Middle East Books

Arendt's analysis of the "banality of evil" characterized by Adolf Eichmann is a chilling look into how evil can be systematized, how it can be seemingly bureaucratic, and how normal people can be turned into monsters through law.

This is a great book for anyone interested in World War 2, the Holocaust, political philosophy, or getting really really depressed.

this book arrived from amazon in excellent condition and very quickly, especially relative to other books purchased at the same time through independent sellers.

"It was sheer thoughtlessness that predisposed him to become one of the greatest criminals of the period," political theorist Hannah Arendt observes of Adolf Eichmann, who was in charge of the logistics behind the mass deportations of Jews and other so-called asocials to ghettos and extermination camps during the 2nd World War. The face of evil, she suggests through her portrayal of the high-ranking SS bureaucrat at his trial in Jerusalem, is not necessarily that of a radically perverse pathological mastermind, but instead and more frightening still, can come in the form of a banal and unimpressive caricature of normalcy.

In his testimony, Eichmann characterizes himself as a blameless cog who was only following orders, and even goes on to cite instances where he tried to help certain Jews who were friends of his escape their inevitable fate. His tone is that of one regaling a run-of-the-mill human sympathy story of hard luck, and his telling is rife with contradiction, blanks in memory, and ridiculous cliché. According to Arendt, this "created considerable difficulty during the trial - less for Eichmann himself than for those who had come to prosecute him, to defend him, to judge him, and to report on him. For all this, it was essential that one take him seriously, and this was very hard to do, unless one sought the easiest way out of the dilemma between the unspeakable horror of the deeds and the undeniable ludicrousness of the man who perpetrated them, and declared him a clever, calculating liar - which he obviously was not."

Also relevant for its criticism of the shaky legal foundation upon which the trial was conducted (Eichmann was illegally abducted in Argentina, then was brought to Israel and prosecuted there using an outdated framework that was unable to properly address the problem of genocide as specifically carried out by the Nazis).

This book is very smart, very elegantly written. The questions it raises about ethics and preconceived notions of good and evil are universal and remain relevant to the times. If it were a person, I'd sleep with it on the first date.

A previous reviewer claims that Arendt's book shows the ambivalence of human nature, proving that in effect anybody could have done what Eichmann did. In fact, this is exactly the cynical point of view that Arendt opposes in this, and her other writings. Her argument here is a revision of her earlier position on 'radical evil' advanced in The Origins of Totalitarianism, a position which Heidegger claimed to find 'incomprehensible.' She argues here that banality and "sheer thoughtlessness" (akin to Heidegger's reflections on boredom) are in fact the root of Evil. To put it better, evil continues precisely because of its inherent rootlessness, its constitutive disregard of the world. Thus, the detachment of claims such as "Anybody could have done what Eichmann did" distort her intention. Evil, she insists, is not an inevitable aspect of human nature, but instead arises from an unwillingness to understand.

I am delighted to see this classic back in print. Jewish author Hannah Arendt has provided a wealth of timeless information that goes far beyond the trial of the German war criminal Adolf Eichmann. This review is based on the original (1964) edition.

Arendt (p. 39) gives the readers a taste of the scale of the Kristallnacht (November 1938): 7,500 Jewish shop windows broken, all synagogues burned, and 20,000 Jewish men incarcerated in concentration camps. In common with many others who wrote during the first two decades after WWII, Arendt (p. 5, 11-12) addresses the issue of Jewish passivity in the face of death during the later roundups and transports to the death camps.

Arendt briefly discusses the fate of Jews of some individual European nations. She mentions the conniving of the Bulgarians (with, of course, the implied freedom to do so) performed in order to avoid sending their Jews to the death camps, and the fact that Finland, Germany's ally, was never seriously pressured to turn over her 2,000 Jews to be murdered (p. 170). Clearly, the latter part of the oft-repeated statement, "Not all of the victims of the Nazis were Jews, but all Jews were victims of the Nazis" is incorrect.

Throughout this work, Arendt gives various biographical details of Adolf Eichmann. For example, she mentions that he was a Gottglaubiger (p. 27), a Nazi term for those who had broken with Christianity, and which Eichmann maintained right up to the very moment of his hanging, having refused the solace and Bible reading of a Protestant minister (p. 252).

Arendt briefly discusses Hitler's flouting of the Versailles treaty and his rise to power. While Jan T. Gross has asserted that there were Poles who praised Hitler in the 1930's, Arendt makes it clear that this was far from limited to Poland during that time: "...Hitler was admired everywhere as a great national statesman." (p. 37).

While most recent Holocaust materials focus on the real or imagined collaboration of locals in the sending of Jews to their deaths, Arendt is unsparing in her criticism of Jewish collaborators in this regard: "Without Jewish help in administrative and police work--the final roundup of Jews in Berlin was, as I have mentioned, done entirely by Jewish police--there would have been either complete chaos or an impossibly severe drain on German manpower. (p. 117). She adds that, because of this collaboration, only a few thousand Germans, most of whom furthermore only did office work, were able to send hundreds of thousands of Jews to their deaths (p. 117). Finally, Arendt concludes that: "Wherever Jews lived, there were recognized Jewish leaders, and this leadership, almost without exception, cooperated in one way or another, for one reason or another, with the Nazis. The whole truth was that if the Jewish people had been unorganized and leaderless, there would have been chaos and plenty of misery but the total number of victims would hardly have been between four and a half and six million. (According to Freudiger's calculations about half of them could have saved themselves if they had not followed the instructions of the Jewish councils..." (p. 125).

Arendt (p. 42, 118, etc.) elaborates on the actions of a Jew, Rudolf Kastner (Kasztner). He made a deal with Eichmann in which 1,684 Jews were allowed to go to Palestine in exchange for Kastner's silence before and during which 476,000 Hungarian Jews were sent to the gas chambers of Auschwitz.

