A reading list for the wars of the late 20th and 21st centuries in the Middle East.
By no means comprehensive, these books help explain the complex forces that keep the Middle East from finding stability. Recommendations are personal opinion, and should not be taken as expert. I offer them to anyone seeking a deeper knowledge. Authors and/or titles themselves are linked to references and further information.
Although the list contains many westerners, there is also work from Iraqi, Somali, Pakistani, Syrian, Lebanese, Afghan, Iranian, Israeli, Indian and other authors. Many are highly critical of western interventions and conduct, particularly the 2003–11 war in Iraq, and 2001 — present in Afghanistan.
I have focused my attention on a limited cross section of countries experiencing strife due to instability, corruption, under-development, authoritarian and/or inept government - and both Islamist and secular armed groups of various stripes. Turkey, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan, Nigeria, Libya, Algeria, Mali, Egypt, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, The Balkans, The Caucasus, and the Central Asian Republics are worth paying attention to as well.
The photos have more books in them than I will discuss, these should be taken as recommended also.
Feel free to comment suggestions in addition please.
In no particular order.
Fighting Masoud’s War Abdullah Shariat and Will Davies. A first person account of fighting alongside Ahmed Shah Masoud, a Mujaheddin Commander (the Lion of Panshir) who fought the Soviets, the Taliban and other Afghan warlords from 1979, until two Al Qaeda agents assassinated him on 9th September, 2001. Lays out the brutality and devastation of the Soviet invasion and resultant insurgency.
What We Won/Avoiding Armageddon Bruce Reidel. Reidel worked for the CIA for 30 years until 2006 mainly in the Middle East. He was also NSA and NSC and worked in the White House under four administrations. His insights display a deep understanding of the region and the issues. The three books discuss the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan and consequences, the Pakistani nuclear issue, and the Sino/Indian war of 1962.
Pity the Nation/The Great War For Civilisation Robert Fisk. The recently deceased author lived these stories as Middle East correspondent for the Independent for decades. The first title describes the horrific civil war in Lebanon. The second is a masterwork describing wars and regimes in Iran, Iraq, Syria, Algeria, Israel/Palestine, and more. Not for the faint of heart and requires a commitment. Worth any effort.
Taliban/Descent Into Chaos Ahmed Rashid. The extraordinary Pakistani journalist who was also directly involved in diplomatic negotiations in the region. These books deal with the Afghan and Central Asian instability and power struggles. Deep and insightful, Rashid draws connections and has back story that fills out much. If only someone from the US had listened to his repeated warnings on several occasions. A fantastic and even handed analysis of why the US invasion of Afghanistan succeeded militarily, but failed to create a stable country.
Assad Or We Burn The Country, Burning Country, Syria:Descent Into The Abyss — various. The titles of the first two books mentioned are based on graffiti and a slogan used by pro-Assad militia and Syrian security during the Syrian Civil War. Prophetic, and a promise they kept. These also track the impact of Islamic State on Syria. Assad is revealed for the cynical hardline authoritarian he is under all the P.R. The first two are written by or with Syrian citizens caught up in the horror, the third is a collection of essays and reports from staff of the Independent.
Michael Ignatieff, various titles. A compassionate realist, Ignatieff gives insight into the mindset of war, and why it occurs. These titles deal mainly with the Balkans wars, tribal thinking, and the addition of unmanned/remote warfare to modern conflict.
The Age Of Jihad (2016)— Patrick Cockburn. Middle East correspondent for the Independent, respected journalist Cockburn analyses the rise of Jihadist movements and discusses the implications, including ISIL/ISIS.
Armies of Sand Kenneth Pollack. An overview of regional military size and effectiveness. Social science and military history combine to provide insight into the armed forces belonging to various states and regimes.
All good books. Notable titles are The Black Banners Ali Soufan. Ali was part of the FBI unit tracking Al Qaeda prior to and after the 9/11 attacks. Perfect Soldiers Terry McDermott is a study of the hijackers. The Way Of The Strangers Graeme Wood is a fascinating set of interviews with recruiters and others involved with Islamic State, including many discussions with Musa Ceratonio, the Footscray recruiter who worked as the main English translator for the group for years.
