hjdutton's review against another edition
3.0
Took me a while to get through this one, not because it wasn't interesting or well-written, but because it was so dense with information. I felt like at times Scahill lost the thread of his narrative with all the other sidebars and side stories. Still, it was an in-depth look at US policy and made me look more critically at US national security measures.
mfrontz's review against another edition
3.0
One central story line placed among vignettes of terror makes for a difficult but compelling read.
vchiasson's review against another edition
3.0
Two months and a week later, I'M FINISHED! The time of reading is no indication of how the book is. Rather, life is busy and I could not find good solid hours to read. Nevertheless, as a precaution to readers: the book is dense, small-font, and full of information.
Eye-opening, well-researched, well-written, Jeremy Scahill exposes the American government on the horrors that have become of military-occupation in the Middle East.
Eye-opening, well-researched, well-written, Jeremy Scahill exposes the American government on the horrors that have become of military-occupation in the Middle East.
amberfinnegan's review against another edition
5.0
This was an amazing read. Jeremy talked in depth about the covert wars the US government is engaging in, how Obama expanded the US covert war effort as opposed to retracting it after Bush, and the creation and subsequent overtaking of foreign tactical operations by JSOC.
Highly informative with quotes everywhere. His notes are also extensive. It is hard to finish this book and not wonder what kind of foreign policy we currently have in the United States, and what we need to change. With our current trend, the War on Terror is far from over, and will likely spread further across the world.
I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in current events, the path the United States is taking in foreign policy, and the 'threat' to American's safety. If you are unsure if you will learn from this book, watch the film first. It is also extremely well done, and gives a general overview of what the book covers.
Highly informative with quotes everywhere. His notes are also extensive. It is hard to finish this book and not wonder what kind of foreign policy we currently have in the United States, and what we need to change. With our current trend, the War on Terror is far from over, and will likely spread further across the world.
I recommend this book for anyone who is interested in current events, the path the United States is taking in foreign policy, and the 'threat' to American's safety. If you are unsure if you will learn from this book, watch the film first. It is also extremely well done, and gives a general overview of what the book covers.
kavinay's review against another edition
5.0
My God.
Imagine there's a country out there that asserts it can assassinate it's own citizens based on executive power alone? Further, it can assassinate that citizen's children with impunity, even when that child is a citizen too.
That country is America. That executive wasn't just the Bush Administration or the current batshit one. No the President at the time was Barack Obama.
Scahill takes what might be merely an anti-state polemic in another journalist's hands and crafts an amazing collection of stories on the war on terror and all it's unintended consequences. This isn't a Bob Woodward special, but rather like Chomsky in the field with teeth. From the blowback of the US radicalizing allies and it's own citizens, to the sheer lack of concern for civilian casualties and the assumption that American black ops are unquestionable, Scahill just crushes any hope you can have in the competence of US anti-terrorism let alone the state's moral authority in that war.
The investigation behind the Gardez Massacre alone--a botched JSOC raid of innocent civilians which was then covered up via carving bullets out of butchered women--is stunning. https://theintercept.com/2016/06/01/pentagon-special-ops-killing-of-pregnant-afghan-women-was-appropriate-use-of-force/
The Raymond Davis "incident" reads like a John Le Carre novel except it exposes US officials for lacking the spymaster's knowing sense of moral ambiguity and humanity.
America's use and embrace of extrajudicial killing is pure nightmare fuel.
Imagine there's a country out there that asserts it can assassinate it's own citizens based on executive power alone? Further, it can assassinate that citizen's children with impunity, even when that child is a citizen too.
That country is America. That executive wasn't just the Bush Administration or the current batshit one. No the President at the time was Barack Obama.
Scahill takes what might be merely an anti-state polemic in another journalist's hands and crafts an amazing collection of stories on the war on terror and all it's unintended consequences. This isn't a Bob Woodward special, but rather like Chomsky in the field with teeth. From the blowback of the US radicalizing allies and it's own citizens, to the sheer lack of concern for civilian casualties and the assumption that American black ops are unquestionable, Scahill just crushes any hope you can have in the competence of US anti-terrorism let alone the state's moral authority in that war.
The investigation behind the Gardez Massacre alone--a botched JSOC raid of innocent civilians which was then covered up via carving bullets out of butchered women--is stunning. https://theintercept.com/2016/06/01/pentagon-special-ops-killing-of-pregnant-afghan-women-was-appropriate-use-of-force/
The Raymond Davis "incident" reads like a John Le Carre novel except it exposes US officials for lacking the spymaster's knowing sense of moral ambiguity and humanity.
America's use and embrace of extrajudicial killing is pure nightmare fuel.
cristalyne's review against another edition
4.0
Scahill has been my long-time hero—a framed flyer from of recent speaking engagement is displayed in the dinning room next to a warped unframed picture of my husband and I. I followed in Scahill's footsteps nearly a decade behind him, learning from his mentors and writing for the same student newspaper. His legacy surrounding me and I wanted to be him, or at least I thought I did for many years. He is one of the best speakers I've every heard and I am beyond grateful for his work. I have, however, rarely enjoyed his writing, which is why this book sat on my shelf for so many years and had so many false starts. I often find it too technical and this one was intimidatingly long. That said, everyone should at least read chapter 35, which is a perfect representation of the role of the United States in the Middle East (family slaughtered; journalist accused of being a terrorist for reporting on it). If you want to know how that's possible, then start from the beginning of the book, which opens with the murder of a 16-year-old US citizen in Yemen by US forces that Obama authorized.
dominicangirl's review against another edition
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Child death, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Islamophobia, Religious bigotry, and Gun violence