Jan Tomasz Gross, who has gotten a great deal of publicity for his books (NEIGHBORS and FEAR), has stated that the 2-3 million Poles who died in the hands of the Germans were largely the collateral victims of military action. Arendt knows better: "...Eichmann knew that right behind the front lines all Russian functionaries ("Communists"), all Polish members of the professional classes, and all native Jews were being killed in mass shootings." (p. 95). "At no point, however, either in the proceedings or the judgment, did the Jerusalem trial mention even the possibility that extermination of whole ethnic groups--the Jews, or the Poles, or the Gypsies--might be more than a crime against the Jewish or the Polish or the Gypsy people, that the international order, and mankind in its entirety, might have been grievously hurt and endangered." (pp. 275-276). Arendt realizes the alternative future: "The measures against Eastern Jews were not only the result of anti-Semitism, they were part and parcel of an all-embracing demographic policy, in the course of which, had the Germans won the war, the Poles would have suffered the same fate as the Jews--genocide. This is no mere conjecture: the Poles in Germany were already being forced to wear a distinguishing badge in which the "P" replaced the Jewish star, and this, which we have seen, was always the first measure to be taken by the police in instituting the process of destruction)." (pp. 217-218).

Arendt praises the Danes for saving Jews during WWII and then, without mentioning the incomparably more difficult conditions under which Polish rescuers of Jews labored, nevertheless gives the Poles their due. After listing some individual examples of Polish assistance to Jews, Arendt adds the following: "One witness claimed that the Polish underground had supplied many Jews with weapons and had saved thousands of Jewish children by placing them with Polish families. The risks were prohibitive; there was the story of an entire Polish family who had been executed in the most brutal manner because they had adopted a six-year-old Jewish girl." (p. 231).

In two words: Read This

I enjoyed reading this provocative heart warming book...The Exile of the Author is a result of what Israel did to hundereds of thousands of innocent Palestinians in 1948...The author is honest and criticizes the Palestinians and their leadership as much as he critices Israel and it's leadership.

Fawaz Turki describes his exile from Palestine, growing up in Beirut, his families unthinking chains to tradition, and his journey to establish peace within himself. Not only does this book educate all of us on the immigrant experience, it is a book that should be read by every Arab-American. It helps the reader to gain understanding of identity politics. This book urges an examination of Arab cultural traditions and makes the point that change with purpose serves for individual and collective enlightenment

I loved this book that I read it three times. It is timeless, enjoyable, and should be read by everyone. It tells the Palestinian story in the most detailed manner. It speaks to all of us and challenges us to shake off our stereotypes and hatred. I learned so much about myself reading this book. It will make you laugh and cry.

In the third iteration of his memoirs, Turki concentrates on two aspects of his life: changing from Arab into American and alienation from the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). In Turki's case, becoming an American is a funny, quite degenerate, and certainly ribald process. It makes for a moving transformation, especially when contrasted with his earlier dislike of the United States. As for the PLO, Turki denounces its "corruption and incompetence" as well as its "tired cant and lame banalities." But don't think he only has harsh words; in Turki's hands, even turning away from the PLO has a humorous edge (indeed, his game on the Arab League's pompous ambassador in Washington is sidesplitting). Turki also condemns what he sees as the terrible traditionalness of Palestinian society and calls for nothing less than a revolution: "the liberation of Palestinian society will only come about when the Palestinians themselves recognize their neobackwardness and begin an Intifada against it." It wasn't many years ago that every Palestinian proclaimed himself a PLO supporter. Hamas and Islamic Jihad first broke the monopoly on the fundamentalist side. Now more liberal elements are ready to tell the world just how awful the organization is, providing details detractors could hitherto only have imagined. In contrast to grudging Americans like Edward Said, Turki eagerly embraces the United States and rejects PLO brutalities; this is a major development. Indeed, his candor and thoughtfulness marks a significant breakthrough.

Middle East Quarterly, December 1994

Lina and Feroza, two young girls from Afghanistan living in a refugee camp in Pakistan, first meet after a frenzied crowd has jostled for used clothing that relief workers threw off the back of a truck. What could have been a misfortune, with each girl retrieving one sandal from a matching pair, turns out to be a stroke of luck as the girls take turns with the sandals and become friends. This friendship helps them to endure the hardships of their daily routines collecting water, washing clothes in the river, mourning lost family members, and caring for younger siblings while boys in the camp attend school. The sandals later take on a symbolic role when one of the girls leaves camp for a new home.

This moving book provides an effective tool for teaching about what it means to be a refugee, how children in refugee camps spend their time, and how the experiences can differ for girls and boys. Although the topic may be weighty and difficult, the tone is relatively subtle and hopeful so as to appeal to young readers. Intertwined with the touching story are valuable economics lessons about scarcity, human resources, wants, and needs. The dramatic artwork and compelling text work well together to make reading this book a memorable experience.

A realistic, powerful and touching children's story that takes a lesson on sharing what we have on a deeper level than most children experience in the States.

"Four Feet, Two Sandals" is a powerful book,
introducing readers to the experience of
refugee children in Pakistan. This is an
excellent teaching tool for having conversations
about sharing, donating and receiving clothes
and shoes, and developing friendships. Bravo!

This book deals with the concepts of friendship, hardship, sharing, and the reality of life for some children in the world. It is sad but heartwarming. The large number of children around the world being displaced because of war, famine, natural disasters and more make this book an important tool in helping to discuss this uncomfortable subject with your children.

