Book Description
In January 2002 Rory Stewart walked across Afghanistan-surviving by his wits, his knowledge of Persian dialects and Muslim customs, and the kindness of strangers. By day he passed through mountains covered in nine feet of snow, hamlets burned and emptied by the Taliban, and communities thriving amid the remains of medieval civilizations. By night he slept on villagers' floors, shared their meals, and listened to their stories of the recent and ancient past. Along the way Stewart met heroes and rogues, tribal elders and teenage soldiers, Taliban commanders and foreign-aid workers. He was also adopted by an unexpected companion-a retired fighting mastiff he named Babur in honor of Afghanistan's first Mughal emperor, in whose footsteps the pair was following.
Through these encounters-by turns touching, con-founding, surprising, and funny-Stewart makes tangible the forces of tradition, ideology, and allegiance that shape life in the map's countless places in between.
Customer Reviews:
Attempts At Understanding Rural Afghanistan.......2007-10-11
When I picked this book off the bookstore table, I really only had a vague idea that it was one man's story about traveling through Afghanistan. Beyond that, I didn't know what to expect.
The book tells the story of Rory Stewarts walk across Afghanistan, from Herat to Kabul, and some of the people, villages, and feelings he had along the way. He states he wanted to walk across Asia, and this part helped to complete this quest. He managed to do this shortly after the Taliban were defeated in 2002, which is a bit interesting.
I can't say that I was fascinated by this book, yet I can't say that I was disappointed, either. I am glad I read it. I've a few books about Afghanistan that were centered in Kabul, and it was interesting to find out more information regarding the rural parts of Afghanistan and to find out just how drastic the difference between the two are. We here in the US always hear about how difficult it is fighting a war in rural Afghanistan because of the geography and because of tribalism. This book really helped to bring an understanding of those concepts to me. In that, I found the book fascinating.
The book does seem to drag, however. And the villages do seem to be strikingly similar until they all seem to fade together. Chapter after chapter of villages one cannot find on a map filled with nothing but mud huts gets a bit tedious to read about. Yet, for me, anyway, when Mr. Stewart speaks to the historical parts of Afghanistan, I found it be very interesting. And when he spoke of the people he met along the way, I was fascinated. He did seem to dwell on those individual who were less than savory, though. It would have been refreshing to read more about people he'd met who had been nice, helpful, and thoughtful. I'm sure there must have more than just 3 or 4?
I did enjoy reading about the various customs within some of the different tribes. I thought that to be very interesting. Some of the items Mr. Steward writes about were amusing, some were shocking to my Western mindset, and some were just outright disturbing (the Afghan Islamic view on the treatment towards dogs was especially difficult for this dog lover!). In all it was an interersting book, but there were some flaws.
Interesting but not what I thought it would be.......2007-10-11
Kind of interesting to learn what life is currently like in rural Afghanistan. But I was expecting more of a "World's Most Dangerous Places" type of travelogue which this book isn't. Very meditative with interesting "smaller" observations.
Left in limbo by The Places in Between.......2007-10-01
If you are into a lot of facts about history and culture, then this might be the book for you. As for myself, I felt like I was reading college history and sociology textbooks. So many facts, with little or no human connection to Rory Stewart, or the people who accompany him on his trek across Afghanistan. Stewart writes early on in the book, "I feel like I have been preparing for this all my life". To me that is a powerful statement, which in my opinion Stewart never really expounded on, and in the end could have made this book a little more interesting.
The Places In Between.......2007-09-28
Well written and exciting journey that a brave man wrote about. Very good reference to the differences between villiages and provinces encompassed by the overarching history of the country.
Highly recommend - a Bold look at a slice of Afghanistan.......2007-09-08
This book is a fascinating and easy read for anyone looking to learn about Afghanistan.
The audacity of what Rory Stewart does in this book is amazing. Walking from Herat to Kabul across central Afghanistan relying on the hospitality of the local in each village he passes through. It is not a comprehensive look at Afghanistan but a first hand micro level look at life in a select few Afghan villages. At the same time, he throws in larger historical and research perspectives. Like all books that I've read about the country, there is a pointient sadness to what these people have been through.
Book Description
Wonderful....No book published in recent years has more lasting relevance to our understanding of the Middle East. Los Angeles Times
Customer Reviews:
A Major Source of Historical Perspective.......2007-10-01
I wish to second Robert Steele's 5-star review of "A Peace to End All Peace", which was posted yesterday. I had ample time to read the book thoroughly, not in the stands at my son's Little League game, some years ago. It's worth a careful and thoughtful reading; no other book I know of sets the stage for understanding the Middle East in the 20th C as conprehensively. And after you finish it, I'd recommend "All the Shah's Men" as the key text for understanding America's embroglio with Iran.
Supporting Links and Passing Praise.......2007-09-25
I am forty books behind in actual reading, but I had the pleasure of scanning this book while on the sidelines of my son's football practice, and it is, as so aptly described by the best of the reviews, breathtaking.
The sentence that grabbed me is in the final paragraph, where the author sums up the roots of the Middle Eastern troubles as being directly on the heads of the English in particular, who lied, cheated, and stole without mercy. He says of Loyd George: "His political deviousness and his moral and financial laxness were never forgotten." Would that this were so, for Dick Cheney and George Bush are our Lloyd George.
I have written a full summative review of a book that complement's this author's sensible account, and reading that review before reading this book could be helpful. The other books also support the view that we are our own worst enemy, that there is plenty of money with which to make the world heaven on earth, but rule by secrecy, predatory capitalism, and fascism disguised as democracy has looted the planet and picked the pocket of the individual taxpayer while destroying the middle class. We are repeating history, in part because we have one of the most poorly educated populations with respect to history and global cultures, than ever before. The Director of the Central Intelligence Agency has taken to complaining recently that he cannot find enough qualified recruits in our shallow pool of "worldly" talent.
