The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East: Amazon.de: Robert Fisk: Englische Bücher

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“Notable for [its] depth of observation and insight and for the vividness of [its] descriptions of particular events and people. [Fisk has] a strong affection and respect for the suffering majority of Palestinians and Israelis inexorably caught up in the storm of violence, fear, mythology, and hatred that the former territory of Palestine has become . . . His extraordinarily readable book depicts a vast historical landscape . . . For all his erudition and his passion for the subject, Fisk is primarily a journalist, and his book, among many other things, is an important account of what a journalist actually does or tries to do, especially during wars . . . Fisk’s powers of observation make his war reporting particularly vivid [and he] has developed a network of friends and acquaintances throughout the region who provide background and depth for his stories . . . Shocking . . . Deeply moving.”
–Brian Urquhart, New York Review of Books

“Combining a novelist’s talent for atmosphere with a scholar’s grasp of historical sweep, foreign correspondent Fisk has written one of the most dense and compelling accounts of recent Middle Eastern history yet . . . Fisk, who has lived in and reported on the Middle East since 1976, first for the (London) Times and now for the Independent, possesses deep knowledge of the broader history of the region . . . It is his capacity for visceral description--he has seen, or tracked down firsthand accounts of, all the major events of the past 25 years--that makes this volume unique . . . A stunning achievement.”
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“The most comprehensive survey of 25 years of Middle Eastern conflict.”–Library Journal

“An epic account . . . a rich tapestry of the contemporary Middle East [and an] engagingly thorough tour of the region’s turmoil.”
–Newsweek International

“Fisk is a gifted writer and an accomplished storyteller, so those who have not read him before will enjoy [the]wealth of hard-won narrative detail accumulated over the decades of intrepid reporting.”
--The Economist

“A magisterial report from the shifting front lines of the Middle East. It deserves to be read by all those who are concerned with what is happening in Iraq today.”
–Boston Sunday Globe

“The book seals Robert Fisk’s place as a venerable, indispensable contributor to informed debate in and about the Middle East.”
–The Nation

Kurzbeschreibung

During the thirty years that award-winning journalist Robert Fisk has been reporting on the Middle East, he has covered every major event in the region, from the Algerian Civil War to the Iranian Revolution, from the American hostage crisis in Beirut (as one of only two Western journalists in the city at the time) to the Iran-Iraq War, from the Russian invasion of Afghanistan to Israel’s invasions of Lebanon, from the Gulf War to the invasion and ongoing war in Iraq. Now he brings his knowledge, his firsthand experience and his intimate understanding of the Middle East to a book that addresses the full complexity of its political history and its current state of affairs.

Passionate in his concerns about the region and relentless in his pursuit of the truth, Fisk has been able to enter the world of the Middle East and the lives of its people as few other journalists have. The result is a work of stunning reportage. His unblinking eyewitness testimony to the horrors of war places him squarely in the tradition of the great frontline reporters of the Second World War. His searing descriptions of lives mangled in the chaos of battle and of the battles themselves are at once dreadful and heartrending.

This is also a book of lucid, incisive analysis. Reaching back into the long history of invasion, occupation and colonization in the region, Fisk sets forth this information in a way that makes clear how a history of injustice “has condemned the Middle East to war.” He lays open the role of the West in the seemingly endless strife and warfare in the region, traces the growth of the West’s involvement and influence there over the past one hundred years, and outlines the West’s record of support for some of the most ruthless leaders in the Middle East. He chronicles the ever-more-powerful military presence of the United States and tracks the consequent, increasingly virulent anti-Western–and particularly anti-American–sentiment among the region’s Muslim populations.

Fisk interweaves this history with his own vividly rendered experiences in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Algeria, Israel, Palestine and Lebanon–on the front lines; behind the scenes; in the streets of cities and villages; and inside military headquarters, the hideouts of guerrillas, the homes of ordinary citizens. Here, too, are indelible portraits of Osama bin Laden, Ayatollah Khomeini and Yassir Arafat, among others–all of whom he has met face-to-face–revelatory in their apprehension of the individuals and the ideologies they represent.

