Book Description
An unprecedented account of life in Baghdad’s Green Zone, a walled-off enclave of towering plants, posh villas, and sparkling swimming pools that was the headquarters for the American occupation of Iraq.
The Washington Post’s former Baghdad bureau chief Rajiv Chandrasekaran takes us with him into the Zone: into a bubble, cut off from wartime realities, where the task of reconstructing a devastated nation competed with the distractions of a Little America—a half-dozen bars stocked with cold beer, a disco where women showed up in hot pants, a movie theater that screened shoot-’em-up films, an all-you-could-eat buffet piled high with pork, a shopping mall that sold pornographic movies, a parking lot filled with shiny new SUVs, and a snappy dry-cleaning service—much of it run by Halliburton. Most Iraqis were barred from entering the Emerald City for fear they would blow it up.
Drawing on hundreds of interviews and internal documents, Chandrasekaran tells the story of the people and ideas that inhabited the Green Zone during the occupation, from the imperial viceroy L. Paul Bremer III to the fleet of twentysomethings hired to implement the idea that Americans could build a Jeffersonian democracy in an embattled Middle Eastern country.
In the vacuum of postwar planning, Bremer ignores what Iraqis tell him they want or need and instead pursues irrelevant neoconservative solutions—a flat tax, a sell-off of Iraqi government assets, and an end to food rationing. His underlings spend their days drawing up pie-in-the-sky policies, among them a new traffic code and a law protecting microchip designs, instead of rebuilding looted buildings and restoring electricity production. His almost comic initiatives anger the locals and help fuel the insurgency.
Chandrasekaran details Bernard Kerik’s ludicrous attempt to train the Iraqi police and brings to light lesser known but typical travesties: the case of the twenty-four-year-old who had never worked in finance put in charge of reestablishing Baghdad’s stock exchange; a contractor with no previous experience paid millions to guard a closed airport; a State Department employee forced to bribe Americans to enlist their help in preventing Iraqi weapons scientists from defecting to Iran; Americans willing to serve in Iraq screened by White House officials for their views on Roe v. Wade; people with prior expertise in the Middle East excluded in favor of lesser-qualified Republican Party loyalists. Finally, he describes Bremer’s ignominious departure in 2004, fleeing secretly in a helicopter two days ahead of schedule.
This is a startling portrait of an Oz-like place where a vital aspect of our government’s folly in Iraq played out. It is a book certain to be talked about for years to come.
Customer Reviews:
Arrogance is not Wise.......2007-10-17
This book is quite well written, and shows the folly of arrogantly trying to rebuild Iraq after the war without having done the necessary homework on that country and with very selfish and dubious motives on the part of the Bush Administration. Nicely written book, informative and objective to the last page.
An outstanding book about the incompetence we have shown in Iraq.......2007-10-11
Any book has bias and I do not doubt that Rajiv Chandrasekaran, a journalist for the Washington Post, saw some things in Iraq in a bias way. Still, this book is a MUST read for anyone to better understand just where we went wrong in Iraq. At times, I felt I was reading a PJ O'Rourke or Carl Hiaasen book about government bureaucrats ruining yet another program. At other times, I just shook my head in disbelief and some of the arrogance and absurdity of the people put in positions of power in Baghdad. As I read the book I realized that it is no wonder that the Iraqi people are tired of us.
The author points out that many Americans were put in positions of power and authority with no real expertise or understanding of Iraqi culture or Islamic culture. Resumes from neoconservatives were all that was needed to head up programs so loyalty meant everything. The drawback, of course, was that people with no real idea of what the heck they were doing ended up bungling up everything they touched.
This book reminds me that our nation needs to stop and think of what our role is supposed to be. George Marshall, creator of the genius Marshall Plan to rebuild Europe, is spinning around in his grave right now as the incompetence in Iraq makes me wonder what happened to real leaders in our nation. Bremer? Rumsfeld? Cheney? Clueless. This book points that out with the evidence and it's a chilling reality of the mistakes we are making on an hourly basis in that nation.
Pretty close to the truth...sorry to say.......2007-10-09
I was working at the CPA during the time the author covers in his book. I think I may have been at some of the meetings he describes. He captures the sense of the CPA, a bunch of well-intentioned, hard-working people without much of a clue about how to run an occupation in an Arab country. These were heady times and we believed we were birthing a new democracy. Few of us were equipped to pull it off and the split between DoD and the rest of the US and coalition governments doomed us from the start.
I was there!.......2007-10-06
I did a tour at the American Embassy in 2006, after the events recorded in "Imperial Life." It was fun being able to read about details of the Republican Palace, then go to that particular feature and see it for myself. More importantly, I could put what I read into context, both in the Embassy and in Iraq itself. Even though the CPA no longer occupies the Green Zone, the isolation of the military and state department staff from events occurring around us was similar to what happened to the CPA in "Imperial Life." Most staff (military included) rarely leave the the Green Zone making the average non-Iraqi resident unaware of what goes on beyond the walls. If you want to understand what living in the Green Zone is like, and why progress is slow in Iraq read this book.
Timely information.......2007-09-23
"Imperial Life" is honest, first hand, information. The author has a good grasp of the subject, of the surroundings and above all, of reality. He is able to pick up the essentials and deal with them without exaggerating his importance or his role. He is a well informed man, as he should be. The book is very well put together, and a pleasure to read. It is above all, timely. This means, regretably, that its importance shall pass, as the events he decribe will give in time place to "new improved" versions. The importance for historians to come and to serious readers will not be diminished.
Book Description
On April 6th, 2003, twenty-six Green Berets, including those of Sergeant First Class Frank Antenoris Special Forces A-Team (call sign Roughneck Nine One), led a battle against a vastly superior force at a remote crossroads near the village of Debecka, Iraq. The enemy unit had battle tanks and 150 well-trained, well-equipped, and well-commanded soldiers. The Green Berets stopped the enemy advance, then fought them until only a handful of Iraqi survivors finally fled the battlefield. In the process, Nine One encountered hordes of news media and at the peak of the fight, a US Navy F-14 dropped a 500-pound bomb into the middle of a group of supporting Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, killing and wounding dozens. This is the never-before-told, unsanitized, unedited story of the fight for the crossroads at Debecka, Iraq, and a unique inside look at a Special Forces A-Team as it recruits and organizes, trains for combat, and eventually fights a battle against a huge opposing force in Iraq.
Customer Reviews:
A Truely Good Account of our Special Forces in Action.......2007-08-22
This book goes into great detail and great honesty of the actions of a Special Forces A-Team in Iraq. Although the main author, Antenori, gets a little arrogant at times while speaking of how "great" the Special Forces are, I was able to get past it and enjoy the rest of the book.
Army Magazine Review of Roughneck Nine-One.......2007-08-13
Roughneck Nine-One: The Extraordinary Story of a Special Forces A-team at War
Army Magazine, July 2006 by Spencer, Jimmie W
Noncommissioned officers have a great deal of credibility both within the Army and with the American people. They tend to answer questions straight from the heart with little or no regard for political correctness. What you get is the unfiltered truth. If you hear it from an Army sergeant, you can pretty much "take it to the bank."
SFC Frank Antenori, U.S. Army retired, in his book Roughneck Nine-One, tells the story of a Special Forces Ateam (Green Beret) at war in a noholds-barred fashion that you would expect from a senior noncommissioned officer.
Written in a style that can only be described as soap opera-ish, he and his co-author, Hans Halberstadt, tell an extraordinary story of Special Forces A-tea m soldiers before, during and after combat. At a crossroad near the village of Debecka, Iraq, outnumbered and facing T-55 tanks, they were simultaneously locked in mortal combat, dealing with the news media and coping with the killing and wounding of dozens of supporting Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, when a U.S. Navy F-14 fighter mistakenly dropped a 500-pound bomb on the wrong target.
Antenori says of the supporting Kurds, "They reminded me of our Minutemen of 1776; they wore a mixed bag of uniforms: some were in camouflage, others in solid green, and others wore civilian clothes. Besides their rifies and ammunition, they had none of the 'battle rattle' Americans requireno CamelBaks, no kneepads, no gloves, no body armor protection. Some wore sandals instead of boots. They had left their homes early that morning after breakfast with their families. They had probably kissed their wives good-bye, picked up weapons, and gone off to spend the day at war, not sure they would come home at night. They are true militia, the kind that Special Forces Soldiers have trained and led for well over fifty years."