Based on co-author Khadra Mohammed's experiences with refugees in Peshawar, a city on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Four Feet, Two Sandals is a children's picturebook about ten-year-old Lina and her young friend who each discover one of a wonderful pair of sandals. Together they must solve the problem of how to share one pair of sandles between four feet! As they wait and hope for their names to appear on a list for a new home, the sandals become a symbol of their fast friendship - a bond that will endure even when one of them finally has the opportunity to escape the hard conditions and live in a new land. The broad brush strokes of illustrator Doug Chayka draw the reader in to the harsh and barren world of the refugees, where positive human relationships are an particular treasure amid the daily difficulty of survival. A thoughtful yet serious picturebook, highly recommended for children's public library and personal collections.

Many other books about modern Israel's pre-state history focus largely on diplomatic relations, or lack thereof, this volume centers on individuals and the experiences that shaped their actions. Here, readers will learn about the appalling violence, and lack of British response, that drove Jewish residents of Jerusalem, and other cities, towns and villages to finally take up arms to defend themselves against Arab aggression and British indifference that bordered on hatred.

The early Jewish defenders formed and joined the Irgun and Stern Gang, which included both heroes and criminals.

In the late 20th century it became PC to term these groups as terrorists, but in the context of massacres of Jews perpetrated by Arabs in 1920 and 21; again in 1929, and in 1936 through 1939, such labels are not quite fair. It was not as if the Jewish warriors actually started the fighting. In fact, they were merely trying to buy land, build schools, farms and communities and rebuild the Jewish communities in Israel that had been limited and oppressed for centuries by conquerors from the Babylonians, Greeks and Romans and finally, centuries of Muslim conquerors--the Umayyads, Abbasids, and Saracens to the Ottomans defeated in 1918.

By 1920, the Jewish people had represented a majority in Jerusalem for at least 80 years. But in the rest of Israel, Arabs had over centuries developed the habit of frequently attacking Jews, whom they'd freely oppressed, taxed and murdered, according to the dictates of their muftis and their faith. Plunder from non-Muslims, after all, belong to Allah.

There was nothing divine, though, in the treatment Arabs meted out to Jewish inhabitants, and nothing regal about the resultant British indifference. It's inhuman to abuse, torment, attack or kill others simply because one has been taught to do so, and can. And how much more inhuman to be able to stop the abuse, as were the British but to stand by and do nothing, as the British also did. Multiply that inhumanity exponentially in 1936, with the British White Paper "prohibited" Jewish immigration to the Jewish homeland, in direct contravention of the 1918 international mandate of the League of Nations. The British were therefore responsible for the murders of millions of European Jews who could have otherwise been saved by moving to Israel.

By contrast, the Jewish rogues and heroes described here had a overarching purpose of saving their people. Without doubt, some murdered innocent civilians in the process. But that was not their primary intent--and many paid with their lives for these crimes.

But over time, the Jewish forces developed a cognitive strategy, focusing on military and strategic targets that could, and if not destroyed would, harm the Jewish population. Their object was not to destroy life, but to save it. And while some innocent people were assuredly killed in that process, for the most part, the Jewish rogues and heroes dedicated themselves to self-defense, not destruction for its own sake.

A fascinating take on early 20th century events in Israel.

--Alyssa A. Lappen

The only problem with this transaction is that I check-off the "no charge delivery option" (as I always do) but I was still charged for the delivery! Something did not work correctly at your end of this relationship. Other than that, the two books are what I wanted and they are what I received.

Knowledgeably written by Zev Golan (a Nazi hunter who has worked with the Israeli police to capture infamous war criminals), Free Jerusalem: Heroes, Heroines And Rogues Who Created The State Of Israel is an historically accurate and quite dramatic history of the Zionist revolution and the events of history that led to the creation of the State of Israel, as well as that fledgling nation's imperiled beginnings. An enthusiastic, deftly written, and "reader involving" accounting of the heroic traits and foibles of the men and women who helped create the state Israel, Free Jerusalem is an enthusiastically recommended addition to Judaic Studies, International Studies, and Israeli History Studies reference collections and reading lists.

Much has been written about the history of Israel. But this book certainly fills in some of the blanks: namely early Jewish resistance to Arab aggression and British occupation.

Special emphasis is placed on the Irgun and the Stern Gang. And that raises the issue of whether the members of these groups were criminals or heroes.

In many cases, they were both.

There were Arab pogroms against Jewish communities in 1920-21, 1929, and 1936-39. One can understand why Arabs might have wanted to attack Jews. After all, the Arabs outnumbered the Jews, the British often did not interfere with Arab attacks on Jews, and many Arabs felt that as a majority, they had a Divine Right to oppress Jews. Besides, it was fun, and relatively risk-free.

Until, of course, the Jews began to fight back.

What is my feeling about the morality of all this? Well, for those Arabs who managed to kill a few Jews and the British who happily allowed themselves to be persuaded to fight against Jewish immigration, I have nothing but contempt. They killed hundreds of thousands or more innocent people who otherwise would have been allowed to move to what is now Israel.

On the other hand, the Jews who fought back often broke the law, and once we approve of such crimes in one case, we've established a precedent. I think people will indeed fight back even if doing so is a crime; I just think they have to be prepared to face the consequences. And some of these Israeli heroes paid very dearly for their deeds.

Given that the Arabs wanted to establish their right to oppress all Jews, they had few qualms about attacking "soft" targets. The stabbing to death of a couple of totally innocent and unarmed nurses is a good example. But the Jews who fought back had a problem. If they attacked soft targets, they would kill a few innocent people, but they would not accomplish much. If they failed to attack and kill anyone, the Arabs would simply slaughter them all. We see how a few Jews initially attacked people randomly in revenge for Arab attacks, but then quickly progressed to fighting against genuinely wicked and dangerous opponents.

I recommend this book.