The Health of Nations: Society and Law beyond the State
The key point of the above book is that the Treaty of Westphalia and the creation of nation-states as soverign entities with unrestricted powers within their own borders--borders created by the English and other invasive colonizing powers with the US the most active in the last 200 years--were huge mistakes. We should instead have at least made Indigenous Peoples co-equal, and understood, and respected, tribal boundaries established over centuries. Ignorance and hubris/arrogance combine with greed at the corporate and dictator levels (see Ambassador Palmer's book on "Breaking the Real Axis of Evil" to understand why our White House loves 42 of the 44 dictators on the planet, and Tim Weiner's "Legacy of Ashies" for why CIA went straight into the business of supporting dictators as proxy bullies). Paul Bremer had it right: the root cause of terrorism is us. See my comment for a note on Chinese Irregular Warfare that just took force off the table as a US option.
See also
The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Vintage)
The Road to 9/11: Wealth, Empire, and the Future of America
9/11 Synthetic Terror: Made in USA, Fourth Edition
Rogue Nation: American Unilateralism and the Failure of Good Intentions
Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq
Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency
The Soul of Capitalism: Opening Paths to a Moral Economy
Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders Into Insiders
On the positive side, but Amazon only allows ten active links, see
Yochai Benkler, Wealth of Networks
Barry Carter, Infinite Wealth
C.K. Prahalad, The Fortune at the Bottom of the Pyramid
J. F. Rischard, HIGH NOON: 20 Global Problems, 20 Years to Solve Them
Robert Steele, The New Craft of Intelligence
Robert Steele, The Smart Nation Act: Public Intelligence in the Public Interest
Thomas Stewart, Wealth of Knowledge
Alvin Toffler, Revolutionary Wealth
E. O. Wilson, The Future of Life
Medaard Gabel, Seven Billion Billionaires (forthcoming)
I hope this contextual connecting of some dots is viewed as helpful. This is not a "pretend" review!
Not 5 star good........2007-09-08
I have bought this book after looking at all the 5 star reviews on this site and was aghast when I read it through. The book is not terrrible. It provides an extremely elitist interpretation of history which still teaches many things. The author, aside from several exception, illustrates individuals as caricatures. Does not analyze the cultural social and economical structures any more than skin deep and appears to have very limited access to any knowlegde about the Ottoman empire. Many contentious issues are glossed over. I would not have written this review cause as I said the book is not terrible but it certainly does not deserve all the 5 stars that it got. If you have read real history books, just read the first chapter and you will understand exactly what I mean. If you just want to have some hazy idea about the "Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East" than this book is good for you. Note however that you have only that, a hazy idea.
A Little Knowledge is a Dangerous Thing..........2007-09-02
I agree with all the rave reviews--this book is a "must-read" in order to understand what is going on in the world today. The title refers ironically to the justification that World War I was a war to end all war. The peace that followed the First World War, including the carve-up of the former Ottoman Empire by the Allied powers and encouragement of nationalism by Woodrow Wilson, led to disaster. A good companion for Barbara Tuchman's "The March of Folly".
Extraordinary! A monumental book........2007-08-25
This is a well researched, comprehensive narrative on how the middle east was formed, centered on the British side of events, where the most important decisions were taken. Reading these pages, I can only think of the mess that the middle east was in those days, mostly because the major constituents of this region, that is to say Mesopotamia, Arabia and Palestine, had more than one internal player interested in holding part of the dismembered Ottoman Empire, and with the major external players at war trying also to get a piece of the cake and install or retain its influence on this important region, strategically important for its oil resources and geographic location. Added to this scenario was the zionist question, Turkey and its confilcts in central Asia and the internal problems faced by Britain, politically and economically.
Those were very complex times indeed, where the best of British diplomacy was deployed in order to forge peace and stabilize the region according to the situation in those years. Sadly, the settlement of 1922 didn't consider the Kurdish people and the Palestinian Arabs. In spite of all these problems, the book also allowed me to know more about the Arab people and part of its history and religion, its tribes and sects. I cannot say this book is the best in this subject, but certainly a must reading.
Amazon.com
This is the exciting and highly literate story of the real Lawrence of Arabia, as written by Lawrence himself, who helped unify Arab factions against the occupying Turkish army, circa World War I. Lawrence has a novelist's eye for detail, a poet's command of the language, an adventurer's heart, a soldier's great story, and his memory and intellect are at least as good as all those. Lawrence describes the famous guerrilla raids, and train bombings you know from the movie, but also tells of the Arab people and politics with great penetration. Moreover, he is witty, always aware of the ethical tightrope that the English walked in the Middle East and always willing to include himself in his own withering insight.
Book Description
The monumental work that assured T.E. Lawrence's place in history as "Lawrence of Arabia." Not only a consummate military history, but also a colorful epic and a lyrical exploration of the mind of a great man who helped shape the Middle East as it exists today.
Customer Reviews:
A Unique Masterpiece.......2007-09-25
This is one of the great books of the 20th century. That it could be written at all is almost a miracle in itself. Take a brilliant Oxford student trained in the old classical tradition, place him in the Arabian desert as advisor to the wild Bedouin tribesmen during their revolt against the Turks and have him write with an acute sensitivity and unparalleld insight into what was transpiring before him and you may have some notion of what the book is like.
