Reviews (53)

A Bombshell full of information!
Everyone needs to read this! Very informative and clears up a lot of questions, and Jerome Corsi and Mike Evans are the right ones to answer them. I'm glad I purchased this one!

Make Israel 51 st state!!!
10 STARS!!!
courageous
Not exactly what our itching ears want to hear... but well researched and courageous. Do we dare NOT read and consider the implications of this information? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. International Relations (General)    2. International Relations - General    3. International cooperation    4. Iran    5. Iran - History    6. Middle East - Iran    7. Nuclear arms control    8. Nuclear nonproliferation    9. Nuclear weapons    10. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    11. Political Science    12. Politics / Current Events    13. Politics/International Relations    14. Political Science / General   

Reviews (72)

Worth Reading, But Incomplete
This book is well written and well organized.It provides a useful big picture sense of how the war was planned, the internal friction between different governmental and military constituencies, and the failure of Franks and the NSC to provide a useful counterweight to Rumsfeld's attempt to turn the Iraq campaign into a showcase for "transformation."
Thorough but dry
This is a thorough, but distressingly dry, blow by blow account of the execution of the Iraq war. I had difficulty finishing the book. The build up to the war is better written and of more interest than the description of battles which follow, the latter a "laundry list" of exchanges between the Americans and the inevitably hapless Iraqi forces. If you see Rumsfeld as the demon in this episode in history, then this is the book for you. Of special interest, however, and to my great astonishment, is the difficulty (and often inability)of the American forces to communicate with each other in battle situations, despite all the super-advanced technology at their disposition. Unbelievable! I understand the concept of "the fog of war", but this aspect of the conflict came as an eyeopener. Surely, lives were lost as a consequence.
Excellent
This is the most definitive military study of the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It vividly records the planning and execution of the war plan, acquaints the reader with the view of military commanders on the ground, and records the battles they fought.
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Subjects:  1. History - Military / War    2. International Relations - General    3. Iraq - History    4. Iraq War, 2003    5. Middle East - General    6. Military - Iraq War    7. Military History - 1990-    8. Modern - 21st Century    9. Political Science    10. Politics/International Relations    11. Current Events / Military   

Reviews (25)

Homage to Dad
I gave this book 2 stars because the first 2 fifths of it were good.The rest stunk.
Useful account of a failed, corrupt occupation

Sad But True
The title says it all.In fact, it echoes a remark made by a citizen of the country, who said "We may be seeing the death of Iraq."From the gassing and torture of civilians to America's nonchalant reaction to the looting of Iraq's treasured museums,to the current mess and mayhem created by our ignorance and incompetance, the author sums it all up by stating that America lost the war on terror the day it won the battle for Baghdad.
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Subjects:  1. 1991-2003    2. 2003-    3. Foreign Relations    4. History    5. History: American    6. International Relations - General    7. Iraq    8. Iraq - History    9. Iraq War, 2003    10. Military - Iraq War    11. Military - United States    12. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    13. Politics / Current Events    14. United States - 21st Century    15. History / United States / 21st Century   

Reviews (13)

Brings the politics and lives to the foreground as no professional politician's words could achieve.
The Prince of the Marshes And Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraqprovides an unusual survey of Stewart's time as an interim and deputy governor in Iraq's marsh regions. His THE PLACES IN BETWEEN became a best seller and told of his walk across Afghanistan and encounters with the region's people; here he describes nearly a year in a remote, improvised marsh region in southern Iraq negotiating hostage releases, holding elections, and developing an uncertain government leadership. Any who would understand the peoples and politics of Iraq must read The Prince of Marshes: it brings the politics and lives to the foreground as no professional politician's words could achieve.
Wow*****Now I Understand
I am so glad that I brought this book. I wanted to understand some of the conditions and situations from an unbias view. Mr Stewart tells his story and does it well.If you truly want to learn more about Iraq, prepare yourselves and read this book. I would loved to meet this unique person just to shake his hand and say "well done".

Middle East in a Nutshell!
Rory, just so you know, your book is now a required reading in my conflict analysis and resolution course, at a graduate peace program in Washington DC. Your point well made! THANK YOU! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography And Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. British    7. Description and travel    8. Iraq    9. Iraq - History    10. Middle East - General    11. Military - General    12. Personal Memoirs    13. Social life and customs    14. Travel / Middle East / General   

Reviews (45)

