jershkat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
In The Withdrawal, Chomsky and Prashad shed light on the little known (in the U.S.) facts and details of the recent U.S. interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya. In this conversational book, the United States narrative of “bringing peace” and “countering terrorism” is flipped on its head as the facts are laid out, demonstrating that the U.S. has no desire for peace, and instead only cares to inflict its will on the global population with no regard for international law (which does not apply to the United States). A deeply informative book. A must read for anyone concerned with US militarism, use of force, and global human rights.
bubbajones1221's review against another edition
3.0
3.25 stars
This book suffers from format and bias. I picked this up wanting to learn more about the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan and not how evil the US is. Clearly atrocities were committed, but in the context of the subject matter and thesis of the book, there are definitely one too many diatribes.
This is a transcript style book that reads like a podcast. I agree with other reviews that the formatting feels lazy and sometimes it's hard to keep track of who's talking. This has the same tone as the Norman Mailer episode in Gilmore Girls.
This book suffers from format and bias. I picked this up wanting to learn more about the 2021 withdrawal from Afghanistan and not how evil the US is. Clearly atrocities were committed, but in the context of the subject matter and thesis of the book, there are definitely one too many diatribes.
This is a transcript style book that reads like a podcast. I agree with other reviews that the formatting feels lazy and sometimes it's hard to keep track of who's talking. This has the same tone as the Norman Mailer episode in Gilmore Girls.
bigdaddystout's review against another edition
I didn’t know this book would be a transcript of a conversation.
lexrambeau's review against another edition
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
fast-paced
5.0
shrimpybear's review
informative
fast-paced
3.5
Definitely not about what is laid out in the title but this was a good conversation with a lot of good info and analysis.
hikemogan's review against another edition
4.0
This book contains chapters on 1) Vietnam and Laos, 9/11 and Afghanistan, 3) Iraq, 4) Libya and, 5) the Fragility of U.S. Power. I read a lot of information that was completely new to me despite being an avid reader of Chomsky. If there's an overarching theme, it's the exploration of what the U.S.'s criminal wars in the last 25 years have done to U.S. hegemony in the midst of rising counterbalancing forces large and small (China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Russia).
The book is formatted in a unique way; some of Prashad and Chomsky's conversations and correspondence that make up each section blend into each other. It's often impossible to know where one person's portion ends and another's begins. The forward and the afterword section don't add much to the overall book, they're basically rehashing Chomsky's amazing accomplishments and history. Overall the book is a fast read and worth it if only for the devastating raw facts that Prashad and Chomsky highlight in America's wars of choice that defined the past 25 years.
The book is formatted in a unique way; some of Prashad and Chomsky's conversations and correspondence that make up each section blend into each other. It's often impossible to know where one person's portion ends and another's begins. The forward and the afterword section don't add much to the overall book, they're basically rehashing Chomsky's amazing accomplishments and history. Overall the book is a fast read and worth it if only for the devastating raw facts that Prashad and Chomsky highlight in America's wars of choice that defined the past 25 years.