Articles Index
Review: Bob Woodward's "Bush At War," More Hagiography Than Reporting
In "Bush At War," first of three books Chronicling the Bush administration's rise and fall, Bob Woodward uncritically conveys a White House in full propaganda mode.
Ahmed Rashid's "Taliban"
A review of Ahmed Rashid's "Taliban" (2000), still the best book on the origins, history and ideology of the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Review: "Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA," by Tim Weiner
Book Review of Tim Weiner's excellent "Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA" from Harry Truman to George W. Bush.
Review: Ari Folman's "Waltz With Bashir"
The Sabra & Shatila Massacre of Palestinians in 1982 and Ari Folman's Waltz With Bashir: A review of the animated documentary of redemption through recovered memory.
"The Kite Runner," by Khaled Hosseini: A Review
A book review of "The Kite Runner," the best-selling novel by Khaled Hosseini, about love and betrayal through Afghanistan's thirty-year war.
Review: "The Dark Side," by Jane Mayer
How the torture memos came to be: a book review of Jane Mayer's "The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How The War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals."
Amin Maalouf's "Origins": An Investigative Memoir of Lebanon and Cuba
Amin Maalouf's "Origins" is a wonderful memoir and investigation of the author's family through a century of letters, poems and memories from the mountains of Lebanon to Havana, Cuba.
Steve Fainaru's "Big Boy Rules: America's Mercenaries Fighting in Iraq"
A Review of Steve Fainaru's "Big Boy Rules: America's Mercenaries Fighting in Iraq" (DaCapo Press): On the world of private security contractors (it's a lot more than Blackwater Worldwide).
Review: "The Arabs: Journeys Beyond the Mirage," by David Lamb
Two decades after David Lamb's book was originally published (by Random House in 1987, revised in 2002), it remains a lucid introduction to the main themes of Middle Eastern politics, history and social issues that most westerners find intractable.
Review: "The Much Too Promised Land," by Aaron David Miller
Aaron David Miller was a Middle East specialist at the State Department, formulating American policy and negotiating strategy regarding the Arab-Israeli peace process for almost a quarter century. He served six administrations along the way, Democratic and Republican, beginning with the Carter administration in 1978 and ending with the second Bush administration in 2003.
Review: "Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives," by Jim Sheeler
The American public doesn't want to be bothered with the discomforts of death tales from the front. In "Final Salute: A Story of Unfinished Lives," Jim Sheeler aims to make the public very uncomfortable. He succeeds, brutally and beautifully.
Review: "The Second Plane: September 11: Terror and Boredom," by Martin Amis
Amis has been accused of being an Islamophobe. His critics are wrong. He’s not against Islam. He’s against Islamism, a distinction he elucidates throughout the book: “Naturally we respect Muhammad. But we do not respect Muhammad Atta.”
Review: "What Went Wrong," by Bernard Lewis
As European civilization was rising during the Enlightenment, Islamic civilization was proving incapable of keeping up with its European rivals. Bernard Lewis asks why, but his question raises more questions than it answers.
Lawrence Wright's "The Looming Tower": The Making of 9/11
A history of al-Qaeda from its origins to 9/11-a review of Lawrence Wright's brilliant account.
Review: "Storm from the East," by Milton Viorst
You’d be hard pressed to find a 178-page book that so accessibly summarizes the main currents of Arab history—religious communalism, nationalism, religious fundamentalism—while intelligently analyzing those currents’ origins in their Arab context or, since the 19th century, as reactions to western designs on the region.
Geraldine Brooks: "Nine Parts of Desire" (Review)
"Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women," is a rich, fascinating and intimate look at the progress and struggles of women in the Middle East, by Pulitzer-Prize winner Geraldine Brooks.