It's a long book. You will learn a great deal about blowing up a railroad bridge in the desert, about camel rides, thirst, and hunger and the heroism and brutality of war. The portraits of Sheik Auda, Sherrif Ali and Prince Faisal of the two Arab boys who Lawrence takes under his wing are masterpieces in and of themselves. The nobility and savagery of the desert tribesmen contrasted with the cold stoicism of the British and the inculcated cruelty of the Turks are just some of themes addressed during the course of the work. There are brilliant passing insights as to the Semitic inspiration for all the revealed religions and their relation to the desert beautiful descripitions of the terrain the weather and the obstacles encountered. When Lawrence says that from the beginning he believed the Arab revolt would succeed because it grew out of a sympathetic population was opposed by a modern army that could not garrison the territory occupied one wishes that President Bush had read it instead of just seeing the movie. Read it yourself.
The Hejaz War.......2007-06-10
The Hejaz War of 1917 was written by Colonel T.E. Lawrence at the Paris peace talks in 1920 -21. Lawrence understood the Arabs thay did not conquer territory but they brought the Arab tribes together to conquer the Ottoman Turkish Army whom they considered poor soldiers. The Hejaz is the Red Sea coast parallel to the extinct lava fields of the 3,000m high Hejaz mountains. The Hejaz railway, linking Damascus with Medina, was attacked by Lawrence's Hejaz army until the Turks could no longer repair it. The Seven Pillars of Wisdom is the bible of Guerilla Warfare and should be read by General Petraeus US Armed Forces Commander, Iraq.
The taking of Damascus intact in 1918 by the arab army before General Allenby's allied army at least ensured Sheikh Feisal became King of Iraq. The Sykes -Picot treaty of 1916 ensured the Middle East was divided up by Britain and France directly leading to the present Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
Stylistic autobiography with insight.......2007-01-09
Mr. TE Lawrence was not only a gifted tactician/strategist but also a scholar of the highest order. His writing style is rich and descriptive avoiding the dry pitfalls sometimes associated with autobiographies. The story of the Arab revolt from the man who helped shape and guide it is an invaluable resource to have. TE Lawrence's thoughts on irregular/unconventional warfare are insightful and still lessons to be rememembered today. An enjoyable and insightful read- perfect for any military history collection.
Learning the Arab way.......2007-01-05
For me, the complexity of the Middle East seemed unfathomable. By reading this book, carefully, delving into the author's text, I have a better understanding of the people of the Middle East and their many tribes and cultural ways. I also can begin to understand their rivalries and methods of dealing with each other. It is a very complex society that will take the USA years to understand and deal with.
Extraordinary - History and the Man.......2006-11-10
At a critical time, the right man steeped forward (if somewhat indirectly) to encourage an Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire. This classic war novel is more than the usual, as it reveals a character tortured with self analysis.
Highly recommended.
Book Description
Informed by unparalleled access to still–secret documents, interviews with top field commanders, and a review of the military’s own internal after–action reports, Cobra II is the definitive chronicle of America’s invasion and occupation of Iraq—a conflict that could not be lost but one that the United States failed to win decisively. From the Pentagon to the White House to the American command centers in the field, the book reveals the inside story of how the war was actually planned and fought. Drawing on classified United States government intelligence, it also provides a unique account of how Saddam Hussein and his high command developed and prosecuted their war strategy.
Written by Michael R. Gordon, the chief military correspondent for The New York Times, who spent the war with the Allied land command, and Bernard E. Trainor, a retired Marine Corps lieutenant general and former director of the National Security Program at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, Cobra II traces the interactions among the generals, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, and President George W. Bush. It dramatically reconstructs the principal battles from interviews with those who fought them, providing reliable accounts of the clashes waged by conventional and Special Operations forces. It documents with precision the failures of American intelligence and the mistakes in administering postwar Iraq.
Unimpeachably sourced, Cobra II describes how the American rush to Baghdad provided the opportunity for the virulent insurgency that followed. The brutal aftermath in Iraq was not inevitable and was a surprise to the generals on both sides; Cobra II provides the first authoritative account as to why. It is a book of enduring importance and incisive analysis—a comprehensive account of the most reported yet least understood war in American history.
Customer Reviews:
Great book -- a little detailed.......2007-10-17
This is a fabulous book by two serious people. Like most books of the genre, the text is replete with detailed references to military units and other nomenclature that would leave a retired Colonel nodding sagely while leaving the layperson scratching his head at times. Not a criticism so much as a cautionary note.
The best account of the planning for and invasion of Iraq.......2007-09-27
This is a must read book for someone who wants a comprehensive, top-to-bottom understanding of the invasion of Iraq.
If you look at the references of this book, it is dozens of pages listing all of the first-hand interviews that were done for this book. Everyone from GEN McKiernan down to company commanders were interviewed and it shows in the incredible top to bottom detail. This book comes down very hard on many people and shows how much of the problems we face in Iraq today are of our own making. It is frustrating beyond belief to read about the micromanaging of Donald Rumsfeld or the idiocy of then MG Ray Odierno. Then there are some fascinating accounts of the individual battles from the sergeants and company grade officers. You see how many people tried to do the right thing or actions that would have greatly helped the US and Iraqis.
A Mixed Bag.......2007-09-20
Michael Gordon's and Bernard Trainor's "Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq" tells the story of Operation Iraqi Freedom from the initial planning stages through the summer of 2003. This is a very comprehensive book and based, in part, on a secret report created by the Joint Forces Command after the war. Although this book has generally received fawning reviews, I had very mixed feelings as I read the book.
As others have noted, the authors tell a comprehensive, thorough story of the entire campaign. They usually offer good analysis and (at times) good criticisms, supported by the facts. However, their criticisms often outshine the better parts of the book.
