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The Great War for Civilisation
http://www.fishpond.co.nz/Books/Great-War-for-Civilisation-Robert-Fisk/9780007203833
The Conquest of the Middle East
By
Robert Fisk
This item is unavailable.We will email you if this item comes back into stock. | Rating: | | | Format: | Paperback, 1392 pages | | Other Information: | 10 b/w illus, 30 col plates, (integrated b/w maps), With index | | Published In: | United Kingdom, 07 November 2005 |
Decorated British foreign correspondent Robert Fisk has been based in the Middle East for the last twenty-five years, reporting from the world's worst trouble-spots. This is his first-person account of fifty years of bloodshed and tragedy in the area, from the Palestinian-Israeli bloodbath to the shock and awe of the current war against Iraq. The Great War for Civilisation is written with passion and anger, a reporter's eyewitness account of the Middle East's history. All the most dangerous men of the past quarter century in the region -- from Osama bin Laden to Ayatollah Khomeini, from Saddam to Ariel Sharon -- come alive in these pages. Fisk has met most of them, and even spent the night out at a guerrilla camp with bin Laden himself. In a narrative of blood and mass killing, Fisk tells the story of the growing hatred of the West by millions of Muslims, the West's cynical support for the Middle East's most ruthless dictators and America's ever more powerful military presence in the world's most dangerous lands as well as its uncritical, unconditional support for Israel's occupation of Palestinian land. It is also a story of journalists at war, of the rage, humour and frustration of the correspondents who spend their lives reporting the first draft of history, their weaknesses and cowardice, their courage and truth-telling. After reading The Great War for Civilisation the reader grasps just why those 19 suicide pilots changed the world on September 11th. Brought right up to the current day and reporting from the heart of a bombed-out Bagdad, Fisk examines the factors leading up to the coalition forces entering Iraq, and discusses possible outcomes of long-term involvement there. Read an interview with Robert Fisk at http://www progressive.org/0901/intv1201.html See Robert Fisk's daily comment from the Middle East at www independent.co.uk |
About the AuthorThe most decorated British foreign correspondent, Fisk has been based in the Middle East for the last twenty-five years, and his knowledge of the area is unparalleled. He writes daily for the Independent and is syndicated in Italy (La Reppublica), Spain (El Pais) and France (Le Monde), amongst others. PrizesLead title Decorated British foreign correspondent Robert Fisk has been based in the Middle East for the last twenty-five years, reporting from the world's worst trouble-spots. This is his first-person account of fifty years of bloodshed and tragedy in the area, from the Palestinian-Israeli bloodbath to the shock and awe of the current war against Iraq. A major book of reportage from one of the finest journalists currently at work today. A fantastic blend of history and up-to-date journalism makes this book an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the current situation in the Middle East. Lead review and feature coverage assured for this much loved and respected media figure. Major broadsheet serialisation anticipated. ReviewsCombining a novelist's talent for atmosphere with a scholar's grasp of historical sweep, foreign correspondent Fisk (Pity the Nation: The Abduction of Lebanon) has written one of the most dense and compelling accounts of recent Middle Eastern history yet. The book opens with a deftly juxtaposed account of Fisk's two interviews with Osama bin Laden. In the first, held in Sudan in 1993, bin Laden declared himself "a construction engineer and an agriculturist." He had no time to train mujahideen, he said; he was busy constructing a highway. In the second, held four years later in Afghanistan, he declared war on the Saudi royal family and America. Fisk, who has lived in and reported on the Middle East since 1976, first for the (London) Times and now for the Independent, possesses deep knowledge of the broader history of the region, which allows him to discuss the Armenian genocide 90 years ago, the 2002 destruction of Jenin, and the battlefields of Iraq with equal aplomb. But it is his stunning capacity for visceral description-he has seen, or tracked down firsthand accounts of, all the major events of the past 25 years-that makes this volume unique. Some of the chapters contain detailed accounts of torture and murder, which more squeamish readers may be inclined to skip, but such scenes are not gratuitous. They are designed to drive home Fisk's belief that "war is primarily not about victory or defeat but about death and the infliction of death." Though Fisk's political stances may sometimes be controversial, no one can deny that this volume is a stunning achievement. (Nov.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. Read an interview with Robert Fisk at http://www.progressive.org/0901/intv1201.html see Robert Fisk's daily comment from the Middle East at www.independent.co.uk The Independent's Middle East correspondent for nearly 30 years, and much celebrated for his efforts, Fisk has plenty to tell us about life in the world's most tumultuous region. With a three-city tour. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
| Publisher: | Fourth Estate Ltd | | ISBN: | 0007203837 |
| EAN: | 9780007203833 | | Dimensions: | 23.0 x 15.0 centimeters (1.49 kg) |
| Age Range: |
15+ years |
|
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