Before this book I knew a little about Betar, the Irgun, etc. But I didn't know that blowing the shofar at the Western Wall on Yom Kippur was illegal and that every year the British put someone in jail for it. I didn't know about people like Moshe Seigal, who went on to become a rabbi. These are the heroes that "don't appear on stamps", many of whom are still around. For those who are alreday familiar with some Jabotinsky material, this book is focused on the 1920s and 1930s in Jerusalem as opposed to the more well known Begin period of the 1940's. Free Jerusalem definaetly fills in some blanks. The Israeli Army of today spawned from such humble beginnings. In today's Arab Israeli conflict the struggle for Jewish civil rights against the British empire is often forgotten, sometimes on purpose. That's what makes this book, and it's heroes so important. Written in English by a museum director from Israel, the book is fairly thin, easy to read, flows smoothly and can be understood by thsoe with or without a historical background. The old rare photos are great.

I've had an opportunity to read an excerpt (Chapter 15) and I am looking forward to reading the whole book. I've already pre-ordered two and thinking of ordering more to give as gifts. Captain Navarro is a newcomer to the writing world with a maturity beyond his years. His writing "voice" is a unique one - a mixture of a dry sense of humor and colorful, first-hand accounts of his experiences. While in the Islamic world, the phrase 'God willing' invokes a particular meaning, clearly, in the Christian mindset, God has a purpose and a plan for Captain Navarro. God, of course, was able to bring him back safely and turn the Captain's horrific experiences into something good. May God continue to bless him and enlarge his territory in his new endeavors.

I just finished reading Capt. Navarro's novel about his first tour in Iraq. I couldn't put the book down. Eric's writing is clear, detailed and eloquent. The shame of it is that our military and political leaders never learned any lessons from my father's generations Iraq, "Vietnam" and our failures there. You can't grow a democracy and train a new army if the countries populace has no idea what freedom of choice is about. You need to read this book to have any understanding of what our soldiers are dealing with over there. We need more from Eric. We need our political leaders to listen to young people like Eric.

The idea was that we would send over some of our best and brightest military personnel to serve as advisors to train the New Iraqui Army. Now the politicians and generals in Washington who cooked up this operation would have us believe that in the not too distant future the New Iraqui Army would assume increasing responsibility for the security of their homeland. Capt. Eric Navarro, USMCR knows better. After spending eight long months in Iraq as one of those advisors he felt compelled to write a book about his experiences there. "God Willing: My Wild Ride with the New Iraqui Army" chronicles Navarro's sometimes harrowing and almost always frustrating time there. "God Willing" calls into question the wisdom of our mission in Iraq and documents the challenges our military personnel face each and every day to try to make it all work. As Capt. Navarro points out time and time again it is almost always a case of "two steps forward and one step back".
In order to highlight the kinds of obstacles that Capt. Navarro and his compadres in the Advisor Support Team (a/k/a The Drifters) were forced to deal with during their tour of duty in Iraq I will quote liberally from a paragraph on page 212 of "God Willing" which seemed to neatly sum it all up: "Too many pieces were being thrown into the puzzle and none of them fit neatly together, no matter how much the President or the generals wanted them to. American contractors, Iraqui civilians, Iraqui solders--all were mixed together with marines, soldiers and sailors from a multitude of different units. No one person was in charge of it all. We were living with a complete breakdown of command and control in a combat environment." Get the picture? And when you discover that soldiers in the New Iraqui Army are allowed to take one weeks vacation each month to spend time with their families you will begin to empathize with the intense frustration of Capt. Navarro and the others who have had to put their own lives on hold and travel half way around the world in order to try to stabilize the situation in Iraq. In addition, Navarro points to a number of other serious logistical problems that impede real progress in Iraq.
As someone who has never served in the military and therefore is not familiar with military nomenclature I found that some of the terminology in "God Willing" was foreign to me. For some readers this may prove to be a bit of an obstacle to fully comprehending the issues being discussed here. Those with military experience will probably glean more from "God Willing" than the rest of us. Having said that, it is extremely important that the rest of us get up to speed on these matters. The citizenry at large cannot question policies that they really do not understand. In "God Willing: My Wild Ride with the New Iraqui Army" Capt. Eric Navarro succeeds in arming his readers with badly needed information. "God Willing" has certainly changed the way I view events in Iraq. This is a timely and well-written book that deserves your attention. Highly recommended!

After hearing Capt. Navarro discuss his book at length, I feel the previous reviewers have missed the author's main thrust. Navarro is emphatic that on his first tour in Iraq the situation was dismal to beyond hope, partly because of the Iraqi soldiers' fatalistic attitude (i.e., "if God wills it") and their seeming refusal to take any responsibility for their own well being. However, he says that by the time he returned for a second tour, things had turned around more than he ever would have expected and that this improvement was largely a result of a change in U.S. policy. Where the U.S previously had been installing their own hand-picked leaders in Iraqi villages, they instead began working with the village chieftans, who already occupied positions of authority. This strategy produced much better results, and Navarro ended the book appearing optimistic about the future of the U.S. in Iraq. However, he was adamant that the U.S. must not leave Iraq, because to do so would create a power vacuum in the area that Iran would quickly exploit.

The "New" Iraqi Army - quite a concept as told from the fiercely intelligent and jaw dropping perspective of Marine Captain Eric Navarro. As you read Navarro's superbly drawn account of his mission - attempting to transform a rag-tag battalion of hapless and hopeless Iraqis into a cohesive fighting force - you can't help but wonder whether the NIA are really the "New" Marxists (as in Groucho, not Karl.)

Far from the Pentagon and superdelegates, Navarro lays down a brutally honest assessment of how questionable logistics and barriers of culture and language intrude on our neat and convenient notions of democratization and nation-building - where even the basic civics of defecation becomes a test of wills. It would be brilliant satire if not for the deadly serious circumstances. Told by a true patriot, God Willing is an important testament to the real work of Iraq.