The authors are extremely critical of Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, General Tommy Franks, and many others who planned and executed the invasion. The authors criticize the planners primarily for ignoring the need to invade with a much larger force. While they are certainly justified to be critical of a war that was supposed to last a few months and is now dragging into its fifth year, their criticisms form the thesis of the book and become a repeated mantra that permeates the entire narrative. This really detracts from the story they are trying to tell and often tell well.
The authors' treatment is not even-handed and their critical outlook clouds the story of the invasion. The authors focus so much on the negatives of the initial campaign to capture Baghdad that they ignore what an immensely successful campaign it was -- no one expected the Iraqi regime to fall in four short weeks. However, reading their narrative one would think that the American forces (the authors ignore the British forces) made mistake after mistake and were lucky to even reach Baghdad. Their story lacks the perspective that even the best-laid plans can be thrown away once contact is made with the enemy. The story they ignored was that, like all military operations, Operation Iraqi Freedom, was fraught with mix-ups, screw-ups, miscalculations, blunders, and other problems - Clausewitzian friction. However, the American forces overcame all of this and waged an extremely successful land campaign.
One other negative was that the book lacked a real unity of approach to describing the war. The authors attempted to narrate the war from the "big-picture," but then, during the actual fighting, spent a lot of time describing the blow-by-blow and minute-by-minute actions of the fighting at the platoon, company, and battalion level. The story was too detailed when they took this approach to selective engagements. While authors such as Max Hastings may be able to pull this off as part of their larger narrative, it was cumbersome and distracting when Gordon and Trainor tried to.
Three other criticism: 1) This book completely ignored the British actions in and around Basra; 2) This book didn't "complete" the story and take the story to a logical stopping point (such as the Sadr uprising in April 2004). The authors just trailed off in the summer of 2003 (they didn't even cover the UN bombing that summer) instead of showing how one of their major criticism - lack of sufficient troops - could have made a major difference in late 2003 and early 2004; and 3) the authors' narrative style was difficult to read at times. The book felt like it was cobbled together and written on a deadline, and because the authors relied on so many sources and described the actions of so many officers and soldiers (especially during the battle narrative), it was difficult to follow everyone they were writing about, especially since they usually did not use their rank after the first mention.
Overall, though, this is a pretty good book for anyone interested in the military planning and history of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Despite the many problems listed above, the book is thorough (if not even-handed) and full of good information.
greta read indepth look .......2007-09-18
this has been the best book writen (in my opinion) about the planning of the invasion of iraq and the first year of the occupation. i really think it is critical of everyone involved (republicans, democrats, civilians, media, military and even the iraqis) and accurately shows how all sides misjudged the situation.
Great Content - Flawed Media.......2007-07-27
Three of my CDs had dropouts; not enough to stop them from playing. I looked at the last CD and it has several scratches on it. [I just opened the case]. Seems like Random House contracted with the absolute cheapest supplier for their products.
The content (book) is very complete in a depressing way. Only the Captains and Majors seem to come out as heroes; the GOs seem to suffer from Careerism. During the runup to the war Tommy Franks was obviously "played" by Rummey; but he seemed to be easy pickings. Franks theatrical yawning during the discussion of casualties [with British officers present and immediately after a fratricide incident where U.S. killed British soldiers] is especially endearing.
Is it January 2008 yet?
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Resource.......2006-06-25
Leila Ahmed's "Woman and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate" is an outstanding contribution to the field of Middle Eastern Women's Studies. Ahmed explores and effectively dissects the many intersections between women, gender, and Islam. Her book is readable and makes an excellent sourcebook for those who are interested in the historical foundations of women and Islam.
Particular focus is placed on Egyptian women.
Everyone should read this.......2004-05-11
By far the best scholarly and historical work amidst the increasing number of books on this topic. Particularly interesting is the discussion of how Muslim caliphs adopted the Persian custom of having huge imperial harems. Of course, this is one of the aspects of "Muslim" culture that really tantalized the early Orientalists, as discussed by Edward Said in his book on the subject.
Good history book.......2002-10-01
This is a good book for anyone to read who doesn't know much about Islam. The author gives several chapters of in-depth history of the rise of Islam. It is interesting to read--not dry and boring like a lot of other detailed history books.
Brilliant and informative........2001-10-17
Leila Ahmed gives a brilliant and informative read about the history of women in Islam. Her book maintains both factual information along with anecdotal pieces which only enhance our understanding of the lives involved in the religion and politics of Islamic civilisations. While the book focuses on Egypt, it should be understand that Egypt is taken as a very typical regime with the exception of perhaps Morocco and Saudi Arabia as polar extremes. Ahmed clearly has a humanistic objective of equality in all her points, though never too harshly. The book carries a very clear picture of issues and can even help a lot of us consider what Western false concepts of female equality we truly have.
A serious work with no apologies for her feminism.......2001-07-25
This book was assigned reading in my NYU course about the Middle East. Written by Leila Ahmed, a professor of Near Eastern studies at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and the Director of the Women's Studies program there, it reinforced some basic information we studied from other textbooks, with a particular emphasis on women's role in Middle Eastern history. The book is well researched, with little-known documentation from pre-Islamic history on up to the present, citing what is known of ancient marriage laws and including literary writings and histories of some 19th and 20th Century women writers. Her particular feminist position is apparent throughout and there are no apologies for this. Often she writes about the veil and blames colonialism for using it as a misunderstood interpretation of women's subjugation.
The second half of her book concentrates specifically on Egypt and it was fascinating. However, I would have liked to see more about the other countries, especially as she got into modern times. I also would have enjoyed reading her insights about the changes and challenges occurring today. It is refreshing to see a serious work such as this written by an Islamic woman and I hope she continues bringing her skills in research and interpretation to the public. Recommended.
