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| Iraq |
| Review of Books on Iraq |
| 2007-02-14 |
| via milblogs (mudvillegazette) EFL Iraq in Books Review Essay by Michael Rubin Middle East Quarterly Spring 2007 The Iraq war has pumped adrenaline into the publishing industry. Whereas five years ago, few bookstores included any selections on Iraq, today dozens of Iraq books line the shelves. There have been three waves of Iraq-related publishing: First came the embed accounts that described the military campaign; second were examinations of prewar planning and, third, studies of the occupation. Quantity does not equal quality, though, nor does popularity correlate to accuracy. Many of the most popular books have been deeply flawed. Many authors use their Iraq narrative to promote other agendas, be they related to U.S. domestic politics, U.N. empowerment, or independence for Kurdistan. Other authors have substituted theory for fact or tried to propel their experience into the center of the Iraq policy debate. While time has already relegated much Iraq-related writing to the secondhand shelf or dustbin, several authors have produced works that will make lasting contributions, be they to future generations of war and post-conflict reconstruction planners, or scholars looking more deeply into the fabric of Iraq. The War in Books Ambush Alley: The Most Extraordinary Battle of the Iraq War. By Tim Pritchard. New York: Ballantine Books, 2005. 320 pp. $25.95. Marines in the Garden of Eden. By Richard S. Lowry. New York: Berkley Caliber, 2006. 448 pp. $24.95. Thunder Run: The Armored Strike to Capture Baghdad. By David Zucchino. New York: Atlantic Monthly Press, 2004. 320 pp. $24. The March Up: Taking Baghdad with the United States Marines. By Bing West and Gen. Ray L. Smith. New York: Bantam, 2004. 336 pp. $14. In the Company of Soldiers. By Rick Atkinson. New York: Henry Holt, 2005. 326 pp. $25. No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle for Fallujah. By Bing West. New York: Bantam, 2005. 400 pp. $25. Among Warriors in Iraq. By Mike Tucker. New York: The Lyons Press, 2005. 264 pp. $16.95. The Blog of War: Frontline Dispatches from Military Bloggers in Iraq and Afghanistan. By Matthew Burden. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2006. 304 pp. $15. Much more at link. |
| Posted by:Chuck |
| #1 The best here is Bing West's No True Glory: A Frontline Account of the Battle of Fallujah, which will gain greater prominence in 2008 through a screen version with Harrison Ford as Gen. James Mattis. Hmmmm... Is he a lefty? |
| Posted by: Bobby 2007-02-14 07:28 |