Finally, The Great War for Civilisation is the story of journalists in war: of their attempts to report the first, impartial drafts of history, to monitor the centers of power, to challenge authority (“especially . . . when governments and politicians take us to war”) and to battle an increasingly partisan worldwide media in their determination to report the truth.

Unflinching, provocative, brilliantly written–a work of major importance for today’s world.

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Robert Fisk:a one-man demolition crew 27. Februar 2009

Von Dr. Hartmut Heuermann

Format:Taschenbuch

Here is an outstanding work of truly epic proportion - more ambitious, more impressive, more profound than anything that has been published by political scientists, historians or critical observers in recent decades."The Great War for Civilization" by British journalist Robert Fisk is a stupendous achievement from the pen of a man who distinguishes himself by an impeccable sense of justice, an unswerving commitment to human rights and an undauntable courage in the teeth of adversity and deprecation. With the possible exception of Edward Said, who has written on the same subject, Fisk has no peer. He is a one-man demolition crew in that he relentlessly demolishes the prevalent myths and ideologies that have long obfuscated the view of Western policy-makers when dealing with the nations of the Middle East. He exposes their hypocrisy and partiality when they take sides in the Jewish-Palestinian conflict and obtusely favor Israel. He plausibly explains the reason why the West, especially the USA and their client state Israel, have become hated and despised throughout the Arab world: too many crimes committed, too many innocents killed,too many promises broken. Fisk sweeps away the popular misconception about the causes of the sveltering problems in the region and sets the historical record straight.What is most valuable perhaps is his critial look at the fuzzy concept of "the war against terrorism", which demonstrably serves the ideological purposes of those who, under the pretext of fighting terror, attempt to impose their own political and cultural standards on people who don't want them. As the author makes clear, the explosiveness of the situation is not so much attributable to an endemic unruliness or aggressiveness of the Muslim population as to their endless sufferings at the hands of Western colonialists and imperialists. It is oppression and humiliation that have sown the seeds for violence. It is the many interventions and military campaigns of the US and their allies in Iraq, Palestine, Libya, lebanon and Afghanistan that stoke the flames of wrath. While professedly bringing the blessings of peace, justice and stability they have invariably caused bloodshed and wrought havoc.
Fisk's book is a real eye-opener which deserves to be translated into all European languages and studied by all readers with a minimal interest in historical truth. If it is a truism that there are always two (or more) sides to a given human problem, Fisk is to be applauded for presenting the other side.

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Hard to put down. Great book from a very intelligent, humane man. 3. Januar 2007

Von A. Geiler

Although this book looks rather intimidating at first (by sheer size), it is a great one to read and a real page-turner.

Fisk gives both a personal and balanced account of the development of the middle east as it is today, shaped by the region itself and by the west. He offers a very humane look at war and human suffering while describing the regions politics, conflicts and history in the last century.

Based on his hands-on experiences with the region and its conflicts (he has been living in Lebanon for about 30 years and has worked as a middle east correspondent for decades), his account is well-informed and vivid. At times one seems to be 'there' with him; his descriptions are gripping without losing earnestness and respect for the events taking place, and for the people involved. He is scathing in his condemnation of inhumane behaviour, the causes of suffering and the wests agendas, and at the same time tries to find a balance and reasons for certain events and actions.

Needless to say that his writing style is superb. I am delighted to have spent a many winter nights on the couch with this awesome, rich book.

Whoever wants to understand events in the middle east and how it was shaped, and whoever wants to be informed about it in an intelligent, serious and highly interesting way: this is the book for you. Every single page is worth your time.