The reader is also given a rare glimpse into the inner workings of a Special Forces A-team, how it plans, trains, equips and deploys for combat, and the emotional roller coaster of ups and downs that it lives with day to day.
The book is in fact two stories in one; one of Special Forces soldiers in combat, at their best, and the other of constant bitching about almost everything. The combination results in a realistic story about real soldiers.
I would highly recommend this book to military historians and anyone interested in reading a good story, a true story that is easy to read and hard to put down.
SFC Antenori can add one more honor to an already impressive list of accomplishments, that of raconteur.
CSM Jimmie W. Spencer
U.S. Army Special Forces (Retired)
Roughneck Nine-One.......2007-08-06
The author is a disgruntled E-7 who served with a Green Beret unit during the outbreak of the iraq War. Most of the book is boring and filled with military jargon and terms especialy related to special forces units. The climactic battle, near Kirkuk, at the opening hours of the war is interesting, but not really groundbreaking in terms of new combat methods. The soldiers' actions were very commendable, but not Medal of Honor material. The author is somewhat arrogant and soon retired with barely twenty years' service.
Not a worthwhile read.......2007-07-11
I'm surprised at how the negative reviews below have been received, with so many people labeling the reviews as not being helpful. I personally could not agree more with the two poor reviews. Let's start with the writing. As far back as middle school, any paper I wrote that contained an over-abundant usage of words, phrases, or literary devices was returned to me so those usages could be exchanged for more varied writing choices. Antenori's editor did him a great disservice when he allowed Antenori to ride the use of foreshadowing right into the ground. I have never, EVER, read a book that used "little did we know", "we would soon find out", "in a few seconds", etc. in the excessive manner that this book did. It seemed like every other paragraph ended this way, and it becomes pretty tedious. Something is going to happen in this book that justifies all your training. We get it, Frank.
In case you think that is an unfair reason to pan the book, how about the fact that almost NOTHING of any consequence actually happens in the book until page 150. Did I mention it's only 241 pages? And for all intents and purposes, the events at the intersection are over by page 226; the rest of the pages are just wrap-up. I'm not going to lie, I read these books for the excitement and the camraderie and the insight into these brave people that put their lives on the line for us. I don't read these books to sift through 150 pages of a group of men getting shuffled around, doing relatively mundane training exercises, and generally grousing about their lot.
Finally, if I haven't made a strong enough argument yet, I'll say it: these guys were really lucky. As was said below, and even by the author, if the Iraqis had brought their offensive A-game, ODA-391 would have been in a world of hurt. It's interesting how at the end of the book, under a sub-title marked "luck", Antenori chooses not to comment on this part of the operation. Without a DOUBT these are brave, brave men, and the work of the medics was impressive, but it must be said that this was not a mission that succeeded on guts alone, but instead relied massively on pure luck. But I guess sometimes such is life. I'm so happy for those men that this was the case, but it doesn't make for the most interesting reading. In summary, I'd skip this book. There are many great military non-fiction books out there, but this isn't one. It's light on action and packed with what is clearly fluff to flesh out the telling of a decent (very) short story.
Enjoyable story... could have been shorter.......2007-05-18
I thought this was a good read. I am certainly glad SFC Antenori is on our side. This book is ultimately about his leadership during one engagement that ODA 391 found itself in. The action is great and again, I really did enjoy the book, but I was ready for it to "get going" a little before it did. I'm a serious fan of the genre so it didn't stop me from reading on. A bit shorter and I think the action would have really made it jump.
Book Description
The first bombs of Operation Iraqi Freedom rained down on Baghdad on March 20, 2003. Since then, roughly one million young Americans have rotated through Iraq. Nevertheless, with the facts on the ground being filtered through the media, the military, the White House, and political bias in both directions, we know shockingly little about what the American men and women on the front lines really experience. With this extraordinary book, all that changes. What Was Asked of Us is the first unvarnished, unfiltered, and uncensored history of the Iraq war-straight from the mouths of the men and women who are fighting it. Based on scores of in-depth interviews, What Was Asked of Us takes us from the initial invasion to the present. We meet soldiers who reveal in their own words their greatest triumphs, most devastating defeats, and darkest secrets-like Daniel Cotnoir, a Mortuary Affairs officer who spent his days retrieving the bodies and body parts of fallen soldiers; Seth Moulton a Harvard-educated officer who led a surreal battle amid the graves in an ancient Iraqi cemetery; Travis Williams, a Marine who lost all of his squad mates in an IED attack; and Tania Quiones, an Army National Guard MP deployed to Baghdad, who had to deal with frustrated locals and sexist comrades. They tell us about their lives and careers, their families back home, their days and nights, the Iraqis they've encountered, the fear and the courage and the challenges of fighting a war when the enemy is everywhere and nowhere at once. They tell us things they've told no one, not even their families. By turns inspiring and heartbreaking, What Was Asked of Us is a landmark book, the first time our troops in Iraq have been able to speak at length about their experiences. From the thrilling highs (a spectacular rush by the 3rd Infantry Division into Baghdad) to the devastating lows (an account of what it was like to be a soldier at Abu Ghraib, witnessing the abuse of prisoners), this book lets the troops speak for themselves. As a result, it offers the most emotionally powerful and revealing account of the war and is necessary reading for anyone who cares about our soldiers and our country.
Customer Reviews:
What Was Asked of Us.......2007-06-27
I know I am biased because my twin sons make up two of the chapters but that aside....this is a book everyone needs to read. It lets the men tell in their own words what they did and how they feel. No one can understand what our men and women are dealing with without reading their words. I encourage everyone to suggest this book. It is not an easy read, especially for this mom, but one that will stay with you long after it is read.
important and painful reading . . .......2007-04-07
To say that this book is interesting and/or enjoyable to read is missing the point. This book and the soldiers interviewed are trying desparately through the authors to communicate the devastation of war and in particular this War. We need to listen and learn.
From All Walks Of Life.......2007-04-07
At first I thought this book would be a pro-war book with all the soldiers talking of how glad they were there. But, I found it to be a refreshingly unbiased book of stories from several different soldiers (mostly Marines) who served at different parts of the war. Some were glad to have been there, others were angry that they were there, others were glad they were there but angry at the lack of security and funding available to help the Iraqi people. I was amazed at learning that the humvees had little to no protection and that they rigged parts of other blown up humvees onto their vehicles to better protect themselves. Part of me was horrifed at the conditions of the soldiers, but I was more in awe of what these soldiers were able to accomplish with what little they did have. Amazing book.
A Canadian "activist," reports on American Courage???.......2007-03-03
If you have ever read The Torono Star, look it up on the net and read the editorial page. VERY enlightening. Bascially, American bashing regardless of what administration was in the Whitehouse. To say Canadians have no agenda, including the author, is absurd. The famous "Canadian Peacekeepers," number less than the size of the highschool you graduated from...and that is worldwide. In Bosnia, Canada contributed 12 aircraft. The Italians, hardly a super power, contributed 144. For generations, Canada has slashed its defense budget until they cannot even transport their troops across their own country without help. Is it just that they don't beleive in Iraqi freedom? Well, you may want to ask your best Canadian friend how many men Canada is contributing in Africa, or any other cause where they can get hurt. Or about how the Canadian airborne was disbanded for torture in a time of peace, and deemed "Rotten to the core," according to the Official Government Investigation (a direct quote). Yet most Canadians know far more about how underwear was placed on the heads of terrorists by Americans (oh the inhumanity!), than how their own boys tortured to death a Somali teenager (and took trophy photos) for stealing food. McClean's was the ONLY, the one and only, Canadian news journal that published these horrific photos of Canadian Airborn in the act of murder and torture of a teenage boy...for stealing food. That is why the Canadian Airborn was disbanded in shame. Yet it is stunning that most Canadians have never even heard of this!! (Then again, 52% of Canadians think that "Life, libery, and the pursuit of happiness," comes from the Canadian Charter. Thier own equivalent is in fact "Peace, Order, Good Government,"...if you can even call the BNA "equivalent," to the Constitution of the Unites States). I challenge anyone to point out errors in the facts stated above.
My point? The Canadians have not had a hero since WWII, and never forget their freedom was GRANTED to them by the benevolent crown. They never fought for their independence. They will NEVER have the same view of warfare that Americans have...anymore than your kids have the same view of your heating bill that you have.