Semper Fidelis and Insha Allah.

The book is very thorough in the information it provides. Pretty much self explanatory.

This book gives a good overview of what we know about the Ancient Egyptian culture. This was a book I had to purchase for a class on the subject and I found it quite interesting.

A wonderful book to replace the very outdated and patently racist "Life in Ancient Egypt" by Erman, David's coffee-table book about the worldview and culture of the ancient Egyptians is quite nice. Be aware of a tendency to read certain portions of Egyptian life as "coming from an outside source" (an oblique reference to the outdated "Dynastic Race Theory" that, sadly, still seems to be held to by some British archaeologists). Otherwise factual, useful, and filled with an excellent bibliography.

This book basically follows the same format for the "Handbook to life in Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome" books of Adkins and Adkins. That's a good thing, since I enjoyed those books.

I have significant interest in Ancient Egypt but know very little about it. Most texts simply concentrate on the pyramids and other monumental architecture. This text gives you a much more balanced introduction and includes sections on history, religion, the military, geography, trade and economy, and daily life. It's organized very well. It has plenty of pictures, illustrations, chronologies, etc. There is a suggested bibliography at the end of each section to encourage research in greater depth.

Overall this is a very affordable and user friendly survey of Ancient Egypt that will service students as well as adults with no prior background to the subject.

HANDBOOK TO LIFE IN ANCIENT EGYPT is a very helpful reference and the revised edition gives the most up-to-date information. It really is more like an encyclopedia. It is not necessary to be read cover to cover as such, although the reader can do so. It is divided up into 12 chapters covering 12 different topics. Some of the information, if pertinent, overlaps in the chapters, but is put there for completeness. The chapters are: 1 - Egyptology, Archaeology and Scientific Mummy Studies in Egypt; 2 - Historical Background; 3-Geography of Ancient Egypt; 4 - Society and Government; 5 - Religion of the Living; 6-- Funerary Beliefs and Customs; 7 - Architecture and Building; 8-- Written Evidence; 9-- The Army and Navy; 10 -- Foreign Trade and Transport; 11 - Economy and Industry; and 12 -- Everyday Life. There are also a Chronological Table, a List of Museums with Egyptian Collections, a Bibliography and an Index included.
This is a helpful reference for anyone and is especially useful to the person just beginning to learn about Ancient Egypt.

I wish we could hear more about what is actually going on in Iraq, instead of the propaganda that comes out from the agenda driven media.

Wow, this book just blew me way. I was not the kind of person who loved reading and read during my spare time. However, my friend introduced me to this book, and to date this is the best war book that I have ever read. I would recommend this book to people of all ages but mostly to people who are in high school. The detail given in this book is outstanding and it really makes you reflect upon your life and ponder the freedom that we have, and how it was gotten by thousands and thousands of americans that put there lives on the line every day.

I am an 88-year-old WW-11 naval officer who served in the Atlantic and Pacific war zones. I was transfixed not only by the experiences these heroes endured, but by the mater-off-fact tone of their narratives. At the end of each story, I instinctively turned back to the cover picture of the author and studied the photo trying to momorize the features....portraits of true American heroes.
I was especially impressed by the individual comments about the Iraqui people, revealing them as decent, caring individuals who we would be proud to have as neighbors.
This book should be required reading for every high school boy and girl senior prior to graduation. The overall tone of the book runs counter to the torrent of negative comment directed at us by the American media. The indivuals portrayed in this book make me proud to be an American and to have served my country when virtually every living American supported our military. This book served to lessen my sadness over the limited support for present day American male and female military personal.

Al Kayworth, Author
Abenaki Warrior
Legends of the Pond
The Scalp Hunters
Iceman to the Internet

Maj. Chuck Larson is to be commended for compiling the heart-wrenching, uplifting real-life accounts of our nation's heroes. I believe it will change the way most people view the men and women that sacrifice so much for America's freedom. It's real life... this is not fiction.

You will be amazed at the self-sacrifices, the heroism, the humility and the optimism. Forget what the media is telling you, read this book. This is where you find out what is REALLY happening in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As I read this book, I shed tears for the warriors who wrote the stories -and also shed tears for the ignorant people that will never know what these warriors have done for America and the world.

Do you want to be inspired? Do you want to be moved? Read this book.

HEROES AMONG US is an inspiring collection of first-hand combat accounts by 29 Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Air Force servicemen awarded either the Silver Star, Navy Cross, Air Force Cross, Distinguished Service Cross or Medal of Honor for heroism in Afghanistan or Iraq. Over 1 1/2 million men and women have served in those beleaguered countries but fewer than 500 have been awarded the above decorations. The men in this book are some hardchargers!

The two dozen award winners who contributed accounts for this book range from line doggies to Marine Recon, truck drivers to Navy Corpsmen, Air Force F-15 backseaters to Army Rangers. The group includes career soldiers and reservists. There's even a set of identical twins, both of whom served in Army Engineer battalions who were awarded Silver Stars. Sadly several awards were posthumous.

Some of the battles described in this book were absolutely hellacious affairs, pitting U.S. troops against swarms of enemy soldiers and irregulars all too willing to die for Saddam Hussein and/or Allah. Yet the accounts themselves are related in a matter-of-fact tone, a reflection of each individual's professionalism in the face of ferocious combat. What comes across in these narratives is not only that spirit of professionalism but also the dedication and commitment of each individual to the mission and their buddies.

For a first-hand, unvarnished look at modern combat, HEROES AMONG US can't be beat! Highly recommended.

When I first learned of the Osprey book, I was amazed a the detials and information they provided. For those interested in ancient history it provides well informed nuances of life during that time. As a painter of ancient HO figues, it helps with details on just how they dressed and how there armout was decorated. I would recomment this to any one who wants to get a good brief history for life during that time.

