Through the eyes of Dexter Filkins, a foreign correspondent for the New York Times, we witness the rise of the Taliban in the 1990s, the aftermath of the attack on New York on September 11th, and the American wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Filkins is the only American journalist to have reported on all these events, and his experiences are conveyed in a riveting narrative filled with unforgettable characters and astonishing scenes.

This book is listed as one of the top non-fiction books of 2008 by both the LA Times and NY Times. Initially I suspected that this was due to the fact that the author had ties to both papers, but the book proved its worth. Dexter Filkins' personal accounts places you in the war-torn countries of Iraq and Afghanistan, and captures the humanity of the combatants as well as the civilians caught up in the war zones. The book is also insightful as to what a reporters life is like when covering a war. I gained a lot of respect for Filkins as a reporter, who demonstrated significant bravery in covering the wars. He wasn't always imbedded with the troops, but drove himself through Iraq, developed his contacts, writing his story in an engaging style. He describes the full spectrum of the war, from house-to-house fighting, Taliban extremism, warlords, soldiers perspectives, grieving families, struggling civilians, the generals and leaders of the war torn region. I enjoyed it more than another similar book about Iraq, "No True Glory", by Bing West.

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A montage equivalent of reportage? All the wars blend into one and I guess that's one of the points the author is making. Despite being quite personal you won't read much in terms of reflections or analysis. Maybe it's an exercise left to the reader. ( )

excellent pieces on the US involvement in the Middle East. ( )

You know what you're in for when you step into a book about the Iraq war after 9/11 written by a New York Times writer. It's going to be bleak, maybe a bit odd, and it's going to be fair. Filkins's book is all of that but what stands out to me is his deft pacing and striking language. While this could easily have devolved into a series of anecdotes, there are thematic guy wires helping the reader stay on course. There is darkness here. A lot of it. But there's just enough light and humor that the humanity doesn't disappear. There's also an adept sense that neither Filkins himself nor the Iraqis understand the disaster that befell that country in the wake of the US invasion. This book doesn't seek to explain or dissect but tells the story of the people involved and how they coped. A wonderful book full of honesty, humanity, and horror. ( )