and depth for that." -Tom Kayser, former President of the Texas Baseball League

"David Lesch is an unusual combination of an excellent scholar and a very practical person who can get things done. In the academic world, one can find one or the other, but rarely together in one person." -F. Gregory Gause, Professor Emeritus of International Affairs, Bush School of Government & Public Service, Texas A&M University

About the Author

Catherine Nixon Cooke is a former journalist and editor and the author of many books, including In Search of Tom Slick: Explorer and Visionary and Juan O'Gorman: A Confluence of Civilizations. She lives in San Antonio, Texas.

Peter C. Goldmark is an independent consultant in philanthropy, environmental policy, international affairs and development, and organizational development. He served as director of the Environmental Defense Fund's climate and air program, chair and CEO of the International Herald Tribune, and president of the Rockefeller Foundation. He lives in New York City.