Rating: 
Summary: "It's the correct way,but also the most difficult approach.
Review:
This is a quick read about the climate in Iraq leading up to and including the war.Although the ideas and factions are numerous,varied and never ending ; volumes could be written about this subject.This book gives a bird-eye view,one person expression and experiences.Other than being a "I was there when it happened",the reader should not expect this book to reveal any great insight into the mentality of the Arab world.It shows how the whole society is warped and overflowing with hate and revenge.
Of course; we believe that it would be wonderful if they would see that living in freedom and peace would be preferred to the present quagmire.
As Engel said ""In Iraq,truth was relative and seldom helpful."
When a society has lived with the concept of gratitude is gimmie and gotcha;it's a long road to peace and freedom.
Peace and Freedom will not come from endless rhetoric but from truth,trust and justice;a very rare commodity in Iraq.
Hope without action produces nothing.
Rating:
Summary: Riveting Reading
Review: I couldn't put this book down! Mr. Engel's firsthand experiences reflect his knowledge and understanding of the Mideast culture. His personalized style of writing made me feel like I know him. This book gave me a deeper understanding on how this war evolved, his experiences during the war and what the implications are for years to come. His story would make a great screeplay as it is passionate and riveting!
Rating:
Summary: The Whole Story
Review: It was enjoyable to read a book that was comprehensive, entertaining, insightful and most importantly conclusive. I really enjoyed learning the end to stories that were shown on the news. It was also a delight to have a behind the scenes look into the world of jounalists. As with many things, it may seem glamorous, but the reality of it is completely different
Rating:
Summary: Stunning, absorbing, vivid
Review: Richard Engel's "A Fist in the Hornet's Nest" is a stunning book, as absorbing for me as the Richard Halliburton books that I read and reread in my youth. Engel's own saga of living in the Cairo slums to learn the language and the culture is remarkable; and his decision then to move to Iraq without prospects of employment is courageous. The writing is intelligent and illuminating and yet so unpretentious I had the feeling that I was listening to a close friend describing the realities of a living adventure.I am left with vivid images of the writer's relationships with shopkeepers, drivers, secret agents, terrorists, thieves, Iraqi top officials and the military. The book is comprehensive, providing as it does, a knowledgeable exploration of the causes, problems and future issues that grip Iraq. I recommend it enthusiastically. William H. Kaven , Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Economics and Marketing, Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
Rating:
Summary: Stunning, absorbing, vivid
Review: Richard Engel's "A Fist in the Hornet's Nest" is a stunning book, as absorbing for me as the Richard Halliburton books that I read and reread in my youth. Engel's own saga of living in the Cairo slums to learn the language and the culture is remarkable; and his decision then to move to Iraq without prospects of employment is courageous. The writing is intelligent and illuminating and yet so unpretentious I had the feeling that I was listening to a close friend describing the realities of a living adventure. I am left with vivid images of the writer's relationships with shopkeepers, drivers, secret agents, terrorists, thieves, Iraqi top officials and the military. The book is comprehensive, providing as it does, a knowledgeable exploration of the causes, problems and future issues that grip Iraq. I recommend it enthusiastically. William H. Kaven , Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus, Economics and Marketing, Cornell University
Ithaca, New York
Rating:
Summary: The right place at the right time
Review: Richard Engel's new book, "A Fist in the Hornet's Nest", gives us a rare look into Iraq at the time of last year's American invasion. Nicely setting the tone of pre-war Iraq, Engel then takes us down the path of a city...Baghdad... in the sudden throes of war. Combining ingenuity, "street smarts" and a certain amount of luck, he gives us a view that no embedded correspondent could have done....a view that incorporates ordinary Iraqis going about their daily life with the inevitable hardships that they faced, and still do. The author is not shy about revealing his own thoughts regarding the American attack and occupation, but he does so in a way that offers perspectives based on what he saw, the people with whom he spoke and his general knowledge of the Middle East, having lived there prior to April, 2003. "A Fist in the Hornet's Nest" could be more rightly described as a journal although he doesn't proceed in an exact timeline format. Richard Engel's writing is crisp and articulate and moves forward with a sense of urgency. He has provided a valuable addition to the history of this war and an assessment of where it might go.
Rating:
Summary: The right place at the right time
Review: Richard Engel's new book, "A Fist in the Hornet's Nest", gives us a rare look into Iraq at the time of last year's American invasion. Nicely setting the tone of pre-war Iraq, Engel then takes us down the path of a city...Baghdad... in the sudden throes of war. Combining ingenuity, "street smarts" and a certain amount of luck, he gives us a view that no embedded correspondent could have done....a view that incorporates ordinary Iraqis going about their daily life with the inevitable hardships that they faced, and still do. The author is not shy about revealing his own thoughts regarding the American attack and occupation, but he does so in a way that offers perspectives based on what he saw, the people with whom he spoke and his general knowledge of the Middle East, having lived there prior to April, 2003. "A Fist in the Hornet's Nest" could be more rightly described as a journal although he doesn't proceed in an exact timeline format. Richard Engel's writing is crisp and articulate and moves forward with a sense of urgency. He has provided a valuable addition to the history of this war and an assessment of where it might go.