When The Flag Had 52 Stars
Nov. 4, 1979 dawned wet and chill on the streets of Tehran, Iran. Life would get much hotter before the day was out. The American embassy would be stormed by hundreds of students, and it would take 444 days before 52 of those captured inside saw freedom again. For them, and many of their countrymen, days went by slowly as the concept of Islamo-fascist terrorism was forcibly introduced upon the global stage.
Bowden nails it
I like to read Mark Bowden for his clear prose and his ablity to to tell a tale.
Meticulous As Always
Mark Bowden delivers his excellent work at another crucial point in the relations between Iran and the wider world.Iran somehow identifies itself primarily in its opposition to the United States, whether it bethe Olympic loss of the US basketball team or the one-term presidency of Jimmy Carter."Guests of the Ayatollah" is mostly composed of the experiences of the hostages, but by placing the events in a larger global context Mark Bowden creates an extremely relevant and compelling work.Bowden's recent visits to Iran to interview some of the hostage-takers reveal a rainbow of opinion, some are embarassed by their youthful enthusiasm, and others who have parlayed the eventsof 1979 into political careers.Dropping the dramatic movie-script style of Black Hawk Down, Bowden still delivers a taut, interesting, and as usual, insightful book.
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Subjects:  1. Chronology    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Hostages    6. International Relations - General    7. Iran    8. Iran Hostage Crisis, 1979-1981    9. Middle East - General    10. Middle East - Iran    11. Personal narratives    12. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    13. U.S. Foreign Relations    14. U.S. History - 1970s    15. United States - 20th Century (1945 to 2000)    16. History / Middle East   

Reviews (2)

Negotiation versus Regime Change
Scott Ritter provides chapter and verse on how conflict with the Axis of Evil nations could have been avoided with direct negotiation.The mullahs of Iran sought to negotiate with everything on the table, including nuclear weapons and a treaty with Israel. North Korea still wants direct negotiations.So did Saddam. We don't negotiate with regimes we want to remove.Bush prefers to "take them out" no matter how many americans die.

Could have, would have, shoud have...
This could have been one of the most important books of the year. Scott Ritter provides important, but tangential, information related to Israel's influence over U.S. foreign policy, the history of the IAEA in Iran, and the theory of regime change as the real reason for U.S. "concern" over Iran's nuclear weapons infrastructure.
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Subjects:  1. Government - U.S. Government    2. History    3. History: American    4. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Public Policy - General    7. United States - 21st Century    8. Asian / Middle Eastern history: from c 1900 -    9. History / United States / 21st Century    10. International relations    11. Iran    12. USA   

Reviews (100)

great insight
Imagine the U.S. was occupied by another country. Then, a third country, one that purports to value democracy and freedom, comes along to liberate us. We back them up and tolerate the installation of political cronies and corporate hacks in exchange for some kind of freedom. Then, this country, instead of installing a true democracy, installs a ruthless dictator and, if it is a democracy, is only a shadow one.And then the country continues this policy for 50 years, all the while claiming it supports freedom and democracy.
Insights to Iran
This is a fine read; well written and quite enlightening.It should be required reading for high school history/economics students.Also, the subject leads to dynamic discussions for book clubs.
Messing with other countries businesses
More than a interesting report of specifics of the doings of the English and American governments and corporations, this book shows that there are lessons in 1953 to be learned today about messing with other countries businesses.
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Subjects:  1. History    2. History - General History    3. History: World    4. International Relations - General    5. Iran - History    6. Middle East - General    7. Middle East - Iran    8. Political History    9. U.S. Foreign Relations    10. United States - 20th Century    11. History / Israel    12. Iran    13. Revolutions & coups    14. Terrorism, freedom fighters, armed struggle    15. USA   

Reviews (2)

"Our Eastern Affairs are Complex Beyond All Words"
History is useful not only for revealing the past, but also in foreshadowing what the future might hold.In the case of Iraq, this is a very important matter.This book by Liora Likutz, a scholar who is currently at the Truman Institute in Jerusalem, describes the making of modern Iraq through the life of one the two key protagonists who drew its boundaries on the map following World War I.Those two individuals were T.E. Lawrence and Gertrude Bell.While the broad outline of Lawrence's life and exploits in the Middle East are well known to many, Gertrude Bell remains more of a mystery.This book attempts to pull back that veil.Anyone who seeks to understand the currents and tides swirling underneath modern Iraq needs to understand how this country came to be, and the complex life of Gertrude Bell is a good place to start.
Understanding Irak
Facinating and exciting point of view of Irak through Gertrude Bell's life.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Colonial administrators    5. Great Britain    6. Historical - General    7. History    8. History: World    9. Iraq - History    10. Middle East - General    11. Middle East - History    12. Sociology    13. Women    14. Women Middle East specialists    15. Women's Studies - General    16. 20th century    17. Asian / Middle Eastern history: from c 1900 -    18. Asian studies    19. Biography: historical    20. Imperialism    21. Iran   

Reviews (4)

