The Great War for Civilisation

Robert Fisk’s The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East is an extended account of the last few decades of Middle East history. Fisk focuses on the events he covered as a journalist, including some elements of a memoir as he describes, for example, what it was like to cover the Afghan rebellion against Russian control. He portrays other historical incidents, such as the Turkish genocide of the Armenians, which he sees as particularly important.

Fisk emphasizes the suffering of the Middle East inhabitants, whether caused by war, tyranny, or sanction-induced poverty. While the accounts of war, torture, cancers arising from depleted uranium exposure, etc. can be overwhelming, they serve as a counterpoint to way most histories downplay the human suffering aspect. Fisk is very critical of most government actions, and his writings will piss off anyone who holds a high opinion of any country’s behavior in the Middle East: US, Britain, Israel, Iran, or any Arab nation.

While I found the book quite worthwhile, it’s not for everyone. Only read it if you have liberal/pacifist views and you’ve already read multiple books on the Middle East. While the book started and ended with gripping topics – Fisk’s interviews with Osama bin Laden and the current war in Iraq – it dragged at times in between. William Cleveland’s A History of the Modern Middle East and Anthony Shadid’s Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War are better books to read first, after which you can read Fisk’s 1000-page book for more details.