From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
John Patrick McCarthy CBE (born 27 November 1956) is a British journalist and one of the
hostages in the Lebanon hostage crisis. He was
kidnapped
by Islamic Jihad terrorists in Lebanon in April 1986, and held hostage for
more than five years.
McCarthy was Britain's longest-held hostage in Lebanon, having spent over five
years in captivity until his release on August 8, 1991. He shared a
cell with the Irish hostage Brian
Keenan, for several years.
He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British
Empire in 1992. He sailed around the coast of Britain with Sandi Toksvig in
1995, making a BBC documentary TV
series and a book of the experience.
He attended Lochinver House School then Haileybury
College, a public school in Hertfordshire, and read American
Studies at the University of Hull.
Personal
life
His former fiancée Jill Morrell had campaigned for his
release and public expectations of a re-kindling of the romance
between them were high. The couple wrote a book together about his
ordeal, but later separated amicably in 1994. McCarthy married Anna
Ottewill in April 1999.
Legacy
Honors/Awards/Affiliations
He is Patron of the Medical Foundation for the Care of Victims
of Torture, and has been awarded an Honorary D.Litt from the University of
Hull and the CBE
Media
references
- The 1993 HBO film
Hostages, starring Colin Firth as McCarthy, was a
fictionalized account of the Lebanon hostage crisis.
- A critically acclaimed film version of the two men's kidnapping
and incarceration was made in 2003. Titled Blind Flight,
the British
film was directed by John
Furse starring Ian
Hart as Keenan and Linus Roache as McCarthy.
- McCarthy presented episodes of the BBC Radio 4 travel programme
Excess Baggage.
- The Stiff Little Fingers song
Beirut Moon was inspired by John McCarthy's ordeal. It
criticized the government for not acting to free him and was
subsequently withdrawn from sale.[2]
- A major Sky Arts series, Art of
Faith, presented by John McCarthy, was broadcast in 2008. The
series, produced by Illuminations, was an
exploration of the art and architecture of Islam, Christianity and
Judaism. In 2009, production of a follow up series of Art of Faith
began, featuring Buddhism, Hinduism and religions of the Tao.
- In the first Christmas special of the British comedy programme
The Office, David Brent
(played by Ricky
Gervais) explains how he would like to be interviewed by Michael
Parkinson. His agent then says that Parkinson only interviews
people who have done things. To which Brent replies, referring to
journalist John McCarthy: "He had that guy in Lebanon who spent
years chained to a radiator, what did he do? Nothing! He was
chained to a radiator!"
Books
- Some Other Rainbow by John McCarthy and Jill Morrell
(ISBN 0-563-39316-5)
- Between Extremes by Brian Keenan and John McCarthy
(ISBN 0-552-14595-5)
- A Ghost Upon Your Path by John McCarthy (ISBN
0-593-04884-9)
- An Evil Cradling by Brian Keenan,
(McCarthy is a main character) (ISBN 0-14-023641-4)
References
External
links
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