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Ein aufrüttelndes Dokument zur Zeitgeschichte 26. Juni 2007

Von Lothar W. Brenne-Wegener

Geschafft! Dabei habe ich alles in allem nur vier Monate gebraucht, um mich durch die eintausenddreihundert Seiten kleingedruckten englischen Text des voluminösen Taschenbuchs "The Great War For Civilisation. The Conquest of the Middle East" des britischen Journalisten Robert Fisk zu arbeiten. Aber, um es gleich vorweg zu sagen, die Mühe hat sich in mehrfacher Hinsicht gelohnt. Zum einen ist es für die eigene Fähigkeit, englische Texte zu lesen, zugegebenermaßen eine enorme Herausforderung, aber zugleich auch eine nicht hoch genug einzuschätzende geistige Übung. Auch wenn man nicht alles Wort für Wort übersetzen kann, allein schon der grobe Rahmen reicht aus, um sich jeden Tag aufs neue von den teilweise unglaublichen Schilderungen des Autors gefangennehmen zu lassen. Fisks Buch liest man mit großer innerer Anteilnahme. Dabei wechseln sich oft genug Empörung mit stiller Wut, Verzweiflung mit innerer Anteilnahme ab. Dies besonders an den Stellen, an denen er unglaubliche Einzelschicksale beschreibt und den Toten nicht nur einen Namen gibt sondern ihnen zudem durch seine Schilderung ein bleibendes Andenken setzt. Viele Vorgänge und Zustände, die er beschreibt, fanden in unserer Presse so gut wie kaum oder gar keine Beachtung, weil sie nicht ins jeweilig vorherrschende Weltbild paßten. Fisks Stärke: er schreibt nicht nach dem Mainstream sondern fühlt sich ausschließlich seinem Gewissen und seinem Beruf als Journalist verpflichtet. Hier hat jemand seine persönlichen Erlebnisse vor allem in Middle East aufgeschrieben und der Öffentlichkeit zugänglich gemacht. Detailliert und kenntnisreich schreibt er nach der Devise "...our job is to monitor the centres of power", und bezieht sich dabei auf eine Äußerung der jüdischen Journalistin Amira Hass, die jahrelang im Gaza-Streifen unter den Palästinensern gelebt hat, weil sie am eigenen Leib deren alltägliche Diskriminierung durch die israelischen Besatzer erleben wollte. Hass' Worte hält er für die beste Definition von 'Journalismus' die er je gehört hat, wie er selbst in seiner Einleitung bekennt. Er beschreibt die aktuellen Brennpunkte des Weltgeschehens Afghanistan, Irak, Iran, Pakistan, Israel, Palästina nicht aus der Ferne, sondern als Berichterstatter vor Ort und macht obendrein das, was vielen Journalisten heute abhandengekommen zu sein scheint: er berichtet nicht nur aus der Gegenwart heraus, sondern liefert Hintergründe, die sorgfältig und punktgenau recherchiert sind! Dabei legt er auch schonungslos jene Rolle offen, die die USA und Großbritannien in diesem Trauerspiel eingenommen haben. Alles in allem ist Fisks "The Great War for Civilisation" ein aufwühlendes, ein erschreckendes, die Bigotterien westlicher Politik überdeutlich aufzeigendes, notwendiges und deshalb für diejenigen, die der englischen Sprache in ausreichendem Maße mächtig sind, empfehlenswertes Buch. Es ist sowohl eine Fundgrube an Fakten und Informationen, als auch ein Hoffnungsschimmer gleichermaßen, daß es doch noch Journalisten gibt, die sich ausschließlich der Wahrheit verpflichtet fühlen und sich auch nicht einschüchtern lassen von unzähligen Emails, in denen ihnen 'Anti-Amerikanismus' oder auch 'Anti-Semitismus' vorgeworfen wird. Am Ende ist der Informationszugewinn über das, worüber Fisk berichtet, unschätzbar und läßt einen leicht die Mühe, die man vielleicht bei der Lektüre gehabt hat, vergessen.