The ONLY "Before and After" Book on the Iraq Mis-Adventure
James Fallows is unique for giving us the only "before and after" book on Iraq.This book, while it consists of a collection of articles published in the run-up to the war on Iraq, is exemplary for showing what was known before the war, and how a combination of ideological bias, bureaucratic timidity, confusion, and general incompetence actually allowed this Nation to be led to an elective war of devastating consequence and cost.
Fallows Was First
Only one thing puzzles me about James Fallows: why is he not considered among our most important American journalists?
This Book Works Better than It Should
This book has an unpromising premise: Publish a book based largely on essays that have already been published as articles in the Atlantic Monthly from 2002 through 2005.Despite that, this book ends up working far better than one might expect.
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Subjects:  1. Diplomatic history    2. History - Military / War    3. International Relations - General    4. Iraq - History    5. Iraq War, 2003    6. Iraq War, 2003-    7. Middle East - General    8. Military - Iraq War    9. Military - Strategy    10. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    11. Political Science    12. Politics/International Relations    13. U.S. Foreign Relations    14. Political Science / International Relations   

Subjects:  1. Causes    2. History    3. History - U.S.    4. History: World    5. Influence    6. International Relations - General    7. Intervention (International law)    8. Iraq - History    9. Iraq War, 2003-    10. Middle East - General    11. Military - Iraq War    12. Modern - 21st Century    13. Modern World History (Circa 1450 To Present)    14. Persian Gulf War, 1991    15. United States - General    16. History / General   

Reviews (42)

The secret is out
very interesting look at the mystery that is delta force. this book is written by the founder and first commanding officer of the force and represents an intriguing look at what was formerly kept secret. look into the world of some of our country's most daring and important servicemembers. this blow-by-blow account reads like a novel, and sometimes you wish that is all it was.

Page turner. Essential for Spec-ops library.
I first thought that this book would probably be a bit dull, since it didn't have a lot of combat experiences in it, but is mostly about the formation of Delta. But it's now one of my favorite reads. A real page-turner, it only took me a couple weeks to get through it. I admit that it's enjoyment is probably limited to those with a serious interest in special ops. It has an honest and candid tone that lacks the the egoism of Marzcinko's book about SEAL Six. If your interested in learning more about Delta, I also reccomend reading Eric Haney's book, and Blackhawk Down. All three are very interesting and informative books, that take you inside, are hard to put down, and inspire profound respect for those who serve their country in this capacity.

How to sell the Army a new idea
"Delta Force" should be required reading for every ambitious careerist working for a large organization. Wearingcamo fatigues or gray-flannel suit, this fine treatise tells the ambitious what it takes to get things done in a large organization--in this case, the largest organization-the U.S. Army. And what it takes is a very smart, relentlessly driven maverick, just what these organizations abhor. Maverick General Billy Mitchell was court-marshaled for proving to the Navy that one aircraft could take out the fleet's largest ship.
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Subjects:  1. Army    2. Army.    3. Beckwith, Charlie A    4. Delta Force    5. History    6. History - Military / War    7. Military    8. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    9. Military Science    10. Modern - 20th Century/Nuclear Age    11. Operation Eagle Claw, Iran, 1980    12. Personal narratives    13. Political Terrorism    14. Special Forces    15. Technology    16. United States    17. United States.    18. War & Military    19. History / Military / General    20. Special & elite forces    21. USA   

Reviews (3)

Understanding America's Conflict with Iran Made Easy
I have read Shuster's Book "The Strangling of Persia"; Kermit Roosevelt's book "Countercoup, Struggle for Control of Iran" and Ambassador Sullivan's book "My Mission to Iran".. if I had waited for this book, I would have saved a lot of time.. Dr. Ansari captures the entire period in a lucid, easy-read and objective manner.A must read for anyone interested in the Middle East and the turmoil created by the recent administrations.

Excellent Assesment of US-Iran Relations
This is a fast reading, informative, and mind opening book on the history of US - Iran relations as well as an analysis of the relationship and its consequenses for today. It is unbiased and gives a great apeal to policy makers on both sides of the equation to reconcile their differences, move away from domestic rhetoric, and reestablish the best possible peaceful equilibrium with each other.

We've Made Some Serious Errors!
Iran possesses the second-largest reserves of oil in the world, as well as the second largest natural gas reserves.Thus, their importance is hard to overestimate.
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Subjects:  1. 2001-    2. Asia - General    3. Foreign relations    4. History - General History    5. International Relations (Specific Aspects)    6. International Relations - Arms Control    7. International Relations - General    8. Iran    9. Middle East - Iran    10. Political Science    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Politics/International Relations    13. United States    14. United States - General    15. International relations   

Reviews (3)