Book Description
The second edition of a highly respected history of Iraq since the construction of the modern state in 1920. Written for lay readers and students of the Middle East, The Modern History of Iraq, Second Edition, places in historical perspective the multiple crises and upheavals that afflict contemporary Iraq. The book focuses on several important themes: the search for national identity in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state; the struggle to achieve economic development and modernity in a traditional society; and the political dynamics that have led to the current dire situation in Iraq. While much remains opaque about contemporary Iraq because of its closed political system, Marr has used published sources in Arabic and English, personal interviews, and frequent visits to Iraq to produce a remarkably lucid and readable account of the emergence of contemporary Iraq and the forces that have shaped it.
Customer Reviews:
The Modern History of Iraq.......2007-02-21
required reading as background history of Iraq, Oil, Middle East to understand the future we need to understand the past to the best of our abilities
Modern Iraq.......2007-01-30
At a time when Iraq seems more violent, unstable, and unpredictable than ever, it is vital to know how things came to be this way. Marr's History of Modern Iraq is a good place to start.
After a chapter covering the various ethnic groups insdie Iraq, Marr begins her book during the time period of the British mandate and continues through to 2003. Each major era of modern Iraq is covered in its own chapter, some of which include rule by Qasim, rule by the Arif brothers, and also the various incarnations of the Baath party.
When discussing each of these time periods, Marr discusses ethnic tensions, social and economic issues, as well as foreign policy. Each chapter serves as a mini crash course on that particular part of Iraqi history. What makes her book particularly valuable is that she is able to link what happened during the chapter in question to the overall direction that Iraq took. With so many drastic and sometimes violent transfers of power, it would be easy to assume that Iraq was in a sense starting over with each new regime. Marr demonstrates that every era was in many ways a logical progression of what came before it.
Marr states in her preface that the book is not to be an exhaustive and detailed history of modern Iraq, but that it's supposed to be a clear and readable one-volume account of the forces that shaped modern Iraq. In that goal she largely succeeds with the exception of the period following the 1990-91 Gulf War. There were many extremely important events shaping Iraq during this period that she either leaves out completely or barely mentions. Since this is the time period that leads directly into what's happening in Iraq now, the more detailed the coverage of this era, the better. Dilip Hiro's Neighbors, Not Friends, and Sarah Graham Brown's Sanctioning Saddam provide the best accounts of this time period.
Nonetheless, Marr's book is excellent and certainly more accessible than other Iraqi history books in the field. Marr's presentation and organization have produced a fantastic book that many will surely look to when attempting to understand what's happening in Iraq today.
Book Description
Though it lasted for only six tense days in June, the 1967 Arab-Israeli war never really ended. Every crisis that has ripped through this region in the ensuing decades, from the Yom Kippur War of 1973 to the ongoing intifada, is a direct consequence of those six days of fighting. Michael B. Oren’s magnificent Six Days of War, an internationally acclaimed bestseller, is the first comprehensive account of this epoch-making event.
Writing with a novelist’s command of narrative and a historian’s grasp of fact and motive, Oren reconstructs both the lightning-fast action on the battlefields and the political shocks that electrified the world. Extraordinary personalities—Moshe Dayan and Gamal Abdul Nasser, Lyndon Johnson and Alexei Kosygin—rose and toppled from power as a result of this war; borders were redrawn; daring strategies brilliantly succeeded or disastrously failed in a matter of hours. And the balance of power changed—in the Middle East and in the world. A towering work of history and an enthralling human narrative, Six Days of War is the most important book on the Middle East conflict to appear in a generation.
Customer Reviews:
Needs more synthesizing.......2007-09-25
Accurate, detailed, long, too long. All the information you need and more is here, put in chronological order, from all sides, the planning and the making, the would-be's and the were, the personal interviews and recollections and the reporting. But it reads more as a police report than as an author book.
When it dwells into diplomacy and he-said and the other-said, its interests plummets, it becomes boring and frustrating. It's a huge work of collecting data all right, doing interviews to tens of people, etc, but I think readers would appreciate a more synthesized book than this one. Be specific, get to the point, don't just pour information like from a broken faucet. The author may use this as a lecture tool or as a text book in some college course, but for the general audience it's not fun.
Excellent hsitory.......2007-08-04
Great history, very readable, explains politics and is generally quite unbiased. Not a detailed military history.
Nothing like it.......2007-07-15
Pick up this book it's just amazing. it gives you details in a very understandable way. it's full of drama and a great page turner.
Slouching Toward the Apocalypse.......2007-07-14
If you only have time for one book about the Six Day War, make it this one. One may choose to quibble with this or that to show off one's discernment, but quibbles quiver before the stern mountain of fact piled up by Mr. Oren. Un-spun facts are the most valuable thing to a history buff. This book has them. Read why the war started. Read how the Superpowers set out their pawns. Learn the real meaning of the "arab street" and why it is important. Watch what happens when national leaders get caught up in their own propaganda. One caution, after reading how the brightest and best, from all of the countries involved, acquitted themselves, you may be tempted to follow the biblical injunction to "put not your faith in princes" with renewed conviction.
Must read!.......2007-06-27
This is an excellent book about the six-day war. The author is fair and impartial in his description. I Highly recommend it.
