The Protocols of the Elders of Sodom

These provocative essays explore the links between literature, history and politics, through an examination of the work of Cervantes, Tolstoy, Proust, Musil, Roth, Platonov, Soltzhenitsyn, Grossman, Munif, Rushdie and others. Tariq Ali draws out common themes as well as polarities, and in each case locates the writer and his or her work in the appropriate political and historical context. The title essay is inspired by one of Proust’s lesser-known reflections: if Zionism seeks a biblical homeland for the Jews on the basis of persecution, why not also look for a biblical homeland for gays and lesbians? This collection, showcasing Tariq Ali’s range and polemical verve, will be sure to attract critical attention and a wide readership.Tariq Ali is a writer and filmmaker. He has written more than a dozen books on world history and politics—including Pirates of the Caribbean, Bush in Babylon, The Clash of Fundamentalisms and The Obama Syndrome—as well as five novels in his Islam Quintet series and scripts for the stage and screen. He is an editor of the New Left Review and lives in London.