The Canadian press routinely bashes Americans while they sit back and let others do the heavy lifting. Their contribution to NATO has been repeatedly cited as inadequate by EUROPEANS, not just Americans. The Toronto Star never even covered that story (although the Globe had it somewhere in the used car ads). When it comes to Canadians covering America, you would be wise to do some research on the strong stench of anti-americanism drifting south before taking ANY Canadian journalist seriously. So much foul to report on in the Canadian military, or what is left of it, and so odd to find a Canadian journalist so focused on America. Be suspicious. A few minutes of web research, and I do NOT mean politically inclined web sites, but rather CANADIAN editorials, will open your eyes.
Finally, a perspective worthy of our attention.......2007-02-20
What happened in Iraq? What's happening now? Is it as bad as some say? Could things have turned out different? These questions are being asked on a daily basis, and it seems only those who don't truly know are the ones giving the answers. It would be nice to hear from someone who's been there, someone who experienced it first-hand. That's exactly what this book brings to the table.
This is not political, so don't expect spin or slant. The politics stops on page one. That in itself is refreshing. Rarely is there any discussion of Iraq without politics quickly becoming involved and, frankly, I've had enough of it. This is different. This is the war from the soldier's point of view. In short, this is Iraq as it really happened.
We see it every time some bonehead reporter sticks a microphone in the dirty, grease-ridden face of a soldier in Iraq and asks that soldier if he thinks the war is right. For a brief second, the soldier has a certain look on his face. It's frustration. It's pity. It's "you-don't-know-what-you're-talking-about" all rolled into one. It's the look of a soldier who knows his job, and does what's asked of him. The "right" and "wrong" can be left up to the politicians. The soldiers don't discuss that until the job is done. Many of those soldiers do just that in this book. And like Wood says, America has an obligation to hear what they've had to say. Until now, we've only heard from the politicians, and it's evident to me that they have no clue what's going on over there. So it's about time we hear from those who do know, and this book fits that mold perfectly.
In this book, you'll get first hand descriptions of the war. You'll hear about the first days of the invasion and the first major battle within the city of Nazariya. You'll hear about the first car bomb attack and the fall of Baghdad. You'll hear about the assault on Fallujah and Najaf, and the heavy resistance our troops met in those cities. You'll hear how the attitudes of the Iraqis changed over time, from one of greeting us jubilantly to despising us for intruding. All of these are truly amazing descriptions that will stir emotion in every reader.
As for the politics, if you want to know what went wrong, and what happened to change the course of the war against us, you'll know by page sixty. In a word, it made me nauseated. Without giving away too much, I'll say that few battles are won by Generals, but they can easily be lost by them. It seems the upper military and Pentagon leadership disappointed our troops in a tremendous way. If nothing else, I'm thankful that this book helped me realize that.
And what about the "anti-war" crowd? How do they affect the troops? Well, it seems the effect is profound. As one soldier says, "people are supportive of the troops as long as it doesn't take any sacrifice from them." How true. It seems that, once again, this nation has forgotten what it means to truly support their soldiers and, once again, we've betrayed them Vietnam-like in so many ways -top to bottom.
My only criticism comes from what seems to be a repeat theme among the soldiers. It appears that many of them disagree with the war and see it as a lost cause. I don't have a problem with that because, again, they're the ones who experienced it. But is that the consensus among the troops? If not, then where is the other side? This could open the book to harsh criticism from supporters of the Iraq War who would call the book political propaganda, and it could potentially threaten the message found within. That would be a shame, because the book is great and highly recommended by this reader. At last, the troops have been given their chance to speak, and we all owe it to them to hear what they have to say whether or not we agree with it. My advice is to put politics aside for a moment and listen to their words.
Book Description
Eight months after George W. Bush proclaimed major combat in Iraq over in 2003, author Mike Tucker found himself right in the thick of it--dirty, profane, violent, lethal, and daily major combat--with some of America’s most highly trained and accomplished soldiers.
Among Warriors in Iraq is a street-level view of the struggles of maintaining control in the anarchy that pervaded Iraq after Coalition forces declared victory. Tucker journeyed--and fought--with Special Forces groups in both Mosul and Fallujah, cities unconvinced the war was over, and willing to do anything to ensure that the struggle would continue.
Here is his frank and adrenaline-soaked account, seen through the resilient eyes of the soldiers willing to pay the ultimate price for victory.
A street-level view of the hell of combat in Mosul and Fallujah
Eight months after George W. Bush proclaimed major combat in Iraq over in 2003, author Mike Tucker found himself right in the thick of it - dirty, profane, violent, lethal, and daily major combat - with some of America's most highly trained and accomplished soldiers.
Among Warriors in Iraq is a street-level view of the struggles of maintaining control in the anarchy that pervaded Iraq after Coalition forces declared victory. Tucker journeyed with Special Forces groups in both Mosul and Fallujah, cities un-convinced the war was over and willing to do anything to ensure that the struggle would continue.
Here is his frank and uncensored account, seen through the resilient eyes of the soldiers willing to pay the ultimate price for victory.
Mike Tucker is a Marine infantry veteran with a Special Operations background, and an author. He broke Burmese Army lines in 2002 with Karen guerrillas, and has investigated war crimes in Burma and northern Iraq. In 2003, he journeyed throughout Iraqi Kurdistan, interviewing Kurds from all walks of life. Later, he joined U.S. Army snipers, scouts, light infantry, paratroopers, and Special Forces commandos for nineteen weeks on raids and patrols in northern and western Iraq. He remained in Iraq for fourteen months.
Customer Reviews:
Tough read........2007-09-24
For some reason, contrary to most embedded writers, this author makes himself the most important character to the story. According to him, he goes around the battlefield assigning nickknames to soldiers and telling his war stories to them. He talks way too much for someone who was lucky to get permission to observe. This book was just plane corny. Sorry I have to be so rough, but I'm angry for wasting my money. Don't waste yours unless you want to read a book full of corny quotes normally reserved for b-rated war flicks.
The guy at least tried..........2007-09-01
Mike Tucker was just this goofy correspondent dude who shows up right before we get on the helicopters to raid outside Mosul for a big pile of mortar rounds. He misspelled my platoon leader's name, but hey, he was the only guy we had taking notes on that mission. At least somebody noticed I was doing a good job on the mine detector even if it was my second day. Still, I didn't even know I was in this book until two years after it came out. Reading the 3/502 portions, I know most everyone in it, and everyone's at least recognizable if you look at it though the same glasses Mike looks at the world with.
A sleeper.......2007-08-29
For those wanting to find stories of warriors this one has very few in it. Tucker can't help including every mundane detail about the soldiers he encounters as they are in camp or standing around, but has very litle to say about combat. Some of the dialogues he includes verbatim (esp. those of three Ohio reservists) read like an Ayn Rand novel--monotonous! The book has no rhyme or reason, and his insistance on giving every soldier he meets a nickname is uncalled for, confusing, and should have been edited out.
Wacky writing at its best........2007-08-18
In dedication to Mike "The Duck" Tucker, more formally know as "Hero of the Dunderheads", I would like to offer this humble review. As the sunlight glinted off the gun barrell black of the M-4, Harvana Tiger looked at the sunlight and wondered what it is like for authors writing war stories as romance novels. Hero of the Dunderheads gets his friends to write great reviews comparing their friend to Hemingway. Hmmn says this reviewer as he scans the reviews on Amazon. Is this a great story or what?
As the author has proved, anybody can be a great author. I only read one hundred pages and wondered why I was reading what I was reading. I might finish this book, and I might not as I wonder about Hero of the Dunderheads. Good thing the author is in Malaysia. He should try writing in Malay, it might improve his ability.
OK, for those who have not read this fine book, look elsewhere such as Bing West's fine book about Fallujah. I don't think this book is written well enough to satisfy anyone.
"Radio Free Wisconsin" Sgt Lybert Climb to Glory.......2007-05-07
For those who have read, reviewed or may read this book I would like to draw your attention to "Radio Free Wisconsin" Sgt Lybert. Dispute the quality of the book as any of you have free will to do, after all that's part of what our Soldiers sacrfice, provide you, your right to free speech.
I just want it noted along with all these reviews that after a year in Iraq "Radio Free Wisconsin" aka SGT Lybert most importantly my son, was promoted. SSG Patrick Lee Lybert of 3-71 Cav 10th MTN DIV (Recon)deployed to Afghanistan and was KIA 21 June 2006 near Gowardesh, Afghanistan. In a battle facing the enemy as they attacked, not giving one inch I am told by the soldier's he was in front of. My son, an American Hero sacrficed his life for America in a mountain valley far from my arms somewhere in Afghanistan.