Book Description
In 1915, under the cover of a world war, some one million Armenians were killed through starvation, forced marches, forced exile, and mass acts of slaughter. Although Armenians and world opinion have held the Ottoman powers responsible, Turkey has consistently rejected any claim of intentional genocide. Now, in a pioneering work of excavation, Turkish historian Taner Akam has made extensive and unprecedented use of Ottoman and other sources to produce a scrupulous charge sheet against the Turkish authorities. The first scholar of any nationality to have mined the significant evidencein Turkish military and court records, parliamentary minutes, letters, and eyewitness accountsAkam follows the chain of events leading up to the killing and then reconstructs its systematic orchestration by coordinated departments of the Ottoman state, the ruling political parties, and the military. He also probes the crucial question of how Turkey succeeded in evading responsibility, pointing to competing international interests in the region, the priorities of Turkish nationalists, and the international communitys inadequate attempts to bring the perpetrators to justice. As Turkey lobbies to enter the European Union, Akams work becomes ever more important and relevant. Beyond its timeliness, A Shameful Act is sure to take its lasting place as a classic and necessary work on the subject.
Customer Reviews:
Deliberately misguided.......2007-04-15
I have read the book thoroughly and found quite good in terms of the sources used and the consistency of the theme. However, I realized that the author deliberately does not touch some fields in order not to jeopardize his position among his Armenian employers. Firstly, He claims that the only thing Ottoman Armenians wanted was the Reforms; if the government had implemented the changes they agreed with Dashnak Party, It would have been no revolt whatsoever. He also claims that most of the revolts that took place in various towns in Anatolia were simply the resistance for the deportation decision. On the contrary, we clearly know that the motive was not a Reform demand. The motive was a demand that leads to and independent Armenian State within the Turkish territories. He also dismisses the Armenian terrorist activities within the empire in order not to justify the deportation. Fortunately, He tells every account about the wide support that was provided to the Russian army and Western powers by Armenians.
The other thing I have found quite interesting is that he hardly mentions how "genocide" took place. According to his writing, special organization was responsible for killing Armenians so Regular army was told not to interfere and most of the cases Armenians were massacred just out of the towns where they were living. That was it. How can you overlook something that is extremely important for your case even though telling every small political and administrative event that occurred during the period? I think if a court deals with this issue they have to find psychical evidence which is the bodies of 1.5 millions people across the country. Even if your family members were subjected a massacre, even other hundreds of other families claim to have been massacred. These do not prove that this was genocide as you can find similar stories on the other side.
I think the problem we have is that Armenian people are so convinced that genocide took place against them and we can change not their mind and we do not have to. But they have to accept that if injustice was done to them, Propaganda books or propagandists are not something that they can rely on. The truth is always exposed sooner or later. I would advise them (Armenia) to take Turkey to court, called International Justice Court, in Lahey in Switzerland to get a conviction and get on with their lives. That's why I do not find Armenians genuine on this subject. Why spent millions of dollars for propaganda and why not submit a petition to the Court.
Turkey is a beautiful country, big enough to embrace all kind of people and live in harmony as long as violence does not occur. When we look at the shore lines throughout Turkey we can easily claim that hundreds of thousands of people who originally were born outside of Turkey live in a peaceful environment which I envy as a person who live outside of Turkey.
Thanks for readin my opinions
An important work.......2007-02-19
This important work by a Turkish scholar and dissident examined not every detail of the genocide but the question of Ottoman policy and the Turkish regime's responsibility. The first third of the book examines the Ottoman policy towards minorities and the way in which Islam was blended into Turkish nationalism.
The second third of the book examines Turkish policy and culpability during the war and the genocide that stretched from 1915 through to 1921. The book establishes the fact that the Ottoman-Turkish state was responsible for planning the genocide, that they were not just 'local massacres' or an outcome of 'war' and 'chaos'. This is important for it lays the groundwork for the last portion of the book which examines attempts by the allied powers to bring the genocidaires to justice.
The last portion examines Kemal Ataturk and his post-war regime and its role in resolving issues of genocide and justice. In the end the Turkish state denied the genocide and not only that but worked hard to cleanse all the other minorities include the Greeks, the Pontic Greeks, the Assyrians and the Jacobites, along with the Kurds.
This is an important book and the author makes many important incisive comments and observations not found elsewhere.
Seth J. Frantzman
"What ever happened to Anatolia?".......2007-01-29
"A Shameful Act: The Armenian Genocide and the Question of Turkish Responsibility", Tanner Akcam, NY, Metropolitan Books, 2006. ISBN 10:0-8050-7932-7, HC, 376 pg., plus Preface 13 pg., Notes 88 pg., & an Index 17 pg.; 9 1/2" x 6 1/2". A 3rd book by Turk sociologist/historian translated by Paul Bessemer in 1999.
Akcam details the rise & fall of the Ottoman Empire, its racial, ethnic & religious makeup, & how, during its decline, Turkish Nationalism developed under "CUP" & of principals involved. It unfolds ghastly details of the Ottoman Empire's annihilation of the non-Muslims, largely Christian Armenians, but also Greeks & Kurds, etc. Its proclammatory targeted deporatations included use of the Baghdad to Berlin railway, death marches, mass shootings & beatins & drownings, & starvation. It details Allied Powers' secret pacts to divide up the Ottoman Empire to control trade in the Black & Meditterranean Seas via the Dardenelles. It concludes with attempts to formalize trials against officials who had contrived the Armenian Genocides (AG) & describes various obstacles & finals outcomes with amnesty for the majority. A triumvirate of "Young Turks, namely - Talat Pasha, Enver Pasha, Cemel Pasha & their ideologue Gokalp promoting "Turkification is nicely outlined.
Interestingly, I found no devices, events or acts Adolf Hitler used in his quest for a "final solution" that had not been used a decade earlier by these Turkish Muslims, & this includes concentration & work camps, pillaging, rape, tortures, mass drownings, digging one's own grave, & starvation. Hitler was a copy cat in his genocide, devising nothing new save a numbering system.
