For decades, Robert R. Fowler was a dominant force in Canadian foreign affairs. In one heart-stopping minute, allof that changed. On December 14, 2008, Fowler, acting as theUN Secretary Generals Special Envoy to Niger, was kidnapped by Al Qaeda, becoming the highest ranked UN official ever held captive. Along with his colleague Louis Guay, Fowler lived, slept and ate with his captors for nearly five months, gaining rare first-hand insight into the motivations of the worlds most feared terror group. Fowlers capture, release and subsequent media appearances have helped shed new light on foreign policyand security issues as we enter the second decade of the War on Terror. A Season in Hell is Fowlers compelling story of his captivity, told in his own words, but it is also a startlingly frank discussion about the state of a world redefined by clashing civilizations.