The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East (Vintage) Paperback – 13 Feb. 2007

Robert Fisk’s massive, thoughtful and humanistic portrayal of the killing fields of the middle east, brought on by the thoughtless and arrogant interventions over the past century of Britain, France and America in such areas we now know as Syria, Israel, Palestine, Iraq and Iran. Its 1300 pages are a modern “War and Peace” – and can be put down only long enough to rest one’s arms from the weight of the book! I’ve tried before to understand the history and events of this area – but the previous books have clinically recited events and dates and referred in a few cliches only to the horror of those events. The only individuals who figure in these other books are the leaders – but this book portrays both the victims of the slaughter and their families and also those in the Western bureaucracies – both private and public – who make the slaughter possible. Their words are closely analysed – and their actions held to account in a relentless way which restores one faith in journalism. The book’s theme of our lack of historical perspective is echoed in a much shorter book first published in 2003 by Karl Meyer - but Fisk’s book is interlaced with powerful references to his father and others who fought in these same places at the beginning of the 20th Century. This is the book which should be required reading for students of government and for those aspiring to leadership – and the subject of discussion at all book clubs. It is writing and humanity at its highest level. Government is about individuals making, or colluding with, decisions - and how rarely do we get this level of research and critical scrutiny of the words individuals use to protect themselves from questions which might challenge the lives they lead.I too have read his previous book on Lebanon - and disagree with another reviewer's comparison. This is the more significant book - which needs this detail to balance the countless times the victims are simply written out of history. But yes, perhaps, the chapter on Armenia is overdone - and fails to mention the slaughter by Armenians of Azeris in the 1990s and the displacement by them of 1 million Azeris to tent cities.

I am yet to finish this weighty tome as, over the years, have tried at least two or three times to get through it, but each time I have had to put it down as it is too depressing. Mans inhumanity to man is simply beyond belief. But what I have read, probably ony a third to half of the book is very well written and first rate as far as historical accuracy. Not a book to be read while on holiday though, as I first attempted. Nor what one would call an 'enjoyable' read by any means. But I will finish it one day, as it is a book that should be read if for nothing more than to help understand how we got to where we are at in humanities 'evolution' over the past centuary. And why 'continual wars' have become a fact of life and will remain so for a long time to come.

Interesting and very enlightening from start to finish. A "Big Book" in all respects, which is compulsive reading.Fisk's comprehensive, and fascinating history of the tragedy of the Middle East has filled the gaps in my understandingof how the present situation has evolved,and particularly the continuing "guilty "roll of the Western Powers in this most strategic area.I can now better understand the present situation playing out in Arab States, which can only be understood set into the proper historical perspective that Robert Fisk achieves in this book.The "nightmare" reports, particularly in his chapter on the Iraq, Iran War are not only shocking in detail,but also in the magnitude of the tragedy,which I had not previously fully comprehended.Fisk obviously risked his life on numerous occasions to get to places to see what was the truth for himself, and has proved himself to be among the very best of our few "great investigative journalists". (A sadly shrinking fraternity).The book has not only been a real education to me ,but has left me with a profound respect for Robert Fisk's obvious integrity,andmoral,and physical courage.At a time when public opinion of the press is so low,it is good to know that we still have a few first rate "real" investigative journalists, and this great work of Fisk's illustrates his obvious right to that title.

An extremely readable and interesting tome but the reader will require patience in that there are over 1,250 pages and a considerable amount of Fisk type eulogising. That said, however Fisk writes with a style which is both attractive and compelling. The book, whilst covering topics which should be of common knowledge also opened my eyes to the fact that insofar as the Israeli/Palestinian confrontation is concerned, I and most of my cohort may well have fallen for the decidedly pro Israeli US concocted propaganda which has been our lot to digest since 1967. In my view, Fisk asks one to question the propriety of both sides in this most unfortunate of all long lasting conflicts but offers no answers. Mr Fisk has lived in the region for many years now and wisely holds back from sanctimony. As an end piece, I would say that this book helps the reader to understand the complexities which over arch the Middle East Region - an area which could possibly decide the fate of the World.