I have both my son's copy of this book and the one Mike Tucker signed and gifted through my son to me. Sheepishly gifted I might add because he knew Mom doesn't like course language (although Mom has been known to let a bit fly under extreme stress).
Many of those men written about in this book, with those nicknames some of you poke fun at came from across country at their own expense, without my prior knowledge or personal request to bear my son to his resting place. " No one will touch Patrick but us" one of those men told me. The detail already here graciously yielded the carrying of my son to his Brothers in Arms, the Warriors he served with in Iraq.
Belittle their nicknames if you will, but realize the greatness of what they sacrifice for your freedoms. Acknowledge and take note that behind the title Soldier these men have mothers,fathers, siblings, wifes, family and friends. That my son, once my little boy with bright sparkling blue eyes, his smile wide and warm, a heart so big he had time for anyone is forever gone from me. All I have left are memories, fishing poles, hunting equipment,his ice shack ,his truck, my broken heart and empty arms. I want you to know he was real, warm, I love and I miss him. I want you to know he leaves behind parents, fiancee, brothers, the one younger brother has special needs and our soldier intended to become caretaker guardian for when I no longer could. What happens now? I have not yet found the answer.
Think of our shattered family and the many other families of the fallen when you read about our soldiers. This is not a game. Their sacrifices, the risks they face are real.
Thank you Mike Tucker for giving me an insight (even if there are cuss words but he apologized for them :)). You wrote in my book "To SGT Lybert's Mom, Whose son is brave, tough and smart. Long life and blue skies." One of the last photos taken of my son SSG Patrick Lee Lybert is of him standing a top a mountain in Afghanistan with nothing but blue skies behind him. Blue skies as blue as his eyes.
Book Description
Just in time for the elections, Arundhati Roy offers us this lucid briefing on what the Bush administration really means when it talks about "compassionate conservativism" and "the war on terror." Roy has characteristic fun in these essays, skewering the hypocrisy of the more-democratic-than-thou clan. But above all, she aims to remind us that we hold the essence of power and the foundation of genuine democracy-the power of the people to counter their self-appointed leaders' tyranny.
First delivered as fiery speeches to sold-out crowds, together these essays are a call to arms against "the apocalyptic apparatus of the American empire." Focusing on the disastrous US occupation of Iraq, Roy urges us to recognize-and apply-the scope of our power, exhorting US dockworkers to refuse to load materials war-bound, reservists to reject their call-ups, activists to organize boycotts of Halliburton, and citizens of other nations to collectively resist being deputized as janitor-soldiers to clear away the detritus of the US invasion.
Roy's Guide to Empire also offers us sharp theoretical tools for understanding the New American Empire-a dangerous paradigm, Roy argues here, that is entirely distinct from the imperialism of the British or even the New World Order of George Bush, the elder. She examines how resistance movements build power, using examples of nonviolent organizing in South Africa, India, and the United States. Deftly drawing the thread through ostensibly disconnected issues and arenas, Roy pays particular attention to the parallels between globalization in India, the devastation in Iraq, and the deplorable conditions many African Americans, in particular, must still confront.
With Roy as our "guide," we may not be able to relax from the Sisyphean task of stopping the U.S. juggernaut, but at least we are assured that the struggle for global justice is fortified by Roy's hard-edged brilliance.
Customer Reviews:
Illogical, Barbaric thoughts translated into writing!.......2006-07-01
I was recently reading this book 'An Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire' by Arundhathi
Roy.
I have heard a lot about her writing, but this was my first read of her products.
To say the truth , I am very disppaointed.
She keeps on arguing about some childish matters, not looking at the global picture.
For example, her arguments against globalisation in India is meaningless. Indian CEOs
make profit by paying less to their employers. This has been the case for the last 50
years or so. Only when the foriegn companies entered India with their aggressive
recruitment drive, people are getting paid decently. Looks like Roy wants us to make
the India rich CEOs, richer. She is hell-bent on proving that America deserved a
september 11, saying that US participated in killings in Iraq, Vietnam, and Afghanistan.
Isn't it a cyclic argument? If US deserved a 9/11 in 2001 for those killings, then She'll
argue in her next book that Afghanistan deserves US-led invasion in 2006 for 9/11.
Now you can guess her next book's main topic.
I think she wants to act as though she does not belong to any country, or is not
behind any government. To show this explicitly, her arguments slowly move towards Kashmir
and Gujarath. She does not know what to speak of here, as her nose lengths into these
topics. She blames the government, RSS, security forces, etc. What she does not understand
is that Kashmir has been like for almost 40 years. This topic has been well-studied, and many many
books written about it. In this case, just providing incomplete data that security forces
were responsible for some
killings in Kashmir by no means proves anything. I would like to ask
her the following question: "How did you define 'responsible for'? how about suicide bombings?
or number of people killed by terrorists supported from acorss the border? Don't you remeber
the fact that terrorists killed 100 people in a single night during Bill Clinton's visit? "
Coming to Gujarath incident, I agree with whatever she is saying. Though I've not checked
the figures she has provided, I do believe that the state government headed by Modi
was irresponsible.
However, I strongly condemn her again for deliberately missing the information on
Mumbai blasts. She talks about number of muslims killed, etc, but then
how about the serial blasts? Weren't they executed by the muslim terrorists?
Why doesn't Roy provide the whole figure on number of blast victims?
If She argues that 3000 innocent US Citizens deserved to die on 9/11 just because
their government did bad in many aspects in the past, then why you are against
1000 muslims dying as only the muslim terrorists organized serial blasts in Mumbai
to kill 3000 innocent people?
All she does in this book is providing information to prove whatever
she thinks is right. I have not read a write-up before such as this one,
so cruel, violent, barbaric, and illogical. Just because she has got some award, don't
assume she is good. Don't even think of buying this book, such a wast of time,
effort and money.
Extremely Hateful and Way too often Presents Completely Incorrect Information. .......2006-06-09
Since Roy mostly preaches to the converted, most likely most people who read this review will hit the 'not helpful' button. But we're all entitled to our opinions, particularly in a democracy and the opinion of this review is not in the vein of being a fan of Roy.
"You are by no means a great nation," Roy writes of the United States, "But you COULD be a great people." If an American said the same thing about the Indian people, it would be taken as a highly offensive comment. And certainly, there is much to find by no means great about the Indians, right down to the cruelty they show one another. Especially if a nationI finds some of their own so poor that they're 'untouchable' as is the case with the Indian caste. Roy makes many sweeping comments about the West and Americans in her books, comparing them to Indians, right down to what individuals think. How someone can blanket statement what individuals think is beyond me. Her assessment of the US as a whole is also way off the mark. I don't think she'd educated on American in it's individual, human truth. Too much is TV branding. If does not sound like she's been inside every community and each varying ethnic section and geographical locale, which vary greatly. How she can say an Indian's mind is a lush, wild, wilderness, which would never be found in a Westerner's mind is not only offensive, it's stupid and seeing the world with a set of wooden glasses. Besides the point that she gets so many of the facts wrong, what I think is particularly unappealing about Roy is that she is a rich and spoiled girl who has had quite a bit of opportunity, including the chance to be schooled in the US, where she married into the system, not once, but twice, thus further enjoying the priveleges, earned approximately a million dollars (which she gladly took) for her novel from a company that is tightly tied in to the 'empire' and the 'corporations' which she sneers at, and pretends to have no part at.She is lecturing us not to buy into corporations, but clearly she found a profit there. If we are really not to support the corporations, then we must not buy her books. I find Roy to be an extremely immature voice, and most of what she says on empire and government is Chomsky 101. It's been said before, and better. And if she considers herself a "citizen of the world" then what's the deal with her dual hatred of, making money off of, and continued attempts to worm her way back into the US, while pretending she's above it? Her political holier-than-thou schtick is also a bit of a joke. Remember a few years ago when she attempted to make her Big Point , by allowing herself to be imprisoned.. saying how she was going in there for the long haul to make her point further, then spent a night in jail and got scared by the REALITY of it, and thenimmediately paid the fine, suddenly concocting a story that she didn't need to make her point further? It's this kind of speaking out of one side of her mouth, and her comfort zone really being in another that comes up all too often in this book.