Deeply Moving Memoir
In this poignant,intensely personal and informative memoir Nahid Rachlin traces her life from her childhood under the Shah, through the Islamic Revolution of 1979, which she witnessed from America, where she was living at that point, to a bittersweet reunion with a family both shattered and healed by the tragedies that have befallen them. The way her life goes in a different direction from that of her beloved sister, as she remains in Iran and she comes to the U.S., offers great insights into the dynamics of the culture they lived in and how it affected each. It is a story of painful separations, heartbreaking losses, and hard-won freedoms. It has the same mesmerizing power as her novels, lingering in the mind after we have finished reading the book.
A Powerful Memoir
This book kept me up all night. Among other things it gave me a glimpse into the inner workings of Iranian family life and the author's creative development. As a fan of Nahid Rachlin's fiction, I wanted to know more about her own life; Persian Girls has given me an insight into that life and its emotional conflict. It reveals the suffering that many women, among them her sister, and the aunt who raised her as a child, endure in many Islamic cultures--the limitations imposed on them by the legal system and their families, especially the husbands who rule over them with tyrannical power. The oppressiveness and the pain of separation the author endured when her father took her away from her aunt the only mother she knew as a child (and forced her to live with him and her biological mother and siblings) are deeply conveyed. And so is the strength the author found within herself that allowed her to break away from these restrictions and create another life in America.

A Riviting Story of Oppresion and Hope.
During my careful read of this extraordinarily meaningful and important book written by respected author Nahid Rachlin, a deep forboding feeling of gloom and heavy weights continued to cover my spirit. So powerful is the tale of the two Iranian sisters Rachlin writes about: one who is able to essentially flee Iran to America to persue the freedom of her artistic desires, while the other sister is tragically confined to a similiar fate of many oppressed women post-Shah: pre-determined marriage, mental and physical abuse by an arrogant husband suitor, divorce, seperation from children, and the downward spiral of loss of self dignity and hope for a better tomorrow.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. Ethnic Cultures - General    7. Iran    8. Iran - History    9. Iranian American authors    10. Iranian American women    11. Personal Memoirs    12. Social conditions    13. Women    14. Women In Islam    15. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Reviews (9)

Unreason, or faith, is the threat.
When I started reading "Iran, the coming crisis", I thought I was going to read an informative, current affairs book on the crisis with Iran.
Excellent!A Must Read!!
This book was the fourth book I read by Mark Hitchcock.I have never been disappointed with his books and this one is no exception.He ties the current crisis with what could happen in the near future as predicted in the Bible.It's the only way to clearly understand what is happening today and what may well happen in the near future.
Syria and Israel
The one country that Mr. Hitchcock forgot to mention is Syria. Syria has always been a problem for Israel in the middle east. The book fills in the spaces that are left out in today's headines. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Bible    2. Bible - Prophecies    3. Christianity - General    4. Christianity - Theology - Eschatology    5. Christianity - Theology - General    6. End of the world    7. Eschatology    8. History    9. Iran    10. Prophecies    11. Religion    12. Religion - Biblical Studies    13. Religion - Church History    14. CHRISTIAN LIVING / PRACTICAL LIFE / CONTEMPORARY ISSUES    15. Religion / Christianity   

Editorial Review

Bruce Feiler's latest book combines now familiar elements into his own peculiar, delightful alchemy.Any particular page may be found effortlessly weaving together strands of theology, biblical exegesis, physical exploration, history and personal reflection as Feiler continues his journey of discovery, looking at the common roots of Christianity, Islam and Judaism.The Middle East has become a more dangerous place since the writing of his first book in this vein, Read more

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• Bargain Price

Reviews (18)

Illuminating History
Enlarged my understanding of Biblical history and provided background for todays problems in that part of the country. Everyone needs to read.

Sign of our times
Today, our culture scoffs at believing the Bible, as a result it is not at all fashionable to actually read it. So, unsurprisingly, it is a sign of our times that this book's many mistakes would go unnoticed by the vast majority.
Traveling Thru Time
I thoroughly enjoy reading Bruce Feiler's journeys in the Bible lands and his insights.It doesn't matter that he is Jewish and I am a Christian.I learn so much about the Old Testament it makes me want to research the Bible further and gain my own perspective using this book as a useful tool.
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Subjects:  1. Arab-Israeli conflict    2. Bible    3. Description And Travel    4. General    5. History    6. Iran    7. Iraq    8. Old Testament    9. Palestine    10. Religion    11. Religion - Commentaries / Reference    12. Religion / Bible / General    13. Bargain   

Features

• Box set

Subjects:  1. 1969-    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Comic books, strips, etc    6. Fine Arts    7. Iran - History    8. Satrapi, Marjane,    9. Women    10. Biography & Autobiography / Women   

Reviews (23)

Couldn't put it down
Amazing story, beautifully written.It has all the elements of an exciting novel, and it is true, which makes it even more awesome.

loss...
A Persian friend gave me this book. I couldn't put it down, so poetic and real. As we live in times of war and devastation, this book reminds us of the power of ideologies and politics.
A real eyeopener
Reading Roya's accounting of her ordeal gives one a profound feeli