Rating: 
Summary: worth your time
Review: A highly informative and enjoyable book on one of the most volatile regions of the world. The author successfully describes Mid-East culture, not by quoting long dead historians or re-hashing other people research, but by visiting the region first hand. When the author visits a country he does not simply reserve a room at the local Sheraton and report from the hotel bar, like so many foreign correspondents. Instead, he moves out into the street, befriends locals, and stays in their hotels and eats where they eat. The author does not claim to be an academic expert on Arab culture, but I believe this frees him to make observations that are not weighed down by academic requirements. The author's sense of humor is an added bonus. While the book was written over 10 years ago, it still holds up well. This book is more than a travel book, it is a first rate description of Arab culture from the gritty streets of the Middle East.
Rating:
Summary: worth your time
Review: A highly informative and enjoyable book on one of the most volatile regions of the world. The author successfully describes Mid-East culture, not by quoting long dead historians or re-hashing other people research, but by visiting the region first hand. When the author visits a country he does not simply reserve a room at the local Sheraton and report from the hotel bar, like so many foreign correspondents. Instead, he moves out into the street, befriends locals, and stays in their hotels and eats where they eat. The author does not claim to be an academic expert on Arab culture, but I believe this frees him to make observations that are not weighed down by academic requirements. The author's sense of humor is an added bonus. While the book was written over 10 years ago, it still holds up well. This book is more than a travel book, it is a first rate description of Arab culture from the gritty streets of the Middle East.
Rating: 
Summary: Get a better perspective on the Middle East: Read this book
Review: Although most of the book takes place at least 10+ years ago, Baghdad Without A Map provides a view of the Middle East (and beyond) that shows how diverse the countries making it up really are. Too often is the Middle East labeled the "Middle East" - it is necessary to get a better perspective on the different peoples that make up this large mass of land. Highlights include Saddam's oppressive regime - Horwitz expected Baghdad to be a "romantic" place as the cradle of civilization, instead he found what he termed the "saddest" place he visited during his time in the region, as you get a sense for how closed off this country really was. His run-in with an Iranian government-organized protest against the USA, where one protester admits his desire to one day visit Disneyland. His visit to Israel and Palestine (Horwitz is Jewish by the way), where everyone seemed to be in a "bad mood". His qat chews in Yemen. Overall, you can sense the general hospitability of Arab people (as well as Persian) that is overlooked in our media today. Do yourself a favor, open your mind to the Middle Eastern world, and read Baghdad Without A Map.
Rating:
Summary: Get a better perspective on the Middle East: Read this book
Review: Although most of the book takes place at least 10+ years ago, Baghdad Without A Map provides a view of the Middle East (and beyond) that shows how diverse the countries making it up really are. Too often is the Middle East labeled the "Middle East" - it is necessary to get a better perspective on the different peoples that make up this large mass of land. Highlights include Saddam's oppressive regime - Horwitz expected Baghdad to be a "romantic" place as the cradle of civilization, instead he found what he termed the "saddest" place he visited during his time in the region, as you get a sense for how closed off this country really was. His run-in with an Iranian government-organized protest against the USA, where one protester admits his desire to one day visit Disneyland. His visit to Israel and Palestine (Horwitz is Jewish by the way), where everyone seemed to be in a "bad mood". His qat chews in Yemen. Overall, you can sense the general hospitability of Arab people (as well as Persian) that is overlooked in our media today. Do yourself a favor, open your mind to the Middle Eastern world, and read Baghdad Without A Map.
Rating: 
Summary: Sharp and insightful
Review: Although this book seems cobbled together from news reports that did not get published at the time he wrote them, the essays offer an interesting picture of the Arabia behind the headlines. Horwitz offers sharp insights on a region of the world which remains an unknown to so many of us in the US. Author Horwitz brings out the contradictions and the humanity of the Middle East.
Rating:
Summary: Jounalistic Adventures in the Middle East
Review: Another wonderful read by the journalist who brought us "Confederates in the Attic"! This book, which chronicles his stint as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal and other publications from 1990 to 1991, captures the ludicrous essence of his experiences in the Middle East. He's very much the central character as he chews an intoxicant called "Qat" with Yemenis, plays soccer with Dinka refugees in southern Sudan and travels with a pack of reporters to view corpses from the Iran-Iraq war. Through it all, he keeps a sense of humor and wry observation and, at the same time, gives insightful historical details of the countries his visits. The people he meets are memorable, his experiences are high adventure, and his viewpoint is something I can relate to. I enjoyed this book tremendously. Mr. Horwitz is an excellent writer and I love reading about his journalistic exploits. I learned a bit about Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Libya, Sudan and Lebanon. Of course it was just a taste. There's just so much you can pack into a small 280-page book. However, sometimes this is the best way to learn -- in small doses and including his personal experiences that are not likely to appear in any news story. It left me yearning to know more. And that is what it basically set out to do. The last chapter of the book was finished just before the Gulf War, but the author added an additional chapter in 1992 including his experience in Baghdad when the war started. Highly entertaining and very informative. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Jounalistic Adventures in the Middle East
Review: Another wonderful read by the journalist who brought us "Confederates in the Attic"! This book, which chronicles his stint as a reporter for the Wall Street Journal and other publications from 1990 to 1991, captures the ludicrous essence of his experiences in the Middle East. He's very much the central character as he chews an intoxicant called "Qat" with Yemenis, plays soccer with Dinka refugees in southern Sudan and travels with a pack of reporters to view corpses from the Iran-Iraq war. Through it all, he keeps a sense of humor and wry observation and, at the same time, gives insightful historical details of the countries his visits. The people he meets are memorable, his experiences are high adventure, and his viewpoint is something I can relate to. I enjoyed this book tremendously. Mr. Horwitz is an excellent writer and I love reading about his journalistic exploits. I learned a bit about Yemen, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Libya, Sudan and Lebanon. Of course it was just a taste. There's just so much you can pack into a small 280-page book. However, sometimes this is the best way to learn -- in small doses and including his personal experiences that are not likely to appear in any news story. It left me yearning to know more. And that is what it basically set out to do. The last chapter of the book was finished just before the Gulf War, but the author added an additional chapter in 1992 including his experience in Baghdad when the war started. Highly entertaining and very informative. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Buy this book now!
Review: As a temporary resident of the Middle East, I think "Baghdad Without A Map" best captures the crazy, frantic, atmosphere here. His very readable book will carry you through each country, educating you on the nuances while making you laugh at his adventures. If you are destined to travel soon to the Middle East, put this on your immediate reading list.
Rating:
Summary: A good read!
Review: At good read that is both funny and at times frightening, Horwitz doesn't seem to pad much with his descriptions of his travels which makes it quite real (and also quite enjoyable). I highly recommend this book which gives a pretty good look into parts of the middle east.
Rating:
Summary: Humorous and Insightful look at the Islamic World
Review: For anyone unable to get their hands around the "world's most combustable" region, or unwilling to risk their hide to see it first hand, this is the book to read. As a student who studies the region and has lived there I can attest Tony gets high marks for accuracy, fair reporting with a highly entertaining writing style.
A MUST read for any beginning to the area, and an important side read to the current political context.
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