The author (an internationally renowned scholar) sets out clearly little known, and next to impossible to find details of the Hittite army and puts it in historical context. For anyone interested in Bronze Age armies and history this is a must.

Trevor Bryce's HITTITE WARRIOR is written by an expert on the topic and follows the history of a warrior people famed for their ferocity. Their early empire stretched from Mesopotamia to Syria and Palestine: this book examines not only their history and culture, but specifically their battle tactics and strategies.

This is one of the most powerful titles in Osprey's warrior series yet published, focusing on the Bronze Age warriors of one of history's first empires.

Initially known of only from several references in the Old Testament and in Egyptian texts, the Hittites were introduced to the archaeological world through the discovery of their capital of Hattusas in central Anatolia, and now much is known of their history, culture, religion, appearance, and indeed their arms and armies.

The author presents a fresh new look at this topic, revealing that it was not large quantities of iron (which they did not actually possess to the degree of giving all their troops iron weapons) but instead organization, duty to king and country, and sometimes fear that motivated the Hittite warriors to bravely clash with all their contemporaries, including the Egyptians and the barbaric Kaskas people of northern Turkey.

Though Egyptian soldiers gave them the derogatory nickname 'hmty' (meaning women-warriors, because they wore their hair very long), the Hittite Army was a formidable force, well organized, superbly trained, and capable of covering great distances in short periods of time. Just like medieval knights, the chariotry of the Hittite army formed their noble elite, and always sought to clash with those of their enemies. The infantry, who were usually either members of a militia or auxiliaries from conquered tribes, guarded the baggage and prisoners, and faced off with the infantry of the enemy.

Though the Hittites formed a vast empire, they did not get to sit back and enjoy the fruits of their conquests like the Romans 1500 years later. Every year the Emperor had to ride out to put down revolts, and soldiers constantly manned the frontiers for fear of barbarian raiders. Though they were considered much more merciful than many of their contemporaries, the Hittites did not take kindly to revolts; the populations of defeated rebel cities were deported, forced to work as slave-farmers, and were sometimes blinded.

The title follows the Hittite warrior's experience of recruitment, training, combat, peacetime duties, and leisure (which included rowdy drinking parties in frontier taverns). A warrior's experience of life in the Hittite Army would of course depend on his rank; charioteers were much better off than levied infantrymen, but on the otherhand much more was expected of the charioteer. The Emperor's elite guardsmen and executioners are also examined.

This book is supported by numerous black-and-white photos from a modern reconstruction of the Hittites, including noble-looking pictures of the infantry on the march both in the field and in a frontier town, of the Emperor and his chariot driver setting off for war, and a Hittite empress. There are also 8 quality color plates by Adam Hook, who has illustrated numerous Osprey titles on various subjects; these show the warrior in the various stages of his career, recruitment, training, and fighting.

This book is essential for anyone studying the Hittites or Bronze Age warfare, presenting a wealth of information clearly and readably and giving it rich visual support. I extremely highly recommend it.

"Hittite Warrior" is one of the best issues of Warrior series of Osprey. This book, firstly is perfect to attrack usual history lovers as well as people who are only interested in military history. The text, which is rich in every aspect, is simple for everyone to understand yet perfectly informative fort the experts of this subject (thanks to the dominant information of Trevor Bryce in this subject). By using the historical written evidences, and the telling of the events of war from the Hittite archives, Trevor Bryce first ables the reader to understand everything better and then later forms a strong base for the comprehension of the illustrations.
Nearly reallistic and artistly rendered illustrations are in a perfect wholeness with the text. All the plates serve well their functional purpose of illustrating the Hittite soldiers, starting from the recruitment till all their roles in the army. Shortly this book is one of the best visual sources for learning about these fierce warriors of the Anatolian steppes.

This is an important work for understanding the expectations and belifes of the Jihadists. The author does an excellent job using Islamic eschatological hopes and historical events in explaining the mindset behind many of today's current events.

Dr Furnish demonstrates his expert knowledge on Mahdism, its history, and in the end the threats and challenges it could cause if bin Ladin or some other renowned Islamic terrorist were to be declared "the rightly guided one" sent to gather and recruit the Islamic faithful in preparation for the judgment by Allah at the end of time. As Furnish points out, the concept of the Mahdi is not actually contained in the Quran, but rather in a number of the Hadiths which were written separately in the early years of Islam. Furthermore, there is reference in these writings to Jesus Christ as a prophet of Islam, and how his reappearance in Syria will signal that the end of time is near.

There is debate among Islamic scholars which of these Hadiths should be regarded as authentic scriptures of the religion. However, whether authentic or not, going back to the early 12th Century AD and continuing through the last known Mahdist movement in 1979 in Saudi Arabia, these writings have been used to incite violent insurrections against governments, and bloody massacres not only of Christians and Jews, but even Muslims who did not share the views of the fanatic leaders who claimed to the Mahdi. Furnish chronicles each of these Mahdist movements, plus writes about the "Virtual Mahdi", one who has not declared himself as the leader of Muslims to the end of time, but one who may essentially be viewed as such, for example bin Ladin, and the danger this poses for the world.

When one reads the history of these violent movements, full of complete intolerance of other religions and independent branches of Islam, in which the punishment for non-conformance included death by beheading and the massacre of innocents, it seems a reasonable question to ask -- just what has changed since the 12th Century? Witness the beheadings and bombings in Iraq, the September 11th attacks, the attempts by Al Qaeda affiliates to blow up 11 American passenger jets over the Pacific in the 1990's (they came dangerously close to succeeding), attempts to kill the Pope, the oppression and terrorism brought on by the Ayatollah Khomeini and the current Iranian regime, plus the terrorist actions sponsored by Yassir Arafat extending back from suicide bombings in recent years to the kidnapping and massacre of the Israeli Olympic Team in Munich in 1972, and the hijacking and bombing of three western airliners in 1970. While it might not be Mahdism, and the weapons may be more sophisticated, the tactics, intolerance and utter disrespect for human life by this streak of Islamist fanaticism are just the same in modern times as they were during the first major Mahdist movement, by Ibn Tumart in 1130 AD.

