The Best Kind of American
- Author Kim Ghattas
- Narrator Nan McNamara, Kim Ghattas
- Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing
- Publish Date 22 October 2026
- Run Time 10 hours
- Format Audio
- Genre International relations.
Flexible Pricing & Rewards For Listening
At xigxag, the more you read, the less you pay* on select audiobook and x-book® titles, as in the table below. Pricing updates automatically in the app and resets one year after your first purchase. And you can always find a selection of brilliant titles available for only £3.99.
Titles Purchased
- 1-5
- 6-10
- 11-15
- 16-20
- Over 20
Price per title
- £8.99
- £7.99
- £6.99
- £5.99
- £4.99
*Only the full price titles you buy count toward your personal pricing tier. Full price titles don’t include Listen for Less or other books bought with a voucher or discount code.
Listen to a sample
What to expect
A work of true crime following one American family’s search for the truth after a 1984 murder in war-torn Beirut, where the Iranian revolution collided with the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, setting off the geopolitical conflagration that burns to this day, from acclaimed and bestselling author Kim Ghattas.
On January 18, 1984, Malcolm Kerr, president of the American University of Beirut, was assassinated by a pair of gunmen outside his office. His murder, in the wake of the bombing of the US Marines’ barracks, Palestinian guerrilla warfare, and the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, was just one more shocking headline in a city ravaged by the chaos of nine years of war. There was no investigation. Four decades later, the question of who killed Malcolm and why still haunts Kerr’s family, including his son Steve, a world-famous basketball player and NBA coach.
In The Best Kind of American, Kim Ghattas embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of Kerr’s assassination, weaving together the family’s story with that of Lebanon’s warlords and peacemakers, Hezbollah hostage takers and Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and American presidents from Reagan to Trump. She also tells the definitive story of how Beirut came to be the point of origin for the policies and people who went on to shape the Middle East for decades, from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was then assassinated in a joint US-Israeli strike in the opening salvo of their 2026 war against the Islamic Republic. With the nuance, clarity, and storytelling that made Black Wave an era-defining work on the Middle East, Ghattas delivers a riveting, deeply human saga—a must-read for understanding why this conflict continues to shape today’s world.
On January 18, 1984, Malcolm Kerr, president of the American University of Beirut, was assassinated by a pair of gunmen outside his office. His murder, in the wake of the bombing of the US Marines’ barracks, Palestinian guerrilla warfare, and the 1982 Israeli invasion of Lebanon, was just one more shocking headline in a city ravaged by the chaos of nine years of war. There was no investigation. Four decades later, the question of who killed Malcolm and why still haunts Kerr’s family, including his son Steve, a world-famous basketball player and NBA coach.
In The Best Kind of American, Kim Ghattas embarks on a quest to solve the mystery of Kerr’s assassination, weaving together the family’s story with that of Lebanon’s warlords and peacemakers, Hezbollah hostage takers and Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and American presidents from Reagan to Trump. She also tells the definitive story of how Beirut came to be the point of origin for the policies and people who went on to shape the Middle East for decades, from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was then assassinated in a joint US-Israeli strike in the opening salvo of their 2026 war against the Islamic Republic. With the nuance, clarity, and storytelling that made Black Wave an era-defining work on the Middle East, Ghattas delivers a riveting, deeply human saga—a must-read for understanding why this conflict continues to shape today’s world.
Critics Review
Gripping, authoritative, compassionate and perceptive, The Best Kind of American is a vital contribution to our understanding of the recent history of the Middle East and of today's conflicts that continue to cause such tragedy and suffering. Ghattas draws on her deep knowledge and understanding of Lebanon, Iran, and the US, to tell an important story with the energy and rigor it deserves. This book should be required reading for scholars and general readers alike.
By centering her narrative on the murder of Malcolm Kerr, the president of the American University of Beirut, Ghattas has written both a geopolitical whodunit and a masterful investigative history of the forces that have torn apart Lebanon for the past 50 years. The Best Kind of American is not only a riveting book, but a very important one by one of the most astute chroniclers of the modern Middle East.