Rating:
Summary: I felt I was in Iraq.
Review: The author, a comparatively young man, is an independent journalist self taught and proficient in Arabic language and culture. Because of that skill he saw and understood things other reporters did not. He was present in Iraq before, during, and after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003. He writes the most objective description of what happened in Iraq that I have read, and I have read a lot. When you read this book you feel like you are there. I rate his reporting at the level of the Wall Street Journal and Christian Science Monitor. He's neither pro- nor anti-American. He just explains what happened. He frequently explains the situation through the eyes of the average Iraqi. He provides a tight focus between the pro-American embedded reporters and the practically Anti Americanism of larger US media. I don't know if Richard Engel, the author is a liberal, independent, or conservative, and that's the way it should be. When you finish this book you have a sense of being there and seeing the event through your own eyes. I liked that. I recommend this book for the general reader, members of the military, students age 16 plus, the clergy, businessmen, members of Congress, practically anyone interested in an unbiased understanding of the US involvement in Iraq. The book is a report not a lecture. It was a pleasure to read a book printed without errors. Thank you Hyperion Press.
Rating:
Summary: Great, quick read!
Review: This book is full of youthful exuberance, fear, concern and wonder. It is the story of a rather self-starter of a reporter and his time covering the war in Iraq. The author starts that book with a chapter on how he moved from the US to the Middle East to start a career in journalism. He then jumps into the path he took going into Iraq without a news organization to work for and on a "Human Shield" visa. I could not tell if this very risky adventure was all bravery, desperation or stupidity, but it worked out for the author. It is a lesson in how corrupt and lazy government officials can be paid off for rather small amounts of good old cash. The author covers the pre war condition in Baghdad and what it takes to survive. The picture he paints is very interesting. It turned on my head a number of the recent impressions I had heard about the conditions in Iraq pre war. He does state it was difficult, but he could find the essentials for life in the markets. I was surprised by some of the rather carefree ways he was able to lose his minders and roam around town talking to whomever he wanted to. It started me thinking that if a young reporter with no experience in Baghdad can do this then why could not professional CIA staff been able to do the same? The book picks up with the war and the author has some interesting, but not overly exciting experiences to share. As he was not an embedded reporter, he saw the war from the finish line so that once Baghdad fell his brief glimpse of war was over. He then covered the turmoil after the American army took over, the looting and random violence. If you followed the war on TV this reporting was nothing really that new or exciting, but very interesting. Overall the book was good, easy to read and fast paced. It did slow down at the end when the author went from reporting to providing his opinions on what the military and Bush Administration did not do correctly in a Monday morning quarterback style. The book just did not have enough extra to get it to the top of the charts in my opinion.
Rating: 
Summary: Call the Bee Keeper
Review: This book is full of youthful exuberance, fear, concern and wonder. It is the story of a rather self-starter of a reporter and his time covering the war in Iraq. The author starts that book with a chapter on how he moved from the US to the Middle East to start a career in journalism. He then jumps into the path he took going into Iraq without a news organization to work for and on a "Human Shield" visa. I could not tell if this very risky adventure was all bravery, desperation or stupidity, but it worked out for the author. It is a lesson in how corrupt and lazy government officials can be paid off for rather small amounts of good old cash. The author covers the pre war condition in Baghdad and what it takes to survive. The picture he paints is very interesting. It turned on my head a number of the recent impressions I had heard about the conditions in Iraq pre war. He does state it was difficult, but he could find the essentials for life in the markets. I was surprised by some of the rather carefree ways he was able to lose his minders and roam around town talking to whomever he wanted to. It started me thinking that if a young reporter with no experience in Baghdad can do this then why could not professional CIA staff been able to do the same? The book picks up with the war and the author has some interesting, but not overly exciting experiences to share. As he was not an embedded reporter, he saw the war from the finish line so that once Baghdad fell his brief glimpse of war was over. He then covered the turmoil after the American army took over, the looting and random violence. If you followed the war on TV this reporting was nothing really that new or exciting, but very interesting. Overall the book was good, easy to read and fast paced. It did slow down at the end when the author went from reporting to providing his opinions on what the military and Bush Administration did not do correctly in a Monday morning quarterback style. The book just did not have enough extra to get it to the top of the charts in my opinion.
|