The mainstream media and their "experts" on television talk shows often proclaim that we must understand the "root causes" of Islamic terrorism. One of their favorites they trot out ad nauseum is the Israel-Palestine conflict, never minding that the Arab world didn't give a whit about the Palestinians until 1948, and even then it was mainly used as a political tool. Oil-rich Arab governments were perfectly happy to help fund PLO terrorist operations, while expelling Palestinians from their own countries, and Yassir Arafat laundered millions in US and EU aid into his own Swiss bank accounts, while the citizens of Ramallah languished in abject poverty.

If the media, our government leaders, and concerned individuals truly want to understand the root causes of Islamic terrorism, they should read this book to gain a proper understanding of the historical facts. It's all there. The fanaticism, intolerance, and brutality that has been the trademark of Mahdist and terrorist movements for nearly a millennium is documented in detail as a result of Dr Furnish's research. There are a lot of books available on the Middle East and the terrorist threat, many of them excellent in their own right, but "Holiest Wars" presents the topic in a historical context not seen in any other book that I am familiar with. It is a must read for anyone interested in this area.

For most Muslims 'al-Mahdi' is the messianic figure who will aid the returning Isa (Jesus) to destroy the 'Dajjal' (the 'Deceiver,' the embodyment of earthly evil who shares many characteristics with the Christian Antichrist). After the Dajjal's demise the Mahdi will restore the Caliphate as a global Islamic state, bringing a long period of social and economic justice to the world's righteous before the terminal age of the Last Judgement.

Despite widespread Sunni belief and hopeful expectation for the future coming of the Mahdi, author Timothy R. Furnish feels that most Western academics have neglected the study of Mahdism, considering it a chiefly Shi'a phenomenon if not otherwise dismissing it altogether. This attitude towards so important an aspect of Islamic eschatology is what keeps Furnish's analysis limited to historical Sunni Mahdist movements, largely steering clear of those of the Shi'a and that sect's more mystical offshoots (e.g. Bahaiism, Ahmadiyya). Furnish's work here is a convincing rebuttal of much of western Islamic scholarship's conventional wisdom.

HOLIEST WARS is divided into six chapters:
1/What Is Mahdism and Where Does It Come From?
2/Mahdist Movements Throughout History
3/Counter-Mahdist Rationale and Policies
4/The Virtual Mahdi
5/Modern Muslim Anti-Mahdists
6/Conclusion: Who Will Be the Next Mahdi?
However, the book really reads as three parts: The history of the phenomenon. Its present situation and status in Sunni Islam. And the effects that such doctrines and their history have upon the near future.

Although noting that Mahdism has no Quranic grounding and furthermore is referenced in only three out of the six canonical Sunni collections of hadith (Abu Da'ud, Ibn Majah and al-Tirmidhi to be exact), Furnish provides background and overview for at least eight specific Sunni Mahdist movements, albeit acknowledging that, with the exception of the 1979 occupation of the Great Mosque in Mecca, these were often on the geographical, social and ethnic periphery of the Islamic world:
1/ Ibn Tumart and the Muwahhids (Almohads), circa 1124-1269 AD, against the Murabit (Almoravid) empire of Morocco and Spain.
2/ Western India's Sayyid Muhammad Jawnpuri of Gujarat and the Mahdavi movement of the 15th and 16th centuries.
3/ Ibn Abu Mahallah from early 17th century Morocco.
4/ 19th century India's Sayyid Ahmed Barelwi and his various wars against both the Sikhs and the British.
5/ Mid-19th century Algerian Mahdists Bou Zian and Mohammed Amzian.
6/ Sudan's Muhammad Ahmad and his late-19th century uprising against the Khedive of Egypt and his British allies. Muhammad Ahmad is inarguably the most notorious "Mahdi" in history. Defeating the British at Khartoum and executing the British governor, Charles George "Chinese" Gordon, Muhammad Ahmad and his uprising have become the focus of numerous novels and at least a half dozen big budget Hollywood movies.
7/ Mehmet, a Sufi of the Naqshbandi Order, who led a Mahdist revolt against the secularizing Kemal Ataturk's Turkish Republic in 1930.
8/ The 1979 takeover of Mecca's Great Mosque and attempted overthrow of the House of Saud by Juhayman al-Utaibi and his brother-in-law, Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Qahtani.

Furnish details many parallels in these various movements. In addition to their flourishing on the geographic edges of the Muslim world, these uprisings also each share a degree of Sufi influence and appeal to those peole who feel marginalized, living in societies that they see as Muslim in name only, under political systems which they feel to be decadent and servile to the West.

Furnish devotes the second part of the book to contemporary Mahdist thought and belief, providing a detailed investigation into the spate of books recently published in the Islamic world and the growing variety of websites in both Arabic and English that are devoted to this subject. He does a good job of documenting Muslim authors and sites who are anti- as well as pro- belief in Mahdist doctrine. Rather interesting are the websites highlighted here, such as the Arabic "Muntadiyat al-Mahdi" (Gathering [Chat] Rooms of the Mahdi) and "al-Muntadi" (Gathering Room), and the English site, "Mahdi Unite."