The read is good, at times tedious, but at all times explaining the complexity of the AG. Resolution of some unsettled goings on will never occur as the unfolding of this history is truly enigmatically complex, full of disingenuous conspiracies but demonstrates the pressing need to prosecute those guilty of crimes against humanity, i.e. the genocide & gendercides. Turkey steadfastly denies the AG, but it also had changed their official language C. 1922 so original records are largely confined to scholars. I believe the book is the most accurate accounting of the AG written to date.
Vital for understanding causes of the Armenian Genocide.......2007-01-10
In this important book the pioneering Turkish historian Taner Akcam makes his work on the causes of the Armenian Genocide available to those who do not speak German, the language of his most important previous book on the subject. Akcam, who for years has worked in Germany as well as more recently in the United States, is especially strong in explaining how Turkish nationalism grew increasingly radical before and during the First World War. This is a very important contribution to the growing literature on the subject, including Donald Bloxham's The Great Game of Genocide. A number of recent books such as Benjamin Lieberman's Terrible Fate: Ethnic Cleansing in the Making of Modern Europe, Michael Mann's Dark Side of Democracy, and Norman Naimark's Fires of Hatred, provide comparative discussion of the Armenian Genocide.
In his discussion of causes and consequences of genocide Akcam takes a somewhat similar chronological approch to Vahakn Dadrian, but this is still not exactly a comprehensive history of the subject. Peter Balakian's Burning Tigris is very good on American responses, but the world still awaits the first truly comprehensive and authoritative history of the Armenian Genocide.
first genocide of the 20th century.......2007-01-09
He has made a good start. I applaud Professor Akcam's revealing and objective look at one of the worst acts of outrage against humanity of the 20th century. Certainly the Armenian people bore the brunt of the inspeakable acts of violence directed against them by inhuman hordes of Turks who burning raping and pillaging. Unfortunately he leaves out the mass killing fields covered covered with the dust of hundreds of thousands of Greek and Assyrian Christians who predated the Muslim Turks by thousands of years.
I wish I could be hopeful for the day when Turks can face up to their dismal and violent past. I do not hold much hope of that as long as islam is the ideology of choice for them.
Book Description
“Here is what you will not find in the news–the personal cost of war written as clear and beautiful as literature worthy of the name is. These stories are the real thing, passionate, imaginative, searing.”
–Richard Bausch, author of Wives & Lovers
The first book of its kind, Operation Homecoming is the result of a major initiative launched by the National Endowment for the Arts to bring distinguished writers to military bases and inspire U.S. Marines, soldiers, sailors, and airmen and their families to record their wartime experiences. Encouraged by such authors as Tom Clancy, Mark Bowden, Bobbie Ann Mason, Tobias Wolff, Jeff Shaara, and Marilyn Nelson, American military personnel and their loved ones wrote candidly about what they saw, heard, and felt while in Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as on the home front. Taken together, these almost one hundred never-before-published eyewitness accounts, private journals, short stories, letters, and other personal writings become a dramatic narrative that shows the human side of warfare.
• the fear and exhilaration of heading into battle;
• the interactions between U.S. forces and Afghans and Iraqis, both as enemies and friends;
• the boredom, gripes, and humorous incidents of day-to-day life on the front lines;
• the anxiety and heartache of worried spouses, parents, and other loved ones on the home front;
• the sheer brutality of warfare and the physical and emotional toll it takes on those who fight;
• the tearful homecomings for those who returned to the States alive– and the somber ceremonies for those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their nation.
From riveting combat accounts to profound reflections on warfare and the pride these troops feel for one another, Operation Homecoming offers an unflinching and intensely revealing look into the lives of extraordinary men and women. What they have written is without question some of the greatest wartime literature ever published.
“Andrew Carroll has given America a priceless treasure.”
–Tom Brokaw, on War Letters
Proceeds from this book will be used to provide arts and cultural programming to U.S. military communities. For more information, please go to www.OperationHomecoming.gov.
Customer Reviews:
*Tissue alert*.......2007-07-26
This book was very moving. I laughed and I cried. There were sad stories and poignant stories and many positive stories. I recommend this book to anyone wanting a real look at how the military and their families feel about going through these deployments. I also recomment it for families going through the deployments now. I have learned a lot about what my son may be going through and may not be willing to share with us right now.
Crying, laughing, both at the same time.......2007-03-06
I am a military wife. My young daughter and I survived 12 months while my husband served in Iraq. This book was absolutely amazing. I cannot come up with the words to describe how much this book meant to me. I don't know about other spouses, but no matter how much my husband and I talk, it is not easy for him to communicate his thoughts or feelings on his service in Iraq. It was even difficult for him to describe his life over there when asked directly. I think a lot of it is him trying to protect me, but also, his brain does not work that way. He was there, he did what he had to do as a soldier, end of story. This book brought me insight into my husband. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me sick. It made me angry. It made me happy. It made me joyful. It made me all of these things at the same time. I am so thankful to the organization(whose name escapes me right now) that made this book possible. It is a book that touched my heart and soul. I will never be the same, and I am greatful for that. It is in know way a "light" read. I read it quickly, as I do everything, but because I was hungry to read more, to know more, to feel more. Do not read it without a box of tissues next to you.
Nothing has been closer to home for me .......2007-03-03
I am a NCO in the army and have been to Iraq 4 times and this book sent chills through my bodie many times with the pure honest look at war. Most of the stories are reflections of events that any service member will identifie with. Then there are some events told in this book only a select few will truely grasp. This is a must read if you would like a insight into the mind of a Military member who has been deployed. I cant recomend this book more then just get it read it and prepair to get choked up. I know i did
AN IMPORTANT BOOK.......2007-02-12
This book really gives you a taste for how it is in Iraq...I think everyone should read it...especially Pres. Bush.