Imperial mix democracy.......2006-06-06
Arundhati Roy's book "An Ordinary Person's Guide to Empire" is a collection of essays and speeches compiled into a book. While some people may be disappointed in the format and the repetition of some information, that does not detract from her brilliance as one of the most prolific writers of our time. Roy speaks from the heart with justice in mind, and her incisive and witty commentary is devoid of any religious, political, or racial bias. She is one of those rare voices of reason in a progressively insane world, warning us of the danger and consequences from large corporations in the name of "imperial mix democracy".
America in the eys of the rest of the World.......2005-12-16
Opened my eye to how America is perceived by the people we 'helped'. Certainly a view seldom held by the mainstream press. Definitely persuaded me to vote with my wallet and boycott corporations as much as I can.
A collection of essays/speeches with overlapping topics.......2005-11-03
The empire that appears in the title of the book does not pertain exclusively to US under the current Bush administration. Rather, the term empire is loosely used to refer to as various political entities as the BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party -- which the author perceives as a Hinduism fundamentalist organization) of India and fundamental capitalistic multinational corporations.
Each chapter is more or less an independent essay or speech. Again contrary to what the reader might expect, the book is not a guide per se (there is no unifying narration). It perhaps would be best summarized as essays/speeches calling for action.
Though I found the author's deliverance powerful, her arguments did not appear particularly fresh. The observations and critiques she makes follows more or less along the lines of Noam Chomsky and the far left.
The biggest disappointment however was editorial -- too many chapters contained the same message, shared the same subjects, and cited identical events for examples. This book in my opinion does not provide much value over reading Roy's essays individually over the web.
Book Description
In the tradition of Black Hawk Down and Jarhead comes a searing portrait of young men fighting a modern-day war.
A powerhouse work of nonfiction, Generation Kill expands on Evan Wright's acclaimed three-part series that appeared in Rolling Stone during the summer of 2003. His narrative follows the twenty-three marines of First Recon who spearheaded the blitzkrieg on Iraq. This elite unit, nicknamed "First Suicide Battalion," searched out enemy fighters by racing ahead of American battle forces and literally driving into suspected ambush points.
Evan Wright lived on the front lines with this platoon from the opening hours of combat, to the fall of Baghdad, through the start of the guerrilla war. He was welcomed into their ranks, and from this bird's-eye perspective he tells the unsettling story of young men trained by their country to be ruthless killers. He chronicles the triumphs and horrors-physical, moral, emotional, and spiritual-that these marines endured while achieving victory in a war many questioned before it began. Wright's book is a timely account of war; even more important, it is a timeless description of the human drama taking place on today's battlefields. Written with brutal honesty, raw intensity, and startling intimacy, Generation Kill is destined to become a classic and take its place in the canon of the most captivating and authentic works of war literature.
Download Description
In the tradition of Black Hawk Down and Jarhead comes a searing portrait of young men fighting a modern-day war. A powerhouse work of nonfiction, Generation Kill expands on Evan Wright's acclaimed three-part series that appeared in Rolling Stone during the summer of 2003. His narrative follows the twenty-three marines of First Recon who spearheaded the blitzkrieg on Iraq. This elite unit, nicknamed ""First Suicide Battalion,"" searched out enemy fighters by racing ahead of American battle forces and literally driving into suspected ambush points. Evan Wright lived on the front lines with this platoon from the opening hours of combat, to the fall of Baghdad, through the start of the guerrilla war. He was welcomed into their ranks, and from this bird's-eye perspective he tells the unsettling story of young men trained by their country to be ruthless killers. He chronicles the triumphs and horrors-physical, moral, emotional, and spiritual-that these marines endured while achieving victory in a war many questioned before it began. Wright's book is a timely account of war; even more important, it is a timeless description of the human drama taking place on today's battlefields. Written with brutal honesty, raw intensity, and startling intimacy, Generation Kill is destined to become a classic and take its place in the canon of the most captivating and authentic works of war literature.
Customer Reviews:
Great.......2007-10-07
The author was embedded with a marine unit and gives us the details of how they functioned in Iraq. This book isn't really left or right though this certainly isn't some Rambo propaganda. The soldiers are well-trained but have to deal with idiot commanders and murky mission goals.
A fascinating read.
Great account of Recon Marines during the invasion of Iraq.......2007-09-24
Very good book. Great narration. No BS. No corny battle-talk, just the truth as witnessed by this closely knit group of recon marines, which by the way, you will feel like you know each one personally by the time you're finished with the book. I can't wait for the next book from this guy. Highly recommeneded.
A Study in Journalistic Malpractice?.......2007-09-04
I'm an embedded journalist, writing this review from Camp Fallujah where I just got done talking to Marines from 1st Recon, the unit profiled in this book. I'll admit, I found this book a gripping read at points but the thing I can't figure out is why every Marine I've spoken to at 1st Recon loathes this book and feels that it is a gross misrepresentation of their unit and everyone on the civilian side thinks this is the best book yet to emerge from the Iraq war. The question I keep coming back to with this book is, what loyalty do you have to your sources? Isn't the journalistic contract predicated on trying to be responsible to the story and your sources?
When I re-read this book I think there's some really great material in it--some classic American types, guys who love their guns more than their wives, some really exquisite profanity and moments of great humor--but I think Wright's grasp of the larger military/tactical piece of the story is really weak and his treatment of several characters in the book is very poor. Beyond the estimable platoon commander Lieutenant Fick, virtually every officer in the book is depicted as a buffoon or a self-deluded idiot. It doesn't appear as if Wright did even the most rudimentary follow-up with anyone from the unit to try to balance his story (A strange thing because I happen to know that Wright lives less than two hour's drive from 1st Recon's stateside base, Camp Pendleton). Unfortunately, I think Wright fell victim to the same rush-to-print impulse that has ruined most of the books written about the war so far.
In sum, I find Wright's book and the prospect of it being adapted into an HBO miniseries really suspicious. I think this book confirms what a lot of Americans want to believe about the military and Marines in particular--that they're neanderthals, high-school dropouts, depraved anger management cases sent to do the nation's dirty work. (One sergeant from 1st Recon told me, "The book is like 'Marines Gone Wild,'") Is GENERATION KILL a fair profile? Is it responsible reportage? No and no.
I raise the issue of journalistic responsibillty here because Wright's hatchet job on 1st Recon has had made it harder for reporters to embed with certain Marine units. He's doubled the suspicions of already skeptical soldiers and Marines and put another brick in the wall that separates the media from the military, a wall that prevents true and accurate reporting about this war.
One last thing: When I first checked in to 1st Recon, I introduced myself to Charlie Company's operations chief, a Master Sergeant with almost twenty years in the Corps. When I told him I was a writer he stiffened up and said, "A writer? Ugh...I hate you guys." Later, when I asked around the battalion to try to figure out what was wrong with the Master Sergeant, an officer in his company gave me just two words: "Generation Kill."
Quick Read; Realistic Feel.......2007-08-21
Although never having experienced battle, is the best account I have read which puts the civilian in the field (or what I can only imagine is the most realistic). It will build appreciation for the day-to-day conditions our soldiers experience and for the chaos that ensues.
Reading Generation Kill.......2007-08-07
The book was a very good insight to what is expected of this generations warriors. It was a easy and fast read for me.
Book Description
he New York tabloids call him the pit bull for his relentless prosecution of high-profile defendants. Hes an assistant D.A., a spit-and-polish Marine, a trigger-puller on counter-terrorist missions to Afghanistan, a competitive boxerand a dedicated classics scholar. So when Matthew Bogdanos discovered that the Iraq National Museum had been looted during the battle of Baghdad, he immediately embarked on a mission to recover the stolen antiquities. Accompanied by a select group of men, Bogdanos set off across the desert without official sanction, risking his career and his life in pursuit of this priceless international treasure. THIEVES OF BAGHDAD immerses the listener into the rich culture, the colorful characters, the double-dealing, and the derring-do, to sort out once and for all what actually happened during the chaos of the Baghdad invasion, exactly how the thefts took place, and how the most notable objects were retrieved. We hear Bogdanos and his team going on raids and negotiating recoveries, blowing open safes, and mingling in the marketplacesoften encountering an assortment of rogues and villains. He gradually earns the trust of Iraqis eager to preserve their cultural heritageand then stuns the world by unearthing the most sensational treasure of all, The Gold of Nimrud over 1,000 pieces of gold jewelry, precious stones, and ornaments often called Iraqs Crown Jewels.