Some of these titles deal with the experiences of US (and UK) troops involved in the invasion of Iraq to topple the Saddam regime. Interestingly Generation Kill (also a miniseries) and One Bullet Away are two narratives on a single unit of Force Recon Marines in the initial invasion. Debriefing the President John Nixon is the record of Saddam Hussein interviews by a CIA operative post his capture. The Unravelling Emma Sky details her volunteering for Iraq to help with transition and ending up as senior advisor/diplomat in the CPA. A useful look at some of the difficulties faced by well intentioned people in the chaos. Cockburn’s Muqtada Al-Sadr And The Fall Of Iraq explains a major part of the ‘other side’ of the first Iraqi civil war — the Shia Mahdi Army. Why so many of the majority sect in the country fought the Americans, and then even more viciously against their Sunni brethren. Fiasco and The Gamble Thomas E Ricks is the benchmark analysis for understanding why the whole thing went so very wrong, and helps explain why it remains so difficult to stabilize Iraq.
A collection of books on the first Gulf War, and the trouble with Saddam. Samir Al-Khalil’s (real name Kanan Makiya) Republic Of Fear is the definitive look at life for Iraqis under the Baathist dictatorship. The Continuing Storm Avigdor Haselkorn looks at the WMD situation leading up to 2003, which is useful to know about for context. Odd one out in this shelf is the amazing Small Wars Big Data by various. A massive global military/intel dataset analysis of what works (and doesn’t) in the war on terror with a focus on good outcomes for citizens in war zones. This peer reviewed university/policy community study is now being used to help with strategy, tactics and policy, as it should.
The titles on this shelf speak for themselves. The first one deals with the coup to oust the Muslim Brotherhood from power in Egypt. 1967 details possibly the most significant of the Arab/Israeli wars, and Milestones by Sayyid Qutb is a peek into the foundational Islamist thinking behind so many of today’s groups, written in 1948 by an Egyptian who studied in the US. The one where ‘Baby it’s Cold Outside’ is directly critiqued as part of a denunciation of western media and culture. Killing Mr Lebanon Nicholas Blanford reveals the complex relationship between the Syrian regime and Lebanese politics — and the danger to outsiders, even UN delegates, who try to interfere.
The 9/11 Commission Report is as dense and dry as you would expect. It’s often criticized for not answering all questions. However many of those questions are pure speculation and are rooted in conspiracy theories and built on misinformed foundations. The Commission was designed to explain how the attacks occurred, and why they were not detected and neutralized beforehand. Not to answer all possible technical and obscure questions that may be asked. While it’s fair to say some anomalies are not quite settled beyond all doubt, the suggestion that the attacks were anything other than Al Qaeda striking the US doesn’t hold up when applied to the reality of what has happened prior to and since, in my opinion. Nor do alternate explanations of what took place withstand even cursory first principles examinations one layer down from the claim itself.
All interesting reads, the main reason this shelf is included is for Lawrence Wright’s masterful The Looming Tower. Explains in detail how US intelligence and law enforcement agencies, despite phenomenal work and effort, got in the way of each other and failed to prevent the September 11 attacks. The complete history of Al-Qaeda’s war on the US, and the failures of structures designed to guard against such threats. The book is a must read. The HBO miniseries is a complete waste of time, though (it rewrites fact around events to ‘tell a better story’).
Steve Coll’s Ghost Wars and The Bin Ladens are also highly informative and meticulously researched.
Tom Holland is a foremost expert on Persian history, back to the 5th century BC. These books are only part of his output. His online lectures are also worth a look if this interests you.
Mainly soldier’s view retelling of key battles and engagements. Gives a view into Australian military action in modern conflicts. Sobering and awe inspiring. Australian soldiers are among the best trained, most professionally disciplined, and bravest in the world. These are increasingly dirty wars, and it gets challenging for our best. Current controversies aside, a new respect for our servicemen and women can be found in these pages.
Videos worth watching.
National Geographic and PBS documentaries on regional troubles. Hell On Earth is a visual telling of the aforementioned ‘Burning Country’. The two on ISIS history are comprehensive, while Chain Of Command and Confronting ISIS are a look at the fight against and eventual ‘defeat’ of the group. Bitter Rivals is a look a the Sunni/Shia divide — with particular focus on how that plays out between Arab/Sunni Saudi Arabia and Persian/Shia Iran. The Cave is a harrowing look at life under regime and Russian bombardment in Eastern Ghouta province of Damascus in 2017.
I cannot recommend this documentary highly enough, for the comprehensive look at the region with focus on Iraq. Al Jazeera’s former Middle East correspondent, Sue Turton, narrates the documentary and moderates a studio discussion between Iraq’s former national security adviser, Mowaffak al Rubaie; Ali Khedery, special adviser to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq; and Australian journalist and Middle East correspondent, Martin Chulov.