Book Description
In this, his first major book, Mark Steyn--probably the most widely read, and wittiest, columnist in the English-speaking world--takes on the great poison of the twenty-first century: the anti-Americanism that fuels both Old Europe and radical Islam. America, Steyn argues, will have to stand alone. The world will be divided between America and the rest; and for our sake America had better win.
Book Description
Brigitte Gabriel lost her childhood to militant Islam. In 1975 she was ten years old and living in Southern Lebanon when militant Muslims from throughout the Middle East poured into her country and declared jihad against the Lebanese Christians. Lebanon was the only Christian influenced country in the Middle East, and the Lebanese Civil War was the first front in what has become the worldwide jihad of fundamentalist Islam against non-Muslim peoples. For seven years, Brigitte and her parents lived in an underground bomb shelter. They had no running water or electricity and very little food; at times they were reduced to boiling grass to survive.
Because They Hate is a political wake-up call told through a very personal memoir frame. Brigitte warns that the US is threatened by fundamentalist Islamic theology in the same way Lebanon was— radical Islam will stop at nothing short of domination of all non-Muslim countries. Gabriel saw this mission start in Lebanon, and she refuses to stand silently by while it happens here. Gabriel sees in the West a lack of understanding and a blatant ignorance of the ways and thinking of the Middle East. She also points out mistakes the West has made in consistently underestimating the single-mindedness with which fundamentalist Islam has pursued its goals over the past thirty years.
Fiercely articulate and passionately committed, Gabriel tells her own story as well as outlines the history, social movements, and religious divisions that have led to this critical historical conflict.
Customer Reviews:
Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America .......2007-10-07
Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America
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Incredibly Riveting and Informative.......2007-10-04
A must read for every American. For the first time, someone is brave enough to stand up and tell it like it is concerning the threat against our nation from Islamic extremists. She puts her very life on the line to get the message out to her adopted country, which she loves with all her heart. Every naturally born American citizen should be ashamed that they don't have the same devotion for this great country in which we live.
A wonderful book that shows how radicals work........2007-10-03
This book is a wonderful account by Brigitte Gabriel, of what happened to her beloved homeland. She shows the way she remembered Lebanon before it became a bed of turmoil and death. She allows the reader to not only understand how radical Muslims and groups like the PLO, Islamic Brotherhood and Hamas operate but why they do so. She explains the tactics used by Muslims groups to use the freedoms of a society to begin a take over. She shows how they used the political system and the horrific tactics used to cause distrust and dislike among the Christians in Lebanon and the Jewish people. This is a wonderful book and a wise word of warning about the deception and lies that some will tell in order to gain control. All to force Islamic laws, and their way of life on a once free people. I think everyone should read this woman's story of courage, and understand why she fears that one day the same thing could happen here in America. This is one book that will teach you, entertain you, and even show you how the Muslims work through lies and murder and even a nations own legal system to gain sole power and control. I wish every American would read this book, there is some very useful knowledge that can be gained from this book.
An important perspective.......2007-10-03
I knew nothing of the destruction of Lebanon before I read Ms. Gabriel's book, after years of seeing news reports that were so "balanced" that they glossed over the widespread Arab (and Palestinian, and perhaps Persian) desire for the eradication of Israel. Call me an ignoramus, but mainstream media was the cause, not the cure, of my ignorance.
The so very human scenes in the hospital I think point to the core of the issue with radical Islam: compassion and cultural evolution, versus centuries-old resentment and inferiority and hate.
An important book, if a bit strident for well-fed suburban Americans (a category in which I include myself). That said, a truly moving and informative read.
Real, clear and without fear analysis of the historical, current and future directions of the effect of the Islamic religion .......2007-09-29
It is a "Must to read" book for everyone (all religions). This books not only tells the story of a young Christian girl that survived Lebanon civil war, but also layout a real, clear and without fear analysis of the historical, current and future directions of the effect of the Islamic religion on the world.
Further more, Brigitte Gabriel (the author) lists preventive and recovery actions that we, the western world can take and start doing to stand against this madness.
I personally share many of the ideas in the book and I see how some western courtiers in Europe, as France, already all into the Islamic spin and I hope that USA will take the right actions to stand against the Islamic evil and tactics and win this war.
Furthermore, it become clear to me that the current foundations of every democracy must be based on one religion (which can be separated from the state), but a democratic state must characterize itself by one religion by law.
It will prevent situations of takeover of France or England by the Muslims and set the expectations of new immigrants that do not share the major fate.
Amazon.com
Sam Harris cranks out blunt, hard-hitting chapters to make his case for why faith itself is the most dangerous element of modern life. And if the devil's in the details, then you'll find Satan waiting at the back of the book in the very substantial notes section where Harris saves his more esoteric discussions to avoid sidetracking the urgency of his message.
Interestingly, Harris is not just focused on debunking religious faith, though he makes his compelling arguments with verve and intellectual clarity. The End of Faith is also a bit of a philosophical Swiss Army knife. Once he has presented his arguments on why, in an age of Weapons of Mass Destruction, belief is now a hazard of great proportions, he focuses on proposing alternate approaches to the mysteries of life. Harris recognizes the truth of the human condition, that we fear death, and we often crave "something more" we cannot easily define, and which is not met by accumulating more material possessions. But by attempting to provide the cure for the ills it defines, the book bites off a bit more than it can comfortably chew in its modest page count (however the rich Bibliography provides more than enough background for an intrigued reader to follow up for months on any particular strand of the author' musings.)
Harris' heart is not as much in the latter chapters, though, but in presenting his main premise. Simply stated, any belief system that speaks with assurance about the hereafter has the potential to place far less value on the here and now. And thus the corollary -- when death is simply a door translating us from one existence to another, it loses its sting and finality. Harris pointedly asks us to consider that those who do not fear death for themselves, and who also revere ancient scriptures instructing them to mete it out generously to others, may soon have these weapons in their own hands. If thoughts along the same line haunt you, this is your book.--Ed Dobeas
Book Description
An impassioned plea for reason in a world divided by faith.
This important and timely book delivers a startling analysis of the clash of faith and reason in today's world. Harris offers a vivid historical tour of mankind's willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs, even when those beliefs are used to justify harmful behavior and sometimes-heinous crimes. He asserts that in the shadow of weapons of mass destruction, we can no longer tolerate views that pit one true god against another. Most controversially, he argues that we cannot afford moderate lip service to religion—an accommodation that only blinds us to the real perils of fundamentalism. While warning against the encroachment of organized religion into world politics, Harris also draws on new evidence from neuroscience and insights from philosophy to explore spirituality as a biological, brain-based need. He calls on us to invoke that need in taking a secular humanistic approach to solving the problems of this world.
Natalie Angier wrote in the New York Times: "The End of Faith articulates the dangers and absurdities of organized religion so fiercely and so fearlessly that I felt relieved as I read it, vindicated….Harris writes what a sizable number of us think, but few are willing to say."
Book Description
So says Fox News military analyst Colonel David Hunt in a book that cuts like a buzz saw through the half-measures and half-truths, the dangerous timidity, and the outright stupidity that—if left unchecked—will lead America to lose the War on Terror.
In the hard-hitting On the Hunt, Colonel Hunt draws on his twenty-nine years of active military service and his high-level military and intelligence contacts to give an inside perspective on this global struggle, setting him far apart from the usual pundits and talking heads. Here he presents fifty pages of previously unpublished documents that reveal the chillingly detailed plans of the terrorists and insurgents who target Americans, as well as U.S. tactics to stop our enemies.
From the Department of Homeland Security (“Get rid of it. Scrap it.”) to military leaders who have almost zero combat experience to risk-averse, politically correct strategic decision-making, Colonel Hunt pinpoints dire problems that need to be fixed before it’s too late (which it nearly is). Offering real solutions that most politicians and pundits are too timid to talk about, On the Hunt lays out specific steps to:
• Win the war in Iraq by changing the way we fight—by taking the gloves off and, in doing so, honoring the sacrifices our soldiers are making
• Deal with Iran, North Korea, and other dangerous threats
• Solve the illegal immigration crisis and keep America’s enemies from breaching our borders (both of them)
• Make our towns and cities more secure—not by looking to the federal bureaucracy but by taking responsibility ourselves
• Protect the liberties of American citizens at home
• Ensure that our soldiers are trained and equipped to fight today’s and tomorrow’s wars
As Colonel Hunt’s millions of viewers on Fox News and all the readers of his bestselling book They Just Don’t Get It will expect, he pulls no punches while incisively analyzing a war unlike any other. In On the Hunt, Colonel Hunt reveals exactly how high the stakes really are in the War on Terror. He condemns failed policies and the people who made them (and, yes, he names names). And most important, he clearly identifies the strategies, tactics, and qualities of leadership that we must bring to bear to ensure the survival of the proud and free nation we love.
Customer Reviews:
Hunt for President!.......2007-06-13
...or at least Secretary of Defense. Colonel Hunt doesn't hold back at all in this book, its not your typical academic style book.
I loved his style eg page 8 he says that all that matters is "killing the bad guys and bringing our boys home in 1 piece.F*** the rest" He's prepared to lay the smackdown on terrorists and the hopeless politicians in charge in D.C whom he calls "pantywaists" and says they need to 'grow a pair" ha ha love it! Finally a no BS look at the War and what needs to be done.
Essentially the Colonel says its quite simple:kill the bad guys, it doesn't matter what the politicians think, what the world thinks, how much it costs or who gets the credit. Any leader who can't handle this and is more concerned with their career is a girleyman who needs to be sacked. PC types won't like this book, heck they probably wouldn't be able to pick it up with their limp wrists, the stuff in this book is enough to make Ted Kennedy drive off a(nother) bridge.
The only criticism I would have is that the Colonel also advocates showering baddie countries like North Korea with aid and goodwill in return for them giving up their nukes and support for terrorists. The problem with this is that these baddie countries are unlikely to abide by the terms of such deals, eg North Korea got such a deal from America in 1994 only to reveal in 2002 that they had been cheating on it all along.
All in all a great book that pulls no punches and has the balls to say what needs to be said,its very easy to simply write off the Colonel as a trigger happy cowboy but that's overlooking the serious failings in this war on terrorism and the solutions to fix them, President Bush must read this book and so should you if you don't then you may as well as the Colonel says "bend over and starting praying towards Mecca"
A lesson in character this nation sorely needs.......2007-06-08
When one reads the news, and listens to the expert opinions of "talking heads" on TV, it's all too easy to believe that the free world is facing complex problems that allow for no reasonable or successful solutions. The messages we receive include the following: we face 1.3 billion Muslims who blame us for all the ills of the world, and we should understand that it's their world and not ours; nobody in Europe or Britain loves us any more, so we must be terribly wrong; every time we try and react, we only make things worse; we had our run, and now it's time for us to step aside; western civilization is obsolete and on the way out.
Reading Colonel David Hunt's "On the Hunt" tells us: No, we're still in the game; and now's the time for us to kick some butt, make no excuses, offer no explanations, come back home a victor, and marry the prom queen.
My experience, as just one reader, is that I sleep better when I read Hunt right at bedtime. It makes me feel safe knowing that somebody, somewhere, understands it the way he does. If I become discouraged by current events and find myself starting to whimp out and despair, a couple of pages of Hunt gets me back on track. You may have exactly the opposite reaction, and, if that's the case, I'd suggest you leave it alone because "On The Hunt" is pretty potent stuff, and not everyone can handle it.
Maybe the most reassuring part of "On The Hunt" is the author's attitude: David Hunt simply was not born to die as an enemy collaborator. His prose is personal, conversational, and expressive, and communicates his attitude and feelings as well as his ideas. When "his time comes" I suspect he'll go out a warrior, having never surrendered or submitted. That's a character lesson this country sorely needs.
If we heed Hunt's advice and follow his example, and he is wrong, at least we won't go down whimpering, soiling our drawers, and apologizing.
Much like I thought it would be........2007-06-01
No ground breaking here, just some enlightenment. The best part of the book deals with the kind of leadership we have and the leadership we are sorely missing.
On The Money.......2007-05-12
Col Hunt is right on the money. Until America puts the conduct of the war in the hands of field commanders with combat experience, we will not win. I do not believe in a cut and run philosophy, but politician must remove themselves from the tactical decision making. I recommend this book.
Jerry Berry
Salida, Colorado
The way it should have been.......2007-05-12
Just finished reading the book and it was a great read and told what should have been done during the Iraq War. It again proves to me that peacetime can be a badtime for the military in that many individuals rise up to leadership positions that are unqualified in the time of war.
Average customer rating:
- ONE MORE THING...
- Amazingly Detailed
- Terrifying (but sometimes tedious)
- Not Simmons' best
- Absolutely Amazing!
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The Terror: A Novel
Dan Simmons
Manufacturer: Little, Brown and Company
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Binding: Hardcover
 Simmons, Dan
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ASIN: 0316017442 |
Book Description
The bestselling author of Ilium and Olympos transforms thetrue story of a legendary Arctic expedition into a thriller worthy ofStephen King or Patrick O'Brian. Their captain's insane vision of a Northwest Passage has kept the crewmenof The Terror trapped in Arctic ice for two years without a thaw. But thereal threat to their survival isn't the ever-shifting landscape of white,the provisions that have turned to poison before they open them, or theship slowly buckling in the grip of the frozen ocean. The real threat iswhatever is out in the frigid darkness, stalking their ship, snatching oneseaman at a time or whole crews, leaving bodies mangled horribly or missingforever. Captain Crozier takes over the expedition after the creature kills itsoriginal leader, Sir John Franklin. Drawing equally on his own strengths asa seaman and the mystical beliefs of the Eskimo woman he's rescued, Croziersets a course on foot out of the Arctic and away from the insatiable beast.But every day the dwindling crew becomes more deranged and mutinous, untilCrozier begins to fear there is no escape from an ever-more-inconceivablenightmare.
Customer Reviews:
ONE MORE THING..........2007-10-08
I agree 100% with the 5-star reviews already submitted but would like to add one thing that seems to have been played down a bit: this book is bloody TERRIFYING!
Amazingly Detailed.......2007-10-03
You have to admire the sheer amount of research that went into this novel, because after reading this book I guarantee that Dan Simmons knows every bit of maritime trivia, every conceivable thing about living in the arctic, and enough Esquimaux mythology to boggle the mind. The story is that of Captain Crozier, who commands one of two ships on a doomed mission to find the northwest passage. Early in the expedition, the ships become frozen into pack ice, stranding the captain and crew. This leads to many problems, including the inevitable accidents, starvation, disease, mutanies, etc. In and of itself, that would be enough to doom any expedition. However, it gets much worse than that -- there's this monster out there on the ice that has an unstoppable desire to kill Crozier's crew in the most sadistic ways possible. The story isn't so much about the creature as it is about the crew's ability (or inability) to deal with the situation. I have to warn you though, this story is long. There are more than a few times when I was hoping it would simply hurry up and get on with it.
Terrifying (but sometimes tedious).......2007-09-30
I enjoyed both the horror and the historical aspects of this book. Unlike some reviewers, I thought Simmons melded those styles and approaches together well. And there were so many characters, so well developed. Half of the enjoyment here, for me, was in learning about the characters and wondering what they would do next, how they would react in the various situations that confronted them. Also, it was just straight-out terrifying to imagine being in some of those situations.
All of that said, occasionally I thought the writing was a little slow and tedious and I probably even skimmed parts. But then, I'm impatient.
Not Simmons' best.......2007-09-27
After the sun-lit world of Olympos, Simmons plunges his readers into his darkest material at least since Carrion Comfort. That in itself is not necessarily a problem, but there is an issue with the way the novel is being billed.
It is NOT a historical novel with a metaphorical element of horror. It is a HORROR novel that happens to have a historical setting.
Again, not in itself a problem. But Simmons himself seems to have difficulty deciding which kind of a novel he's writing, so the historical elements place constraints on the story that keep it from having a fully satisfying plot, while the horror elements introduce things that are historically ridiculous.
After Olympos, Terror's Hobbesian theme is stunningly bleak. But then, life WOULD be nasty, brutish, short, etc. if one were on an early 19th-century Arctic expedition whose captain made astonishingly bad decisions based on an irrational faith that God would see them through--or if one were an Inuit of that time. So the final Rousseau-like chapters romanticizing the "noble Inuit" are particularly strange. Simmons is inordinately impressed with the only two things the Inuit could do: build igloos, which really isn't that hard (I did it as a boy scout at age thirteen or so, though mine no doubt lacked the mathematical symmetry of those Simmons describes, though it's not as if the Inuit, lacking a system of writing, could actually have grasped the higher mathematics of what they were supposedly doing); and hunting seal, which, well, they'd pretty much HAVE to be good at. (None of this is meant to belittle or morally criticize the Inuit of the time, as given their circumstances, it would have been near impossible for them to advance much beyond that.)
Also, Simmons has already done the "what if their primitive mythology were true?" bit in Fires of Eden, with the much more entertaining Hawaiian mythology, and unhampered by claims of historicity.
Still, Simmons' style here is beautiful, and many of the characters are among the best he's created, so it's certainly worth a read, like everything else he's written.
Absolutely Amazing!.......2007-09-26
Quite honestly, I bought this book as a gift for my son in law, but, being momentarily out of reading material, decided to tackle the volume myself. And I was gob-smacked. The amount of research that had to have gone into this book is simply unimaginable. And, Dan Simmons has somehow managed to turn blank historical figures into real people with real problems. He has breathed life and depth into an expedition that still remains enigmatic. And, boy, did he do his homework. Real history is so much more interesting than fiction. We are talking here about an expedition into the arctic some 160 years ago, fuelled by coal and tinned foods and not much more. These guys definitely didn't know what they were getting into and suffered greatly for that lack of knowledge. I trust Dan Simmons. Well, I've read his other books. I trust that his search for the facts has been rigorous and absolute, and that he has endeavoured, and very successfully, to interweave those facts with the ficticious personas of his characters. In doing this, he has written an absolutely incredible book, extremely readable and continuously fascinating. He has kept, without any judgement, within the mores, the cultural values of that time, and that is also fascinating.
I greatly applaud this book and the man who wrote it. To have been able to create such a tale, interwoven with a cumbersome amount of detail and enhanced true characters is indeed a feat worth applause. And, man, it is just really interesting. Not since The Swarm has a book captivated me to this extent.
Book Description
Robert Young Pelton first became aware of the phenomenon of hired guns in the War on Terror when he met a covert team of contractors on the Afghanistan/Pakistan border in the fall of 2003. Pelton soon embarked on a globe-spanning odyssey to penetrate and understand this shadowy world, ultimately delivering stunning insights into the way private soldiers are used.
Enter a blood-soaked world of South African mercenaries and tribal fighters backed by ruthless financiers. Drop into Baghdad’s Green Zone, strap on body armor, and take a daily high-speed ride with a doomed crew of security contractors who dodge car bombs and snipers just to get their charges to the airport. Share a drink in a chic hotel bar with wealthy owners of private armies who debate the best way to stay alive in war zones.
Licensed to Kill spans four continents and three years, taking us inside the CIA’s dirty wars; the brutal contractor murders in Fallujah and the Alamo-like sieges in Najaf and Al Kut; the Deep South contractor training camps where ex–Special Operations soldiers and even small town cops learn the ropes; the contractor conventions where macho attendees swap bullet-punctuated tales and discuss upcoming gigs; and the grim Central African prison where contractors turned failed mercenaries pay a steep price.
The United States has encouraged the use of the private sector in all facets of the War on Terror, placing contractors outside the bounds of functional legal constraints. With the shocking clarity that can come only from firsthand observation, Licensed to Kill painstakingly deconstructs the most controversial events and introduces the pivotal players. Most disturbingly, it shows that there are indeed thousands of contractors—with hundreds more being produced every month—who’ve been given a license to kill, their services available to the highest bidder.
Customer Reviews:
Perfect book on an intriguing subject.......2007-09-22
I bought Pelton's 'World's most dangerous places' a few years ago. I'm always interested in the shady world of mercenaries, contractors and hired guns so of course I wanted to buy this book as soon as it was out. And it was spot-on. This is a very well written book, it gives you a no-nonsense look into the world of the contractors and after you have read it, you know a lot more about the matter than the average newsreader. What I liked most was the parts about Sandline and Executives Outcomes. Definetely a must-read if you want to know something more about contractors and 'mercenaries', or better put: the difference between those two. I recommend it highly.
Contract Rifles.......2007-08-13
Robert Young Pelton's Licensed to Kill is a book well worthy of the time invested in reading it. Pelton illuminates the world of modern private security contracting both from the inside and from an historical perspective. He draws a distinction between the security contractor, who is essentially a defensive fighter, and a mercenary, who undertakes offensive actions. The reader meets individual contractors and a few of the men behind the organizations. Tales of trial by fire mix with broader-perspective cautionary tales about where the trend in security contracting may be headed and the gray zone between the private security company and the mercenary army. Pelton's work offers valuable perspective on a phenomenon that has erupted since the start of the War on Terror and which deserves serious attention.
Licensed to Kill is many things at once. Pelton's book is a jigsaw puzzle of personal experiences with contractors on the ground, small-picture stories about individuals in the post-9/11 world of gun-for-hire opportunities, and big-picture stories that serve to frame the pre- and post-9/11 world of security contracting. A literary critic might argue that Licensed to Kill is a postmoderist work that lacks central direction or a single message. I believe that Pelton's book is a creditworthy effort at giving a human face to security contractors while creating a context for the world in which the War on Terror contractor operates.
At the personal level, Pelton devotes several chapters to his experiences in Iraq and North Carolina with contractors. Based on his subjects, Pelton to enjoys the closest contact with the American company Blackwater--one of post-9/11 private security success stories and one of the big winners of the outsourcing of security in Iraq. Pelton describes the Blackwater people in detail. The reader is imparted the knowledge that these are real people. The author sees most of them as men of (surprisingly) complex motives: they want to fight for their country; they want to support wives, children, etc.; they don't want to put up with the Big Army's bureaucratic nonsense; they want better pay than an Army junior enlisted man gets for putting his life on the line; they fear they have no other skills, so they want to earn a living marketing what they have; many are too old to go active duty, anyway; they crave the high that comes from danger.
As a mid-thirties National Guardsman and junior NCO who served in Baghdad in 2005, I understand the men Pelton describes reasonably well. Pelton describes a run down Route Irish to BIAP (Baghdad International Airport) and back to the Green Zone. I've made that run more than once myself. Although I find Pelton's description a touch dramatic, he's very authentic when he describes the hazards of the situation. I understand completely why these men hate the Big Army way of doing business. Soldiers in Iraq--NCOs included--are treated like irresponsible children, forbidden any sort of liberties, and subjected to the attentions of bored sergeants major who think the insurgency will be defeated by proper uniforms and correctly-laced boots. The contractors Pelton describes have found a way to get into the fight while avoiding the Army's less-attractive aspects. Many of my fellow soldiers talked about trying to come back as contractors so they could make twice as much money (or more) and be treated like men into the bargain. Pelton gives the reader an idea of who the contractors, mostly prior military, really are. Seemn through Pelton's eyes, contractors are not predominantly bloodthirsty raiders looking to spill as much innocent blood as possible. They are men being paid to carry a rifle to accomplish specific tasks and trying to survive while doing it.
Pelton is clearly in the trenches with the contractors physically and sympathetically. He acknowledges as much, so we are free to take his anecdotal experience as exactly that: anecdotal.
That much said, Pelton is not a mindless promoter in Licensed to Kill. He raises questions about the legal framework of contracting. To whom do the contractors really answer? Soldiers are clearly representatives of their nation, and they are held to well-published standards of conduct. Contractors, though as former soldiers may be guided by the same moral and ethical compass as their uniformed brethren, are not bound by the Uniform Code of Military Justice. Pelton points out that contractors exist in a sort of legal and ethical limbo. This, Pelton claims, is what the US government wants. When a contractor messes up and is called to task for it, the US government can claim that the contractor does not represent the policies and intent of the United States. The contractor can be dismissed out of hand, Pelton tells us, and the government thereafter washes its hands of the whole thing. Deniability, the author claims, is one of the chief virtues of the contractor and, by extension, one of the chief moral pitfalls. What does it say about the United States of America when we engage disposable men to fight for our causes? Soldiers are expendable in that their lives may be sacrificed to accomplish a mission. However, soldiers receive a host of benefits and long-term investment as part of their service. Contractors receive pay and nothing more. Currently, they are mostly immune from legal consequences in Iraq; but when and if they do start to be charged with crimes for their activities, the US government can give them up with a clean conscience--no harm, no foul to the government. Compare this to the fallout associated with Abu Ghraib and other poor conduct by American troops, and one can see the allure of disposable, deniable contractors. Whether or not the rest of the world will buy the argument that the actions of contractors do not reflect on the government sponsoring the contract remains to be seen. Pelton's point is that the US government has been entranced by the prospect and is likely to remain so until circumstances invalidate the idea.
Pelton devotes some narrative to the world of security contracting prior to 9/11. The main point of doing so seems to be to illustrate the fact that while private security contracting is by no means a new activity, the War on Terror has completely transformed contracting and contracting companies. He also points out that the more mercenary activities of private contracting that occurred in the 1990's still exist as possibilities in the 2000's and beyond. Pelton tells us that the leadership of Blackwater in particular is interested in building a force larger, more capable, and much more powerful than the armies of a number of Third World countries. Pelton seems assured that the Blackwater leadership assumes a priori that a Blackwater army would be used only in support of American foreign interests and that this fact creates a satisfactory moral and ethical framework for the use of said force. At the same time, Pelton raises the question of what will happen when the bounties of the War on Terror cease to provide satisfactory employ for the growing mass of men and companies under arms by contract. Men like the men Pelton describes in detail in Iraq, Afghanistan, and North Carolina may find that having decided to live by the rifle in their post-military careers they are unable to resist bending their codes of conduct to take jobs that are neither entirely in nor out of line with American foreign policy and interests once the ratio of contractors-to-contracts starts to become more competitive. (Sooner or later, this will happen. The market makes it inevitable.) Where in the gray zone between security contractor and mercenary will these men then operate? This is no academic question. As Pelton points out, it is a reality being rushed along by the decision of the US government to privatize much of the security force of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Licensed to Kill is a worthy read. The men are real. The world in which they operate is filled with dangers, rewards, and uncertainties. The national policies unfolding today lead us down a road fraught with hazard and paved with the bodies and rifles of security contractors and those they have been engaged to fight. Pelton provides the reader with an interesting, informative read. Whether one agrees with him or not, Pelton paints a fascinating picture and raises important questions.
Pelton Explores the Rise of Military Privitization.......2007-08-13
Robert Young Pelton has been reporting from global hotspots for the past 15 + years. His record of reporting from far a field is impeccable, including stints in Afghanistan, Columbia, Kashmir, Algeria, and now Iraq. Having long been acquainted with private military contractors throughout his travels, Pelton ventures to Iraq to experience first hand the move towards privatization in the US military.
Pelton spends the majority of his time in Iraq with the controversial Blackwater USA; making runs along the "highway of death" between Baghdad Airport and the Green Zone. He gives a good description of the life of a military contractor in one the world's most dangerous zones. Pelton refrains from painting a too glorified picture of contractor life, and seems more to concentrate on the motivations of men working in the field.
Pelton also describes the history of the military contractor beginning in the early 1980s with such firms as the South African Executive Outcomes, and the British Sandline. He illustrates both the perceived benefits of private military intervention, such as quelling the RUF in Sierra Leone, to the not so clean interventions in Equatorial Guinea sponsored by the wealth-seeking interests of international business and finance.
All in all, I think Pelton does an excellent job refraining from the political bias which clouds much of the recent work on military contractors. Licensed to Kill serves as a readable description of the unstoppable move towards the expansion of private military contractors, and provokes thought and discussion on this new Pandora's Box.
Fascinating read that explores the implications of private security forces.......2007-08-07
This book reflects on the history and modern evolution of private security forces, their influences on the war on terror and the implications of the acceptance of private security forces in society's future.
Beyond just a dry assessment of private security contractors in Iraq, Pelton, adds dramatic personal narratives of his interactions with security contractors, aptly painting a picture of their experiences in Iraq.
This is a must read for anyone interested in the blurring of the line between the military and privately fielded armed forces, which raises interesting questions regarding the US Military's self-sufficiency, the allegiances of private forces, the skill-drain occurring in the armed forces and the future of warfare.
Bull's Eye!.......2007-05-22
In his book, Licensed to Kill, Robert Young Pelton hits the bull's eye with a sweeping, crash course in the explosive growth of private security contractors.
Thrust from the sweltering groins of Africa, Papua New Guinea and other trouble spots around the globe where hidden treasures of oil and minerals tempt buccaneering entrepreneurs, the private security industry is now bursting in full multi-billion-dollar glory on the bloody streets of Iraq.
Pelton chronicles it all with gritty first-hand experience and a keen, knowing vision: the past is prologue and the present boom in Iraq screams a cautionary tale for tomorrow. We may be witnessing the birth of a roving, freelance warrior class in constant search for new wars. (On second thought, the world may already have one. It's called the global war on terror.)
Licensed to Kill, proves once again that Pelton gets the interviews and access that few writers even dream about. He gallops into the secret mud brick camps of Afghanistan; lifts glasses with big wheels while toasting back-room money deals; sweats through a Triple Canopy training camp in Arkansas; barrels down the dangerous highways of Iraq; explores the twisted life of a self-aggrandizing bounty hunter searching for bin Laden; and lives the daily tensions of retired cops and veterans struggling to make a living for their families back home as hired guns.
Although these blue-collar workers may earn $600 a day, they work 24/7. It is grueling and deadly work. Just ask Miyagi, one of the many characters percolating through the book. Sent home by Blackwater to his wife and nine-year-old son in Santa Barbara, an IED drove a gash through his arm and left a fist-sized hole in his [..]. Now, he's waiting for a new assignment. He says it's too tough to make ends meet for his family as a cop in California.
Others, like Erik Prince, a politically-connected former Navy SEAL, never faced those worries. As the founder of the North Carolina-based Blackwater, USA, Prince hit the jackpot a long time ago with a multimillion-dollar family fortune. Today, his company banks on government security contracts totaling $750 million or more won after the Sept.11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center. Blackwater's success may be only the beginning. Prince envisions taking part in contracts all over the world with Blackwater's own private air force. The company claims it can deploy a private regiment of 1,700 anywhere within a 24-hour notice.
"Prince likes to think of Blackwater's relationship to the traditional military as something akin to FedEx's relationship to the U.S. Post office," Pelton observes after meeting with Prince on several occasions.
Then there's Col. Tim Spicer, a former Scots Guardsman, who first plied his mercenary trade on the outskirts of the developed world by getting mixed up with coups, mineral rights and guns for cold hard cash. Today, Spicer has reinvented himself with the newly-formed Aegis Defence Services. His company holds the largest security contract in Iraq and is charged with coordinating the chaos among tens of thousands of gun-slinging contractors working for scores of companies.
But who will coordinate the chaos of private security companies after Iraq? The business is already on the prowl for new work. "The thing to watch," Pelton cautions, is if hired guns become a permanent fixture in foreign policy.
Even more troubling, is the prospect that the private warriors will begin to freelance in backing political coups -- sometimes unknowingly -- because their mission can be disguised by contracts to protect oil fields, gold mines and other corporate property.
Pelton recounts chilling incidents of this already happening before Iraq sucked up the talent from around the world and then went begging for new recruits. No one knows how many trained and battle-hardened private warriors are working in Iraq. Some estimate 30,000, others say 50,000 or more. Most of these fighters will have few crossover job skills once they leave, but they will have proven resumes showing they carry guns for hire and answer to no one but their company boss.
Licensed to Kill may be just the first chapter in what leads us to ask: what monster is this that the world has created?
Book Description
A scathing portrait of contemporary executive power run amok, by the author of the original 1976 Church Committee report on executive abuse.
"In thirty-four years, I have repeatedly seen an erosion of the powers and the ability of the president of the United States to do his job."—Vice President Dick Cheney
Thirty years after the Church Committee unearthed COINTELPRO and other instances of illicit executive behavior on the domestic and international fronts, the Bush administration has elevated the flaws identified by the committee into first principles of government.
Through a constellation of non-public laws and opaque, unaccountable institutions, the current administration has created a "secret presidency" run by classified presidential decisions and orders about national security. A hyperactive Office of Legal Counsel in the Department of Justice is intent on eliminating checks on presidential power and testing that power's limits. Decisions are routinely executed at senior levels within the civilian administration without input from Congress or the federal courts, let alone our international allies. Secret NSA spying at home is the most recent of these. Harsh treatment of detainees, "extraordinary renditions," secret foreign prisons, and the newly minted enemy combatant designation have also undermined our values. The resulting policies have harmed counterterrorism efforts and produced few tangible results.
With a partisan Congress predictably reluctant to censure a politically aligned president, it is all the more important for citizens themselves to demand disclosure, oversight, and restraint of sweeping claims of executive power. This book is the first step.
Customer Reviews:
Love the PW review- as always.......2007-07-10
I'm so glad we have the reader reviews on Amazon. The Publishers Weekly evaluations are often very biased and dismissive. "Though another book criticizing the Bush presidency is of questionable necessity" - really? We've reached the limit on books examining and critiquing the performance of the President of the United States? Thanks, PW! I'll stop worrying about the health of our democracy and go straight to bed.
"A Republic, If You Can Keep It".......2007-07-09
Benjamin Franklin, when asked what type of government we had created, is said to have replied, "A republic, if you can keep it." "Unchecked and Unbalanced" shows why America is in danger of being transformed into a monarchy by the Bush Administration, reporting how this new theory of unchecked presidential power developed and why it is wrong. The authors also contend that the theory is not a response to 9/11, but long nurtured by Cheney and his assistant David Addington from at least the days of the Iran-Contra investigation, and even followed (to a much lesser extent) by Bill Clinton.
Executive branch lawyers now describe an ongoing (not just emergency) power to set aside legal checks imposed by Congress and to even act when Congress is silent. This authority extends to treaties as well, and at least one Office of Legal Council (OLC) leader claims coverage of judicial decisions as well.
Lincoln acted early on at the start of the Civil war without Congressional authorization, and even ignored an order by the Chief Justice. The difference between Lincoln and Bush is that Lincoln did not do so on an on-going basis, sought subsequent approval, and did not act in secret.
"Unchecked and Unbalanced" provides rationale for concluding that OLC's conclusions are wrong; it also asserts that the OLC claims were developed without adherence to professional obligations - eg. they failed to identify, let alone respond to, weaknesses in their legal arguments, and failed to mention key Supreme Court cases.
Finally, to protect our republic, the authors recommend Congress hold hearings and act, and that the Supreme Court follow suit. Unfortunately this is made difficult by executive branch supervision of intelligence gathering and distribution.
Very dangerous premise.......2007-07-06
propounded here. For background, Schwarz was counsel for the Church Committee. It was that committee that emasculated the CIA, not allowing it to deal with foreign agents with any sort of criminal record (who does the spying; not the Boy Scouts) and putting up barriers for communications between U.S. intelligence agencies. All this lead directly to many of the problems of 9/11. Now, because of their hatred for Bush, these authors want to return to that Alice in Wonderland approach to national security. That's why this premise is so dangerous; our lives depend on it.
Responsibly Written - Well Researched.......2007-05-24
The authors documents how the Bush Administration, in an effort to fight terrorism, has side-stepped the constitution, circumvented the Geneva Convention, and broken countless other laws. The authors describe how the net result is an erosion of the moral character of America, which, in the long run, is counterproductive in the war on terror.
The right people to ring the alarm bells.......2007-05-07
Frederick A.O. Schwarz Jr. is senior counsel at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law and a partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore. He was chief counsel to the Church Committee. Aziz Z. Huq is associate counsel at the Brennan Center and previously clerked for the U.S. Supreme Court. This is a book you will not be able to put down, in which they demonstrate and document how the Bush administration has gone further than Nixon or Reagan ever dreamed to create a monarchical presidency with the acquiescence of a complicit Congress and a cowed judiciary.
Book Description
This is the first full-length account of the CIA's coup d'etat in Iran in 1953—a covert operation whose consequences are still with us today. Written by a noted New York Times journalist, this book is based on documents about the coup (including some lengthy internal CIA reports) that have now been declassified. Stephen Kinzer's compelling narrative is at once a vital piece of history, a cautionary tale, and a real-life espionage thriller.
Customer Reviews:
Consequences of One Week ,Fifty Years Ago.......2007-10-04
In 1953 the United States made a momentous decision. Partially out of legitimate fear of a possible Russian takeover of the valuable Iranian Oil field, and partly as a result of incitement by British interests who sought to stubbornly maintain their imperialistic power structure, the CIA led a sinister and clandestine coup that removed the most beloved and democratic leader Iran has had in a century; Mohammend Mossadegh.
Mossadegh was replaced by the Shah Pahlavi who became so hated that a Muslim fanatical mob overthrew him in 1979. The new theocracy, well remembering the American led coup, feared that the CIA would attempt it again. As insurance they attacked the US embassy and took 52 American hostages.
This act so infuriated the Americans that they supported Saddam Hussein's horrific war against Iran. This led to Russia's invasion of Afghanistan, the rise of the Muslim fanatics who created the Hezbollah and Taliban, the empowerment of Saddam, the invasion of Kuwait, the attacks on the US in Beruit, Somalia, 911, and of course our current clumsy missions in Afghanistan and Iraq.
While America's awkward foreign policy proved disastrous in hindsight, the fear of communist control of Middle Eastern oil was a driving force in the 1950's. Blame must be shared with the British Anglo-Iranian Oil Company for their greed, the British for treating the Iranians so poorly, for the Iranian Shahs who sold Iran's concessions to fund their lavish life, and for even Mossadegh himself for becoming so blind in his justified hatred for the British that he refused any compromise offered.
Yet while the Iranians despise the US for our intrusions into their affairs and the suffering it has caused, they still honor the American institutions of freedom and democracy. These values are currently suppressed by the current theocracy.
Kinzer's well researched story reads like a first class spy novel. He avoids cynicism and anti American tirades and presents the story in a balanced light. While he does not avoid detailing the disaster we unleashed he also did not avoid the context of the anti Communist fears shared by many Americans in the 1950s.
He will make you think different about the current events in the Middle East.
All the Shah's Men.......2007-08-08
I think this is a book that every American should read because it explains so clearly the little known facts about the overthrow of the very first democratically elected prime minister in Iran. The seeds of democracy were there - just waiting for a little water but because Mossadegh was a nationalist and didn't want to be indebted to any foreign power including the U.S., we initiated this clandestine covert operation which brought the Shah back to power. At the time of the hostage crisis, I couldn't understand why the Iranian's hated us so much. Now I see that scenario with complete clarity. Regime change by any other name is still meddling in the affairs of foreign countries. Even if we don't care about what happens to that country, it always comes back to haunt us because it's bad foreign policy - bad for the U.S. in the worst possible ways.
Excellent crash course in the root of US/Iranian problems.......2007-07-17
I was recommended this book by a friend who is Persian. He considers himself Persian because he does not want to be identified as an Iranian due to misperceptions of the people in the United States. He also does not want to be lumped in with being the government that currently exists in Iran.
The book itself is a relatively quick read that can be done in a day or two. But the wealth of information that Kinzer has packed into what I would consider a short book is astounding. He chronicles the history of Iran dating back to the days of Darius and Cyrus albeit briefly. Then eventually focuses on several key events of the late 19th century and moves into the 20th century. The main focus of the book is the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and their nationalization by Mohammed Mossadegh in the mid-part of the 20th century. This eventually paved the way for the British to coerce the United States Government under Dwight Eisenhower to green light covert ops against Mossaedegh to remove him from his position of Prime Minister of Iran. This led the way for the Shah to assume authoritarian control over the country, which eventually culminated in the 1979 Revolution.
It is an incredibly fascinating story and goes to show how the United States in a sense created their own problem with Iran due to the desire to have oil flowing from the country. They got 26 years worth of it only to create a bigger problem by leading the way inadvertently for the fundamentalist government that is there now. It becomes clear why Harry S. Truman is so greatly appreciated these days due to his ability to make decisions that were and would have been better for the long term. He opposed any US action against Iran. If only that advice had been followed, who knows what might have been in the Middle East.
For those wanting to know why the current regime in Iran supports terrorist groups and is so vehemently anti-Western? This is the book to read. It does an excellent job of explaining why and how we got to the this point we are at currently.
Imagine that Iran would try to dictate the US at which prices and to whom they can only sell their products and own resources..........2007-07-14
This book shows the kind of info that is not found, as usual, in the mainstream media. It shows you how the US along with other countries like the UK have tried to control the oil resources of a sovereign third country like Iran. They have used any tool for achieving their goals, even the coup de etat. At the beggining of the history, through the middle ages and until the discovery of America the main excuse for conquering and destroying countries and for genocide was the religion, like happended with the religion wars in Central Europe, in America with the Spanish Catholic Kings and with the English purintans, in France with the hugonots... Then it was the liberty, equality, etc, like with the wars of Napoleon or with Russia and the poor republics that suffered its influece after the war of the October's Revolution. Then it came the race with Hitler. And nowadays the excuse is the democracy. But, always, it is just an excuse that hides the real motivation: economic interest. Nowadays the Western countries while keeping their own population uninformed and sort of drugged with the everyday work and consumption needs, try to convince them to go to war with the excuse that the objective is to spread liberty and democracy. They do this at the same time that they incentivate and protect dictatorships and antidemocratic regimens like they do in most of the Arab countries (there is/were such regimens not only in Iraq or Iran, by the way, just look at the bunch of allies of the US and the UK in the Persian Gulf like Oman, Dubai, Soudern Arabia, Kuwait, Katar, etc.. where the lack of freedom of speach or of democracy does not take the American politicians to go these countries to give them the present of democracy by the force of war). This book is an example of the whole lie, cinism and hypocrisy that the international foreign Wester policies are about. Like alwasy, it is not about virtues but only about money and geostrategical control. For this according the report of the worldwide reputed medicine magazine The Lancet, and published by the American University of John Hopkins, about 660.000 Iraqi people have been killed in Iraq by the middle of the last year, most of them by artillery and air strikes by false called "coalition" forces. For this reason the puppet government of Iraq has announce at the beginning of this year that they will not disclosure more figures of deaths caused by the war. Obviusly the occupants are frighteened by the fact that today, one year after that report, we may have reached already one million deaths, something that if the people of the US and of the UK would be well informed and aware of it they would jump to the streets to stop their goverments spreading the democracy in Iraq. A democratic country of dead people with the second largest oil reserves of the world, a very easy country to control. Whoever that can not understand that it is not democracy or liberty should find the information that is there and that is not provided normaly by the mainstream media. I recommend everybody to read the book of John Perkins, Confessions of an Economic Hitmank, to understand what it is going on behind the nice words of our politicians.
seeConfessions of an Economic Hit Man
This is a deep book which is very well written and organized.......2007-06-26
The history of Iran has never been documented this well. Kinzer is an excellent author and he has gained himself a loyal new fan in me. This is a most impressive book which I will read again and again and share with all my friends. The key to understanding the past and the roots of terrorism against the USA is this book. Every word in this book has been so superbly edited to convey Kinzer's specific points that every sentence or paragraph can be quite profound and meaningful. An excellent gift to anyone who has ever asked "why do they hate us so much?" - The detailed truth shall set you free.
Amazon.com
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, many Americans yearned to understand why Muslim extremists felt such passionate animosity toward the Western world, particularly the United States. Since that historic attack there have been many books and discussions about this very question, but few of them offer such a readable and relevant response as this excellent offering by renowned historian Bernard Lewis (What Went Wrong?). For modern Westerners, Islam is an especially foreign religion and culture to understand. For instance, Westerners typically dismiss things as unimportant when using the expression "that's history." But for those raised in Muslim households, history—even ancient history—is just as important (if not more important) as the present. And to better understand the hostilities rooted in this history—one could start with recognizing the long-standing resentment the Islamic community harbors from having its homelands torn apart and re-packaged into random political states by occupying Europeans (Westerners). Or stretch back in time to the brutality of the Crusades. Or go straight to the U.S. political meddling in the region throughout the latter 20th century. This is not a pity fest for Muslims. Lewis even-handedly explores the sources of Islamic antagonism toward the West while also explaining how a supposedly peace-worshipping religion could be so distorted by violent extremism. He notes that the American way of life—especially that of fulfillment through material gain and sexual freedom—is a direct threat to Islamic values (which is why night clubs—places where men and women publicly touch one another—are targets of bombings). But it is basic Western democracy that especially threatens Islamic extremists, notes Lewis, because within its own community more and more Muslims are coming to value the freedom that political democracy allows. For anyone wanting an intelligent and accessible primer on the Islamic-Western conflict, this is an excellent place to begin. Gail Hudson
Book Description
In his first book since
What Went Wrong? Bernard Lewis examines the historical roots of the resentments that dominate the Islamic world today and that are increasingly being expressed in acts of terrorism. He looks at the theological origins of political Islam and takes us through the rise of militant Islam in Iran, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia, examining the impact of radical Wahhabi proselytizing, and Saudi oil money, on the rest of the Islamic world.
The Crisis of Islam ranges widely through thirteen centuries of history, but in particular it charts the key events of the twentieth century leading up to the violent confrontations of today: the creation of the state of Israel, the Cold War, the Iranian Revolution, the Soviet defeat in Afghanistan, the Gulf War, and the September 11th attacks on the United States.
While hostility toward the West has a long and varied history in the lands of Islam, its current concentration on America is new. So too is the cult of the suicide bomber. Brilliantly disentangling the crosscurrents of Middle Eastern history from the rhetoric of its manipulators, Bernard Lewis helps us understand the reasons for the increasingly dogmatic rejection of modernity by many in the Muslim world in favor of a return to a sacred past. Based on his George Polk Award–winning article for The New Yorker,
The Crisis of Islam is essential reading for anyone who wants to know what Usama bin Ladin represents and why his murderous message resonates so widely in the Islamic world.