Customer Reviews:
A quick historical review.......2007-09-28
Colonel Matthew Bogdonos did a great service by writing about his account; however, I must completely agree with a prior review regarding this egotistical author. Being a former Marine and an undergraduate in Historical Studies, he discredited his book by boasting. A book of this scope should be strengthened by facts, sources, and even personal experiences, as long as the ego can be left out of it. While I was satisfied with the book, I wouldn't recommend this book unless one could forgive the semantics.
A soldier supporter.......2007-06-17
Colonel Bogdanos has a fascinating tale of the war on terror, Iraqi reconstruction, and the recovery of stolen artifacts. Unfortunately, the author's ego too often overshadows the amazing tale.
Certainly the author had the opportunity to witness history-changing events. He was a neighbor who saw the destruction of the twin towers. He visited Afghanistan and saw the trouble of rebuilding the remote country. Then he went through Iraq and finally settled in the Iraq museum in Baghdad, helping recover and protect artifacts.
Unfortunately, Bogdanos' boasting occurs early and often. He recounts how he evacuated his building in lower Manhattan after the towers fell. Reading his description makes it sound like he escorted his family through a war zone. He was packing a gun, hustling past roadblocks, and scanning for threats. My initial thoughts were "Didn't thousands of other people make this same passage safely ... and without nearly as much machismo?"
Based on his biographical overview, you'd think the author single-handedly came up with the idea of protecting the Iraq Museum, that he was the one who developed the plans to recover the stolen artifacts, and (best yet) that he was responsible for developing inter-agency anti-terror training.
My impression is that he was a part of those efforts, but that he had a lot of (understated) partners. Reading his book, you will see no such partners. Instead you will see a lot of underlings who are grateful for such a smart leader. You will see two types of supervisors: the bumbling ones who overlook Bogdanos' obvious qualifications and contributions, and the intelligent ones who give Bogdanos the authority to fulfill the mission only he can accomplish.
A good story of post-war Iraq is in this book. Unfortunately, Bogdanos' bravado distracts too much from it.
Not Impressed!.......2007-06-11
This book for several reasons did not impress me. First, Bogdanos drops a lot of names of "important" people that enlist his help and vice-versa. Problem is, they're just names to the reader. I don't know these people from Adam and the author does very little to "flesh them out". Second, his need to continually quote famous historical figures to prove he is a well-educated serviceman not only shows his insecurities and self-righteousness but also slows the story to a snail's pace. While he claims to be telling a story about marines and the wonderful work they do, rather than himself, he engages in some pretty heavy self-glorification. Third, while he denies couching any of his story in political partisanship, the political theater that he participates in is filled with Republican "good ol' boys". Some of the justifications Bagdanos gives for the military's reluctance to safe guard museums and archaeological sites seems valid while other reasons do not. I saw Matthew Bogdanos at a lecture in Indianapolis this spring. His haughty demeanor did not dispel any of the reservations I feel about this bias account. On the positive side, Bogdanos does give the reader a picture of the historical significance of Mesopotamian artifacts and background on the domestic and colonial personalities that helped shape present day Iraq. His passion for history cannot be denied. He also gives some of the Western media as well as the Iraqi museum staff positive credit. However, for a truly humbling account of the "shock and awe" aftermath, please read Lawrence Anthony's "Babylon's Ark".
A Fine Story of the History, War, and Art.......2007-04-28
Matthew Bogdanos' story of the lost antiquities of the Bahgdad Museum is a fascinating and informative account of his experiences with an interagency counterterrorism unit following 9/11. However, its not just about Bahgdad, as he tells us about the challenges he faces growing up in downtown New York, his roots in Greek and Middle Eastern classics, etc. In fact, despite the extraordinary depth of his knowledge of classic literature, arts, and history, there is a certain air of self-promotion throughout the book that the reader just can't overlook. Nonetheless, I found Bogdanos' writing to be sophisticated and interesting and I felt that I finished his book with a better understanding of U.S. efforts to help the Iraqi people help themselves (despite the efforts of their fellow Iraqi's to sell their own heritage to the highest bidders). The beautiful photos add great depth to Bogdanos' account and spark the reader's interest in the history and art of the region. Enjoy this highly unusual account of one man's war time experiences.
Good, but it has some problems..........2007-04-10
Matthew Bogdanos' Thieves of Baghdad is an interesting novel of the robbings of museums in Iraq. His story keeps the reader interested in seeing the other side of the war in Iraq, that being what happened to the history of Iraq. Bogdanos takes us in to the museums and shows us what happened with looters, professional thieves and a misguided media trying to report what had happened.
When you think of war, you rarely think of robberies as being able to tell part of the story. Bogdanos makes a compelling argument of the importance of a country's history and artifacts in helping a country rebuild its identity. He takes in to these museums as they try and retrace what happened and what was stolen (often hard to tell due to poor record keeping) and who would have stolen it. Though normal citizens often did some of the stealing, Bogdanos shows how he was able to determine that many of these robberies were either inside jobs or by professional thieves.
He tells of stories of how the media was quick to jump on stories with grossly inaccurate numbers of some of the robberies (media reported over 100K artifacts stolen when that numbers was grossly inflated by tens of thousands) due to incompetence or another agenda. He tells of stories of mistrust between museum bureaucrats and the US marines that were trying to help them get their artifacts back. Compelling stuff.
The story though often gets bogged down by Bodanos and his need to 'boast.' He makes it clear throughout that he is telling the story of the marines and the good work that they did and that this was not a story about himself, but disproves that argument by his countless references to how much people appreciated him and his commitment to serve his country and risk his life to help the Iraq community. There are only so many times that we can read how he extended his servive, re-enlisted and was the only American that several of the Iraq museum bigwigs would talk to.
Overall though, it was a fine effort and an interesting story that I knew very little bit about.
Download Description
"Weapons of Mass Deception reveals: How the Iraq war was sold to the American public through professional P.R. strategies. ""The First Casualty"": Lies that were told related to the Iraq war. Euphemisms and jargon related to the Iraq war, e.g. ""shock and awe,"" ""Operation Iraqi Freedom,"" ""axis of evil,"" ""coalition of the willing,"" etc. ""War as Opportunity"": How the war on terrorism and the war on Iraq have been used as marketing hooks to sell products and policies that have nothing to do with fighting terrorism. ""Brand America"": The efforts of Charlotte Beers and other U.S. propaganda campaigns designed to win hearts overseas. ""The Mass Media as Propaganda Vehicle"": How news coverage followed Washington's lead and language. The book includes a glossary - ""Propaganda: A User's Guide"" - and resources to help Americans sort through the deceptions to see the strings behind Washington's campaign to sell the Iraq war to the public."
Customer Reviews:
Quick but Important Read!!.......2006-08-04
Read this book in conjunction with American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century by Kevin Phillips to get the full context of how we were hoodwinked into the Iraq War and how the Bush Administration lives for getting us to give up our liberty for some alleged safety.
facts revealed.......2006-07-26
One of the best excerpts from this book is Rumsfeld being confronted by a journalist about his visit to Iraq, denying it and then shown a videotape from the CNN archives. This is a good book to read to get away from the Bush spin of things and see things a little clearer.
Madison Avenue waged war on Iraq---and our troops.......2005-07-31
When factual evidence did not reveal that Saddam Hussein had "Weapons of Mass Destruction" the Bush administration simply hired the country's best media consultants to engineer support for the war: anybody who was thus questioning the administration found themselves labeled as contributing to the terrorist threat. Because reality did not give them what they wanted, the White House fabricated data.
This book, written by John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton is not one of the reccent anti-Iraq war books, but it lays out the opposition to this policy in basic bare-bones langue. As such, this book is a good read for people who are not neccessarily policy wonks, but want the truth in an America of lies.
It is convienient that one of the loudest internal anti-Saddam groups in Iraq, the Iraqi National Congress, had ties to the American Pentagon. If something like that arrangement were to happen to our country, we would be screaming bloody murder. But, because Bush had convinced the public we needed to stop 'the terrorists' wherever they were, we did not ask critical questions about the opposition sources origin and their own motives.
Likewise, the same profession which once had helped to expose Watergate and FBI abuses against new left activists turned into the official White House parrot. Reporters who allegedly knew much better stopped asking critical questions about the Bush administration's official policy. Very little has publically been made of the glaring contradictions between Bush's infamous 'mission accomplished' aircraft carrier landing and our continued presence in Iraq---ironically with no formal end to the 'mission' in sight.
