FORMER hostage John McCarthy returned to Waterstones in Oxford to promote his new book about the Middle East.

About 80 fans visited Waterstones in Cornmarket Street on Thursday to hear Mr McCarthy’s talk about You Can’t Hide the Sun, in which he documents his travels through Israel and Palestine.

The last time Mr McCarthy was at the bookstore he was promoting Some Other Rainbow, the memoirs he co-wrote with Jill Morrell about the five years he spent in captivity after being captured by terrorists in Lebanon in 1986 while working as a journalist.

Mr McCarthy said: “I’ve got great memories of coming here in 1993 with Jill – some of the staff were clapping on the stairs when we came in.”

Waterstones events manager Charlie Hayes added: “It was great to have John back. He talked about his love for the Middle East – he still has a passion for the region despite his personal experience. Lots of people bought copies of the book and got them signed.”