It’s rare to read a book about the complex and fraught recent history of the Middle East and your first reaction is: I can’t wait to see the movie version. Kim Ghattas, a masterful writer, brings to life the compelling stories of fascinating, often remarkable people and makes us care about them deeply. A triumph.
A miraculous achievement. Ghattas takes you inside a murder mystery and then reveals, layer upon layer, the maddening complexity of the ongoing wars of the Middle East. This is essential reading for anyone concerned about the region’s tragic trajectory. But it is also a counterintuitive story of hope for both Lebanon and the whole region’s best and brightest, symbolized by intellectuals like Malcolm Kerr and Samir Kassir, martyrs to the liberal possibilities of the modern Arab world. A deeply moving and brilliant book.
Brilliant, disturbing, honest, thoughtful, and thought-provoking, this is the best kind of book on the Middle East. Unlike many books on the region, it does not take sides, is not ideological or self-righteous. Kim Ghattas allows each character, even the “villains,” space and voice, giving the reader a chance to try and understand them and not simply judge. Ghattas takes us through wars, assassinations, and terror, to the edge of despair and back, all while resurrecting Malcolm Kerr, a great human and Middle East scholar who was murdered while serving as president of The American University of Beirut. His assassins were never found, and now, after 42 years, another great scholar of the Middle East, Ghattas, resurrects his story and legacy.
Spellbinding. The book’s core is a harrowing account of an American family’s tragedy, set against tectonic clashes in the heart of the Middle East. Readers caught up in the search for mysterious assassins will be mesmerized by the larger drama as Lebanon is torn apart by competing gangs of terrorists, religious zealots, warlords, and the governments that secretly backed them. With exquisite reporting and bracing clarity, Ghattas exposes the malevolence, miscalculations, and fanaticism that set the stage for a half-century of destruction and chaos.
In The Best Kind of American, Ghattas reveals the very worst of the Middle East: the schemes and machinations of leaders determined to cling to power, the impunity surrounding kidnappings and killings, and the shattered lives left in their wake. This is a profoundly brave book?a moving tribute to the forcibly disappeared, and to the enduring grief carried by those who loved them.
Ghattas has done incredible research into a painful history that sheds light on the past and illuminates the present. The result is a page turner that unmasks, holds accountable, and humanizes. A true feat!
Damning history of American bumbling in the Middle East . . . [a] wide-ranging narrative . . . of great importance to anyone seeking a clear view of a bewildering geopolitical arena.
Highly recommended. Ghattas’s forensic reconstruction of the origin of U.S.-Iran-Israel enmity details personalities, interactions, events, and decisions that carry forward to 2025, offering readers a nuanced and timely backstory of the 2026 war in Iran.
| Author | Kim Ghattas |
|---|---|
| Narrator | Nan McNamara, Kim Ghattas |
| Duration | 10 hours |
| Release Date | |
| ISBN | 9781399419444 |
| Format | Audiobook |
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
| Genre | International relations |
| Availability | AU, GB, IE |
More from the same
Author
About xigxag
Experience the best audiobooks with xigxag, an innovative and user-friendly audiobook platform designed for seamless discovery, purchase, and enjoyment of your favorite titles. Our flexible pricing model offers bestselling audiobooks for less, providing affordable prices and the best audiobook deals without requiring a subscription. Perfect for gifting, xigxag also features convenient audiobook gift cards and in-app audiobook gifting options.
Beyond the listening experience, xigxag stands as an exciting alternative to big tech, embodying a strong commitment to sustainability and ethical practices. As the only B Corp certified UK audiobook service, we ensure a guilt-free listening experience from a leader in audiobook innovation.
Effortlessly search audiobooks, access honest audiobook reviews that evaluate both the content and narration, and easily discover hidden gems. Whether you prefer to download or stream top audiobook titles, xigxag provides the best possible listening experience anytime, anywhere, on the UK’s best independent audiobook app. Discover the future of audiobooks today.