Why were we going to war with Iraq? What information prompted this decision? Who collected this information? If Saddam really was such a threat to international security, why weren't the other nations (especially his neighbors) who mourned with us over 9/11 agreeing with our plans?
Consequently, the American people had no idea of what they were really supporting. We were only told that dissent against the country was unpatriotic and that we needed to support whatever this president did in Iraq.
Compounding that problem, the administration went into Iraq with a distinctly western mindset. Not only did/and is still preventing Americans from being taken seriously, but it breeds terrorists who point to the 'provisional government'...etc as evidence that America only had wanted to colonize Iraq for it's own material benefit. The people working for the White House thought they were good, but they also forgot that the Iraqis and the Arab world needed to be sold on this policy to (ironically) avoid generating terrorists.
Because the authors are pre-disposed to disagree with President Bush on other issues, this book might not have a wider audience when compared with the growing number of titles of people who were neutral or even previously supportive of the administration's Iraq policy. If Iraq really does turn into another Vietnam however, I am willing to bet that this book will suddenly find a larger audience alongside the more reccently published works.
Review 5/2/2005.......2005-05-03
The book "Weapons of Mass Deception, the Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq," written by Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber generally deals with the United States' current conflict in Iraq. However, it does not deal with the strategic side of the conflict itself but rather the steps taken to get there. This text focuses primarily on the supposed false information that President Bush and his administration provided the American public in order to gain their support. Rampton and Stauber deal with the psychological aspects that come with preparing a nations people for war.
Rampton and Stauber set out to make a contribution to their field by expressing their points of view in this particular text. The fundamental point that both authors set out to make is that the war in Iraq is a battle that is being fought unnecessarily, based on false pretenses. President Bush blatantly lied to a nation in order to better serve his own needs while asking thousands of men and women to give their lives in the process. Both authors make it their business to make clear the fraudulent steps that President Bush and his administration took in an effort to coerce a nation into believing that going to war with Iraq was the right thing to do. Furthermore, it is Rampton and Stauber's goal that after reading their work, American citizens will analyze carefully and be more skeptical of the different types of media that they come into contact with.
There are several areas covered in this text regarding the war in Iraq and the deceptive measures employed by President Bush while doing so. In fact, Rampton and Stauber claim that Bush was involved with the invasion of Iraq even before he was elected into office. Bush's key officials advocated the invasion all along but opted to wait until September 2002 to inform the public, through what the White House expressed as a product launch. This is simply the Bush administrations attempt at selling the war in Iraq to the American public through a well thought out public relations operation. The White House representatives apparently used propaganda along the lines of misinformation and constant replication in order to create the false notion that Iraq was behind the September 11th terrorist attacks on the United States. Additionally, there were allegedly forged documents which fabricate the claim that Iraq possessed vast supplies of destructive weapons. Apparently, Bush's public relations firm facilitated an opposition group known as the Iraqi National Congress, which contributed largely to the decision to go to war. While these lies were taking place, the American news media was entirely occupied with the propaganda being provided and continuously kept repeating White House communications.
"Weapons of Mass Deception, the Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq" is put together by authors Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber. Both men work for the Center for Media and Democracy; this is a non-profit association that Stauber himself founded in 1993 in an effort to observe and expose deceptive public relations campaigns and other assorted propaganda distributed by corporations and governments. John Stauber is a longtime activist who has worked in the field of public interest, consumer, family farm, environmental and community organizations at the local, state, and national levels. Co-author Sheldon Rampton is a graduate of Princeton University and has worked as a newspaper reporter, activist, and author. Rampton and Stauber are both clearly opposed to the work that the Bush administration has done while in office. In fact, based on the work that they have done with this text as well as past work, both men appear to be against any type of governmental or public relations group that misinforms the public on any issue. Rampton and Stauber present a strong argument throughout their book, supporting their points of view with documented facts. In addition, both authors remain true to their feelings and points of view in an uncompromising fashion; perhaps this is the most concrete element to their text. The only flaw, if any present in this book is that both men are partially biased because of their dislike for President Bush. It is likely that a supporter of President Bush would not be so critical of the tactics he has used in recent years.
This text seems to be quite useful and a positive addition to work in its field. It offers readers and consumers an alternative source of information that is able to rival the media. In addition, to it being an alternative source of information, it is written by well educated and experienced men who support their adamant views with concretely documented facts. Therefore, this text is not merely two liberal men running their mouths about issues they are not well versed in, but a brilliantly put together political argument. Lastly and perhaps most importantly, Rampton and Stauber attempt to relay an important message to the public; that they should never settle and accept information that the media and government give to them. There is always the right to question the government and related associations when the public is being misinformed.
A critical look at wartime discourse.......2005-04-20
In "Weapons of Mass Deception: The Uses of Propaganda in Bush's War on Iraq," coauthors Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber take a critical look at a very important subject. The authors cover a number of intriguing facets of both the war and its background. They analyze the U.S. "propaganda blitz" to improve the U.S.'s image in the Muslim world-a strategy they judge an "abject failure." They also look at some of the individuals and organizations that played roles in the leadup to war-among them Ahmed Chalabi and the Iraqi National Congress.
Rampton and Stauber accuse the Bush administration of many distortions in its attempt to "sell" the war as if it were a product. One of the book's most interesting sections is the authors' deconstruction of the Bush administration's wartime catchphrases: "axis of evil," "coalition of the willing," "shock and awe," etc. They critique not only the U.S. government, but also the Saudi regime.
The book also looks critically at the media's role in the war. The authors accuse the "right wing media echo chamber" of promoting a culture of fear and intimidation. Among the figures whose work they question are Bill O'Reilly, Ann Coulter, and Ollie North. Particularly intriguing is the authors' look at differences in U.S. and Arab TV coverage of the war.
I should note that I am an Army Reserve officer who has done a tour (2003) in Afghanistan and is currently serving in Iraq, and that I am firmly committed to carrying out my mission. I was not bothered or offended by this book. I believe that the authors are doing a service in challenging Americans to be more careful and critical consumers of information. This book dares its readers to analyze and decode the messages that they receive from the government, the media, and the advertising industry; it also suggests that we need to know and learn from history. I recommend this book to readers regardless of their political persuasion.
Book Description
Timely, urgent, and powerfully elucidating, this important volume of previously unpublished interviews conducted by award-winning radio journalist David Barsamian features Noam Chomsky discussing Americas policies in an increasingly unstable world. With his famous insight, lucidity, and redoubtable grasp of history, Chomsky offers his views on the invasion and occupation of Iraq, the doctrine of preemptive strikes against so-called rogue states, and the prospects of the second Bush administration, warning of the growing threat to international peace posed by the U.S. drive for domination. In his inimitable style, Chomsky also dissects the propaganda system that fabricates a mythic past and airbrushes inconvenient facts out of history. Barsamian, recipient of the ACLUs Upton Sinclair Award for independent journalism, has conducted more interviews and radio broadcasts with Chomsky than has any other journalist. Enriched by their unique rapport, Imperial Ambitions explores topics Chomsky has never before discussed, among them the 2004 presidential campaign and election, the future of Social Security, and the increasing threat, including devastating weather patterns, of global warming. The result is an illuminating dialogue with one of the leading thinkers of our timeand a startling picture of the turbulent times in which we live.
Customer Reviews:
the hobo philosopher.......2007-08-18
I hate reading this guy but I feel that it is my obligation. Mr. Chomsky has to be about as far left as left can go. But he is so well informed and so persuasive. He has got all the political arguments that most of us don't even want to consider. But you can't read Mr. Chomsky without opening up your mind. If you have a closed mind you won't be able to read him at all. In a debate Alan Dersherwitz accused Mr. Chomsky of being from outer space where he resided on the planet "Chomsky". And Dersherwitz who lives himself outside the Milky Way on the planet "Dersherwitz" should know an alien when he sees one.
Delighted to get an update from one of the most articulate and perspicacious political writers of our time........2007-01-05
A most circumspect, articulate and historically (non-revisionist) accurate evaluaton of
our political, environmental and practical lives in the US of A today.
Important and enlightening info in an age of increasing civil rights suppression and heightened fear in this country.
\\
To be sold with a valium.......2006-10-12
It's all very refreshing and feels enticingly rebellious to enter into Chomsky's world, but one must keep reminding oneself that 1) the material presented here can be approached from a wide spectrum of angles, and 2) righteous indignation has its place, but it also has a dangerously seductive drug-like appeal for egomaniacs and know-it-alls.