The third part of the book looks at Islamist leaders today and asks if any would or could seriously take on the role of the Mahdi. Furnish provides the qualifications as they are mentioned in the aforementioned hadith collections and doubts that the ubiquitous Usama bin Laden would ever dare to portray himself as al-Mahdi. Furthermore, among a great many other things, bin Laden's Yemeni birth and his murdering of pious Muslims contradicts Muslim expectations. Also -and most importantly- there is the problem that the Dajjal and Jesus are missing from the world scene, both are expected at the same time as the Mahdi.

HOLIEST WARS: ISLAMIC MAHDIS, THEIR JIHADS, and OSAMA BIN LADEN is a very well researched, thouroughly documented study on one of the most fascinating aspects of the Islamic faith.

Timothy Furnish has written what will come to be one of the most important books to help us all better understand Islam's relationship to the rest of the world. Furnish discusses the very little understood - yet crucial topic of Mahdism. The Mahdi is Islam's primary Messiah figure - an Islamic global warlord of sorts - the very idea of which adds a much greater measure of danger to an already global threat - radical Islam. This subject matter must be undertood by scholars and those in government as well as Christians or anyone who desires to understand Islam better. It is the first comprehensive study of this subject. It is fascinating, frightening and profound. As an author of another book that deals with some of this material but on much more popular level, I highly recommend this book. Furnish knows his stuff.

No one has a book out there quite like this one, folks. Timothy Furnish masterfully takes us through his unique perspective of Mahdism and its connection to Osama bin Laden. This book was meticulously pieced together by Furnish and his expert knowledge of muslim, christian and judaic traditions and their historical impact in uniting some and violently tearing others apart is incredible. A highly interesting piece of literature that provides a great deal of perspective we can use in modern times. Timothy Furnish's first effort as an author looks quite promising indeed. I look forward to the author's next installment with great anticipation.

This is the first time I've ever reviewed an item at Amazon.com, but I think this book is so special, I had to share my comments.

The illustrations are breathtaking and the content is interesting, easy to read and digest, and through provoking. I love every page!

This book is the perfect gift for anyone interested in history, art, Israel, or politics.

A superbly illustrated history, "Homeland" is a historical overview of 3,500 years of Israel's complex and complicated history presented with the accuracy of university level scholarship and the accessibility of a graphic novel. Exceptionally easy to understand, Israel's history is laid out chronologically with almost every page featuring full color photos and painted illustrations enhancing a superimposed explanatory text. The collaborative effort of Marv Wolfman, Mario Ruiz, and William J. Rubin, "Homeland" begins with the story of Abraham, continues through biblical times down to the period of Roman rule, the diaspora, the Holocaust, the founding of the modern State of Israel, notes its accomplishments, as well as the recent wars the Israeli's have had to wage in order to preserve their nation and themselves. Of special note is how the authors, while writing from a Jewish perspective, have also drawn upon non-Jewish narratives as well, giving "Homeland" an historical context with respect to contemporary Middle East issues. A unique and visually impressive publication which is also available in paperback ($19.95), "Homeland: The Illustrated History of the State of Israel" is a welcome and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, school, and community library collections.

When I was a young child, My grandma Esther would taut at me about my comic collection. She said "Mickey Mouse books that won't ever matter ever.". Those words still echo in my head today. After reading Homeland, I wish I could show this book to her now.She would be amazed


To call this book a graphic history novel would not be an insult. There have been other historical graphic novels that have gone before like Maus : A Survivor's Tale : My Father Bleeds History/Here My Troubles Began/Boxedand Barefoot Gen Volume One: A Cartoon Story of Hiroshima . However the quality of this work surpasses those two graphic novels. BUT after you buy this, get those as well!

However this illustrated story of the state of Israel is more a history lesson for the masses. The text written by Marvel and DC comic scribe Marv Wolfman is not bias nor boring. He may have a jewish narrative, but it is not so heavy handed as most other works out there are. Its timeline goes from the Bible to modern day Israel. Wolfman's words are well researched. It is about a country and a civilization, Wolfman's pen skills takes adult and child alike into history with ease, which is a hard feat for most writers

The dymanic art work and digital images from the amazing hands of Mario Ruiz is a tresure to keep. This is not an illustrated bible, but a painted graphic novel which unfolds into a history that breathes. This is not comic book images, this is art!

Lets be honest, Children bore easy when you speak of history of any sort...In my opinion, I would want a copy of this comic in every kid's hands over the age of twelve. I do not mean just Jewish children, I mean EVERY CHILD! I do not assume they would bore that easy with a teacher's study guide..which i would hope comes soon

And now to the adults, this volume is great for the coffee table set. Nevertheless, take it off the table and read it too. However, I think the art is so well versed, I which there were prints available for framing of some of Ruiz's craftmanship. I hope that comes soon as well!

Everyone is seeking great gift ideas for the upcoming holiday seasons...

so the for comic/graphic novel fans out there, this book will thrill them, just whisper Marv Wolfman's name....

For the history buff, this will intrigue them, it is about an ancient civilization....

For the arsty set, the artwork along will immerse them in masterful images...

For the future Bar Mitzvah boy or Bas Mitvah girl (or their families), this is a great gift to add to their religious library....

For the non Jewish religious ones on your list, the text will still engross them...

And for those who just like a coffee table book which stands out above the rest, this book will suit those

For whatever reason you choose, this book is a gift that keeps giving..So get it!

Bennet Pomerantz AUDIOWORLD

A friend let me read her copy and I just ordered my own.
The story is both enlightening and entertaining.
And the web doesn't even do justice to the graphics. They are even more amazing in print. I think fans of history (both ancient and contemporary) and those who like graphic novels will love this new book.

This wonderfully llustrated history gives a great overview of Jewish heritage and a context for today's politics. A great way to get a grounding in the subject for those of Jewish heritage who missed Hebrew School, or others wanting insight into the tragedies and traditions informing modern Judaism (and Zionism). Would be great for teens, but also for adults looking for the big picture.