Excellent Audio Version.......2007-01-20
I listened to the audio version of this book. It was one of the most moving panoramic portrait of emotions of this war. Hearing these letters read aloud bring them to life in a way not possible in a reading. My congratulations to the publishers and producers of this work of art. Very very moving. Makes this war more of a reality for me here at home; it doesn't take sides, but expresses the good and the sad about this conflict. I laughed and misted up. A truly beautiful and broad compilation of real life stories.
Book Description
Paperback: 592 pages Publisher: Westview Press; 2nd edition (November 1, 1999) Language: English ISBN: 0813334896 Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.0 x 1.2 inches The Middle East is such a multi-faced region with such a rich historical legacy that even people who strive to be well-informed cannot help but feel bewildered at its cultural, political, and religious complexity. Given the blustering aggressiveness of the post-September 11 U.S. policy toward the region, however, Americans owe it to themselves to become far more familiar with the complexities of the Middle East than has been our wont up to now. Popular magazine articles that attempt to "explain" Islamic rage as the result of a "fear of modernity" or "jealousy of the west's freedoms" may as well bear a stamp proclaiming their authorship by the "Ministry of Propaganda." As an alternative, I recommend Professor Cleveland's textbook, which serves as a brief but remarkably thorough introduction to the history of this volatile part of the world. No, the book does not cover Afghanistan or Pakistan, but clearly political currents in these nations are closely linked with what has transpired in Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and the rest of the Middle East proper. At the heart of the current crisis is, of course, the Israeli-Palestinian condundrum, and here the author's explanations and analyses are clear, balanced, and incisive. His discussions of the evolution of Saddam Hussein's Iraq and the background *and consequences* of the 1991 Gulf War are also invaluable. In his recounting of the Iranian revolution, Cleveland offers a fascinating analysis of the apparent Islamicist rejection of "modernity," showing that those in the Middle East who reject the West do not crave a return to the ancient past, but instead wish to follow a modernization pathway that is guided by indigenous cultural principles, including the precepts of Islam. Perhaps most impressive, however, is what Cleveland has to say toward the end of the book regarding the dangers of an overly intrusive and domineering presence in the Islamic Middle East by the lone remaining planetary superpower, the U.S. He does not prophesy the recent terrorism that has afflicted this country, but he does criticize the U.S. for policies that seem to rely more upon aerial bombardment than careful diplomacy. The application of Cleveland's conclusions to a reevaluation of the likely long-term consequences of "America's new war" is not a comforting process, but it's one that perhaps more Americans need to undertake.
Customer Reviews:
WOW.......2007-06-26
for the amount of history that is compacted into this work it still admazes me at how little is left out. the meat is left, and even though the fat gives the taste, it is the meat that we need to live off. for all it is a must read on what the middle east is and why. i require it for all my soldiers who want to make rank. this is a work from the highest of scholary men.
Excellent.......2007-04-23
This is one of the best overviews of the Middle East I have found. IT is distinguished in that it manages to keep to its topic of the Middle East instead of losing focus and revolving everything aruond the state of Israel. While it includes this in the history there is a lot more that has taken shape here and continues to take shape. All in all a very good overview.
Complex but still easy to read.......2006-12-24
I thought I would just read the various conclusions, because I thought the author had packed in more detail than I wanted to know, but the way the professor writes drew me into the book and I read the whole thing. Now relative to my knowlege of the Middle East before reading this book, I feel like a Middle East expert (at least for a day or two).
Second best survey on the middle east.......2006-01-11
It seems that some reviews are evaluating this book based on current politics rather than academic standing. Yes, Cleveland likes to throw his opinion in every once and a while and it often becomes patronizing to the reader. However, this book was written before 9/11 and this edition (3rd) includes a brief afterward on the subject. The bulk of this book is an extraordinary survey on the Middle East focusing on the 19th - 20th century. There are a couple of chapters that introduce you to Islam and the medieval era, but they are mainly to give context to the reader for the main part of the book. Starting with the Ottomans Cleveland covers an enormous amount of issues that have affected the region and does so in a clear and articulate fashion. There are only two things that Cleveland fails at. First, he dedicates about a total of a paragraph (maybe a little more) to economic policies of the modern states; this is mainly a problem of space as with any survey. Even so it deserves far more attention than it receives, to compensate I recommend R. Steven Humphreys' Between Memory and Desire: The Middle East in a Troubled Age. Which is dedicated to demographic and economic issues. The second is that on some of the issues he addresses his sources are very controversy mainly the one on the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. I personally don't think that the statistics used are wrong, but in this case he should have noted the controversy. I have professors (who are not Zionists FYI) who fought in that war and are very offended by it.
Overall this book deserves a 4.5 and is the best survey second only to Ira M. Lapidus' book, A History of Islamic Societies.
Mixed Feelings.......2005-11-17
On the one hand, this book addresses a lot of important issues that are overlooked by other history books. However, it is a book that discusses issues in history, not events in history, which I don't think is ideal for an introduction or overview. There is very little context for the beginner to Middle-Eastern history, and very little is learned about the who-what-where-when, although you'll get plenty of "why."
I was dissapointed because I was mislead by the table of contents into thinking it was a book that talked about what happened, not just theory behind what happened. So, let this be a caution to you who are looking for actual history. You're better off reading the "area handbook series country studies" either about individual countries, or groups such as "persian gulf countries," which have much actual event history.
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