Criticism of Chomsky's factual errors usually seems to distort the truth itself, and it misses a bigger point. We can accept that all Chomsky's facts are correct and still have a big problem with this book: his presentation and interpretation pours gas on a fire that's burning the structure of whole civilizations. While emotional extremes are great for getting our blood pumping, the current polarized political environment would benefit from a more balanced and restrained perspective.
I understand the desire to energize people in reaction to the carefully-engineered apathy that paralyzed the left for so long, but surely the answer is to diminish the pendulum's wild swinging - not to push it to even greater extremes. If you seek only to convince your natural allies you risk alienating potential allies and energizing them against you.
Noam is a self described Libertarian Socialist - Whats That.......2006-09-22
KEEP THIS DEFINITION IN MIND WHEN YOU READ NOAMS STUFF. DO YOU WANT TO BE LIVE IN A COMMUNIST....I MEAN LIBERTARIAN SOCIALIST STATE.
Libertarian socialism includes a group of political philosophies that aims to create a society without political, economic or social hierarchies - a society within which individuals freely co-operate together as equals. This would be achieved through the abolition of private property, thereby restoring direct control of the means of production and resources to the working class and other unpropertied classes. Additionally, its advocates have also expressed the notion that libertarian socialism is a tendency of thought that informs the identification, criticism and practical dismantling of illegitimate authority in all aspects of social life. Accordingly they believe that "the exercise of power in any institutionalised form -- whether economic, political or sexual -- brutalises both the wielder of power and the one over whom it is exercised." [1]
Common sense really.......2006-08-11
- It's relatively easy to measure the cost in lives, the number of soldiers killed, and how much money is spent. How does one measure or even talk about moral degradation?
NC: `You can't measure that, but it's very real and very significant. And that's part of the reason that an imperial system, or any system of domination, even a patriarchal family, always has a cover of benevolence. We're back to racism again. Why do you have to present yourself as somehow doing it for the benefit of the people you're crushing? Well, otherwise you have to face moral degradation. If we're honest about it, human relations are often like that. And in imperial systems, almost always. It's hard to find an imperial system in which the intellectual class didn't laud its own benevolence. When Hitler was dismembering Czechoslovakia, it was accompanied by wonderful rhetoric about bringing peace to the ethnic groups who were in conflict, making sure they could all live happily together under benign German supervision.'
Also
NC: `That is a constant refrain of imperialism. You have your jackboot on someone's neck and they're about to destroy you.
The same is true with any form of oppression. And it's psychologically understandable. If you're crushing and destroying someone, you have to have a reason for it, and it can't be, I'm a murderous monster. It has to be self-defense. I'm protecting myself against them. Look what they're doing to me. Oppression gets psychologically inverted: the oppressor is the victim who is defending himself.'
The above ring a bell?
A collection of interviews from 2003 to the beginning of 2005. Common sense really. Knowledge and common sense. Knowledge, an attitude of critical examination and COMMON SENSE (which, incidentally, happens to be in very short supply).
July 2006
Book Description
A powerful account of eighteen months in the lives of three soldiers and a
journalist, all patients in Ward 57, Walter Reed’s amputee wing
Time magazine’s Michael Weisskopf was riding through Baghdad in the back of U.S. Army Humvee, an embedded reporter alongside soldiers from the 1st Armored Division, when he heard a metallic thunk. Looking down, he saw a small, dark object rolling inches from his feet. He reached down and took it in his hand. Then everything went black.
Weisskopf lost his hand and was sent for treatment to Ward 57 at Walter Reed Medical Center, the wing of the armed forces hospital reserved for amputees. There he crossed paths with Pete Damon, Luis Rodriguez, and Bobby Isaacs, three soldiers whose stories he learned during months in the ward. Alongside these men, Weisskopf navigated the bewildering process of recovery and reentry, and began reconciling life before that day in Baghdad with everything that would follow his release.
Blood Brothers is the story of this difficult passage—for Weiss-kopf, Damon, Rodriguez, Isaacs, and hundreds of others—a story that began with healthy men heading off to a war zone, and continued through the months in Ward 57 as they prepared their minds and bodies for a different life than the one they left. A chronicle of devastation and recovery, this is a deeply affecting portrait of the private aftermath of combat casualties.
Customer Reviews:
Remarkable story.................2007-07-16
Mr. Weisskopf writes a truely remarkable account of what it is like to go from the battle field through the medical, recovery process. As a surgical technician & Vietnam vet I found his story to be inspiring and very moving. The medical aspects were right on the money!!
Thank you, Mr. Weisskopf, for a wonderfully touching story. I hope you have been able to put to rest the "Why & What If" questions. As far as I'm concerned the motivation doesn't matter. You're a HERO!!!
Incredible insight helps the author share this story.......2007-05-11
As an amputee for the past 4 years or so, I know a few things about the story told by this book. But I was unprepared to be as moved as I was. Michael not only tells the story of how, but he digs deeper into the demons that made him and Pete so much more real.
I don't have war experience, I just had a simple accident. The demons these men fight to get to a place where they can accept the things that happened make this a very powerful story. I highly recommend it to anyone. And I've recommended it to several close friends in hopes they might better understand what it's like to loose part of yourself.
Stories of Recovery.......2007-05-08
Michael Weisskopf is a well known journalist for TIME magazine. During a trip to Iraq as an embedded journalist with an Army unit, the HMMWV he was riding in had a grenade thrown into it. Weisskopf apparently went to pick the grenade up before it detonated, but was too late, losing his right hand in the explosion.
Weisskopf uses this tragedy to document his and a several soldiers with amputations in their roads to recovery at Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Ward 57, the amputee ward. Weisskopf does a good job of capturing the many aspects of recovery that he and the soldiers go through.
This short book captures very well the processes of recovering from combat wounds, dealing with the traumas both to yourself and those around you, including fellow soldiers who did not survive their accidents.
I highly recommend this book.
Blood Brothers:Among the Soldiers of Ward 57.......2007-04-01
What Michael Weisskopf has done with this story is truly amazing. It was a very emotional book for me, but it is a book that every American should read.I plan on passing this book around. It is a book that you cannot put down.You just want to cheer these guys on, cry with them, and you feel their frustrations. I would love to meet Michael and the men that he writes about to thank them personally for their sacrifices.
I am a Troop Greeter from Maine where most of the flights that are going over and comming home stop for re-fueling.We are soon to have welcomed 500,000 troops. I often wonder how many that I have met that will not be returning home or have been injured. I say a prayer for them after every flight and pray that they will be comming back through our halls.
I can't thank Michael Weisskopf enough for writing this book. It is truly an excellent book.
cakelady2@adelphia.net
Blood Brothers.......2007-01-09
Blood Brothers is highly readable. Michael Weiskopf gives a rare account, as both insider and outsider, of the physical and emotional struggles of individuals to deal with traumatic amputation. He also gives us a glimpse into how the U.S. military deals with its own, as well as political ramifications. Blood Brothers is enjoyable and informative.
Books:
- Implementing Sustainable Development: From Global Policy to Local Action
- Indoor Air Quality Handbook
- Indoor Air Quality Handbook
- Indoor Air Quality Handbook
- Into the Wild
- Introduction to Environmental Engineering and Science (2nd Edition)
- Introduction to Law: Its Dynamic Nature
- Lake and Pond Management Guidebook
- Lakeland Boating's Lakes Erie and St. Clair Ports 'o Call Cruise Guide
- Landscapes, Geonomics and Transgenic Conifers (MANAGING FOREST ECOSYSTEMS)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Lost Splendor: The Amazing Memoirs of the Man Who Killed Rasputin
- El Charro Café Cookbook: Flavors of Tucson from America's Oldest Family-Operated Mexican Rest
- Complete Variations for Solo Piano
- Empire: The Rise and Demise of the British World Order and the Lessons for Global Power
- Elephant Man
- First Unit Responder: A Guide to Physical Evidence Collection for Patrol Officers
- Coral Reef Coloring Book
- Taxation of Canadian Business Expansion into the United States
- Entrepreneurial Thinking: The Way to Wealth & Opportunity
- "Race" Is a Four-Letter Word: The Genesis of the Concept
General
| Middle East
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq
Hubris: The Inside Story of Spin, Scandal, and the Selling of the Iraq War
State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III
The Greatest Story Ever Sold: The Decline and Fall of Truth from 9/11 to Katrina
Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq
