4.0 out of 5 stars
Way Overlooked, Dec 20 2009
This review is from: Fall Of Baghdad (Hardcover)
I bought this in a clearance bin. So I guess I shouldn't be surprised at the slim number of reviews this one got. Still, it's the best four dollars I've spent on reading in a long time. There must be a mountain of ink and paper devoted to the "War in Iraq" from 2003 to the present. But this overlooked first-person narrative proves to be a magnetic read.
Franticly shuttling between hotel rooms and Baghdad's city streets in the thick of the invasion, Anderson retells his bid to witness the fall of Saddam's regime. The narrative is fluid, well-paced and inspired by the author's own first hand experiences or by the stories of people he actually knew.
In the Palestine hotel, Anderson describes his narrow escape in a rocket attack while the possible sighting of Saddam Hussein (driving around the city in a pick-up truck) is as fascinating as it is bewildering. Perhaps what is most striking is just how long Anderson resolutely decides to stay on while the fighting escalates.
At times, it's true that one gets the feeling Anderson's style is bending in order to avoid political discourse. But in the end, no matter what you say about it, Jon Lee Anderson was there. That is remarkable in and of itself.
As with some other books of this genre, what is lacking here are some decent maps. And although this is a good read, Anderson's personal account really doesn't stand alone if you're looking for a broader understanding of the historical events depicted here.
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