Amazon.com
King Leopold of Belgium, writes historian Adam Hochschild in this grim history, did not much care for his native land or his subjects, all of which he dismissed as "small country, small people." Even so, he searched the globe to find a colony for Belgium, frantic that the scramble of other European powers for overseas dominions in Africa and Asia would leave nothing for himself or his people. When he eventually found a suitable location in what would become the Belgian Congo, later known as Zaire and now simply as Congo, Leopold set about establishing a rule of terror that would culminate in the deaths of 4 to 8 million indigenous people, "a death toll," Hochschild writes, "of Holocaust dimensions." Those who survived went to work mining ore or harvesting rubber, yielding a fortune for the Belgian king, who salted away billions of dollars in hidden bank accounts throughout the world. Hochschild's fine book of historical inquiry, which draws heavily on eyewitness accounts of the colonialists' savagery, brings this little-studied episode in European and African history into new light. --Gregory McNamee
Book Description
In the 1880s, as the European powers were carving up Africa, King Leopold II of Belgium seized for himself the vast and mostly unexplored territory surrounding the Congo River. Carrying out a genocidal plundering of the Congo, he looted its rubber, brutalized its people, and ultimately slashed its population by ten million--all the while shrewdly cultivating his reputation as a great humanitarian. Heroic efforts to expose these crimes eventually led to the first great human rights movement of the twentieth century, in which everyone from Mark Twain to the Archbishop of Canterbury participated. King Leopold's Ghost is the haunting account of a megalomaniac of monstrous proportions, a man as cunning, charming, and cruel as any of the great Shakespearean villains. It is also the deeply moving portrait of those who fought Leopold: a brave handful of missionaries, travelers, and young idealists who went to Africa for work or adventure and unexpectedly found themselves witnesses to a holocaust. Adam Hochschild brings this largely untold story alive with the wit and skill of a Barbara Tuchman. Like her, he knows that history often provides a far richer cast of characters than any novelist could invent. Chief among them is Edmund Morel, a young British shipping agent who went on to lead the international crusade against Leopold. Another hero of this tale, the Irish patriot Roger Casement, ended his life on a London gallows. Two courageous black Americans, George Washington Williams and William Sheppard, risked much to bring evidence of the Congo atrocities to the outside world. Sailing into the middle of the story was a young Congo River steamboat officer named Joseph Conrad. And looming above them all, the duplicitous billionaire King Leopold II. With great power and compassion, King Leopold's Ghost will brand the tragedy of the Congo--too long forgotten--onto the conscience of the West.
Customer Reviews:
the heart of man is desperately wicked.......2007-09-25
If you have somehow achieved sufficient literacy to read user reviews on Amazon, and still believe that people are basically good, now's your chance to read a book that will relieve you of this misconception. King Leopold's Ghost gives historical proof that there is no problem in recruiting enough people to torture, humiliate, and kill perfectly innocent Africans by the millions.
All I can say is thank God for the press and for Christian missionaries. If it hadn't been for those two institutions, the horror in Africa perpetrated by the Belgian king would have continued unabated until all of the land drained by the Congo river was stripped of all human inhabitants.
Ashes from the White Sepulcher .......2007-08-16
A masterful work. Hochschild outlines an entire world duped by charms and charming sentiments. Millions perished while Leopold gains wealth untold. Maiming, murder, mayhem and the crooked world of Presidents, Kings and Congresses. Leopold mastery of the world stage lasted decades. Long term lessons on how governments manage what is perceived to be the gospel truth. Hochschild deserves high recognition for this introduction into the world of tycoons and titans plundering a nation in the name of Christianity. Hochschild's assessment of current Zaire affairs are disturbing. Cobalt, uranium and a host of lesser necessities available to the of best armed encampments from the native riches of this African country. The plunder continues
The True Story Behind Heart of Darkness.......2007-07-14
In the annals of atrocities committed by human beings against ourselves, the historic and ongoing mistreatment of Africa by the Industrialized World takes the (highly dubious) prize. While an extremely generous revision of history might forgive the arrogance and naivety of the colonial powers for believing that clothing, Christianity, modern weapons and free markets would be enough to make Africa like Europe, King Leopold II of Belgium seems to stand out ahead of the pack. King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild, in one respect, is a depressing narrative about how MILLIONS of Africans were "civilized" by trading their lives and liberty to grow Leopold's personal fortune. But it is also an inspiring story about how a few people, through their passion for the inalienable rights endowed to all people, shook Europe and America awake and their efforts to bring about real change in the Congo.
Hochschild, as he explains in his preface, first became aware of the crimes against humanity instigated by King Leopold by accident. A quote from Mark Twain (active in the Congo Movement during the decades around the turn of the 20th century) about the 8-10 million people that were helped to their graves by Leopold's regime in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Such a tragically huge tally is striking, and it inspired Hochschild to find out as much as he could. King Leopold's Ghost begins with a whirlwind synopsis of the first 400 years of European imposition upon Central Africa -- the Portuguese, Afoso, Prester John, the Colonial Era. The pace slows once Henry M. Stanley and Leopold enter the picture.
The lives of Stanley and Leopold, the two major do-ers in the tale of the subjugation of the Congo, are discussed in detail. Stanley, the explorer, ended up on Leopold's payroll because he really didn't have much else to do. His explorations down the Congo, though courageous and admired, did not raise the kind of interest he though it should in the Foreign Office of his native Britain. Stanley became available for employment just as Leopold's machinations and Machiavellian dealings were justifying (among his fellow monarchs) his desire to take over control of the Congo. Of course, according to Leopold, this was all just so that he could lift up the poor Africans and encourage free trade. Leopold, who never actually visited his kingdom in Africa, needed a surrogate in-country to clear the bush and establish trading stations. Stanley was his man.
Once trading stations were established in the Congo, Europeans came to trade. At first, the primary object of plunder was ivory, but then, with the advent of bicycles (and later automobiles) with inflatable tires, wild rubber became the main export. And so began the "Rubber Terror," where the people of the Congo were forced upon pain and death to harvest the latex. The result, as described by Hochschild, was unbelievable savagery on the part of the civilized world.
Fortunately for the world, the tale of the subjugation of the congo has some undo-ers as well, foremost among them E.D. Morel. The Congo Reform Movement had a worldwide following that made Leopold miserable. Unfortunately for the cause of justice, Leopold died and the Congo Free State (as it was then known) was merely transferred to Belgium -- Leopold was never punished for his crimes against humanity. In 1960, with the rising tide of anti-colonialism beginning to wax all over Africa, Belgium handed power over to the Congolese to rule themselves and try to pull a reasonable government of the people from the humid air. That has not faired particularly well either.
Adam Hochschild's book is well written and engaging. He made a valiant effort to find the words of actual Africans describing their plight during their struggle -- rather than just the victors, or, at best, some sympathetic compatriots of the victors. The paperback edition comes with an extended afterward where the author describes some of the consequences of bringing this too long forgotten take to the forefront again.
Detailed Readable History.......2007-07-05
Positives:
Detailed, readable history about Belgium's Scramble for Africa in the Congo. Hochschild does an excellent job of introducing key figures who aid King Leopold in getting 'his colony' in Africa as well as those who fought against the Belgian King's enslavement of the Congolese people. In addition, Hochschild intersperses the general experience of the colonizers and the Congolese with personal stories from sadistic colonizers, missionaries, the King's lobbyists, and most critically, some of the 10 million people devastated by King Leopold II's obsession.
Negatives:
Hochschild often distracts from the history he is so effectively telling through tangential introductions of more contemporary history and through personal analysis of historical events being presented. His personal analysis interrupts the pace of the history being told, and causes suspiscion about how the author chose to use the facts he researched.
THE ANATOMY OF TRAGEDIES.......2007-05-13
BEYOND THE FINE PRINTS OF COLONIAL EXPANSION IN AFRICA LIES THE TERMINAL SCARS OF CONQUEST TO WHICH AFRICA NOW PAYS HANSOMELY.
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