In the Wake of the Surge

by Michael J. Totten

In the Wake of the Surge is a gripping first-person narrative that tells the story of the Kurds, the Arabs, and the Americans in Iraq during one of the most violent and wrenching periods in that country’s history. Award-winning foreign correspondent Michael J. Totten visited Iraq seven times between 2005 and 2009, first as a “unilateral” freelance journalist without a gun in the Kurdish autonomous region, and then as an embedded reporter with the U.S. Army and Marine Corps in Baghdad, Sadr City, Ramadi, and Fallujah. He was there at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end of General David Petraeus’ “surge” of combat troops to Iraq and saw first-hand how young men from places like Florida and Texas pacified a relentless insurgency—an insurgency that most people, during the darkest days of the war, assumed would be victorious. In the Wake of the Surge is a bracing story of war in a tormented country by a writer who has spent enough time in the Middle East to know there are few happy endings, but who nevertheless was a witness when Iraqis and Americans drove each other to the brink of the abyss before managing, against all odds and at the very last second, to pull back and save themselves from utter catastrophe. Praise for Michael J. Totten “I think of only a certain number of people as having risen to the intellectual and journalistic challenges of the last few years, and Michael J. Totten is one of them.” – Paul Berman, author of Terror and Liberalism “Michael J. Totten…practices journalism in the tradition of morally imaginative, partisan in the best sense of the word, and delivered in crackling, rapid-fire prose befitting the violent realities it depicts. An unabashed classical liberal, Totten brings his political commitments and emotional intelligence to bear on the dramatic events he witnesses. As a result, he ends up far more clearsighted than the many analysts who claim ‘objectivity’ but share neither his love of the region and its inhabitants nor his concern for its future.” – Sohrab Ahmari, Commentary “Michael J. Totten is a one of a rare breed. Moving from front to front, he brings experience and context and the willingness to go where few men dare.” – Michael Yon, author of Moment of Truth in Iraq “Michael J. Totten, to my mind, is one of the world’s most acute observers of Middle East politics. He is also an absolutely fearless reporter, both physically–he has explored the darkest corners of Middle East extremism–and morally.” – Jeffrey Goldberg, author of A Story of Friendship and Terror Praise for The Road to Fatima Gate “A terrific book about a terrifying and beautiful part of the world.” – Benjamin Kerstein, Jewish Ideas Daily columnist "It is extremely rare to read such an accurate account of anything to which one was oneself a witness." – Christopher Hitchens, author of God is Not Great “A thriller in which a daredevil reporter puts himself in harm's way in search of the inside story of some of the most dangerous outfits in the world.” – Amir Taheri, Asharq al-Awsat “Outstanding…it grabbed me so quickly that I ended up lost in it.” – Claire Berlinski, Ricochet

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Middle East, Military Fiction

248 pages, Paperback

First published August 22, 2011

Reviews

[Joe Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fascinating look at life in Iraq during General Petraeus's surge. Michael Totten spent a lot of time in Iraq, interviewing both Iraqi's and American soldiers about what was going on. He lets the subjects speak for themselves in long chunks and reports what he saw and heard accurately, regardless of viewpoint or ideology. From the Kurds in northern Iraq to the Arabs in the neighborhoods of Baghdad, this is a revealing look at Iraqi attitudes and desires.

This book is compiled from essays that Michael Totten originally wrote for Reason.com, City Magazine, his own blog, and other news organizations. It's been edited to remove repetitive sections, but otherwise stands as a very informative look at a very confusing country.

[Michael Hussey · Rating 4 out of 5]

In "The Road to Fatima Gate" Michael Totten was able to bring life to all the competing factions in Lebanon and weave the story into a greater understanding of the entire Middle East conflict. His new book, "In the Wake of the Surge," accomplishes the same within a post-surge Iraq. Totten is a natural story-teller who humanizes both enemy and ally alike, helping the reader understand their motives, fears, and desired end-games. "In the Wake of the Surge" is a series of gripping articles, following Totten into a peaceful Kurdish Iraq, to the insanity of Baghdad circa 2007, into the heart of the Anbar Awakening, and back again. Highly recommended.

[Finrod · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent series of reports from Iraq war during the Surge, ideally read after or before "The Gamble: General Petraeus and the Untold Story of the American Surge in Iraq, 2006 - 2008", but while Ricks book has a sort of more detached, scholar view, Totten makes you meet and speak with the people on the ground. While "The Gamble" is much more detailed and thus sometimes quite heavy to read (unless you're a fanatic of US military politics) "In the Wake of the Surge" is a much easier book to read, while actually describing the same points and reaching very similar conclusions. Whatever your political ideas about this war are, do read this book and you won't be disappointed.

[Thom Stratton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Michael J. Totten is an excellent journalist. He goes "on the ground" in all sorts of bizarre and dangerous places to get the human level within everything. I come away not just knowing more about the subject, but more about how the people involved feel about it.

[Evan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Totten is one of the few journalists writing about the Middle East who actually makes an attempt to understand it. Road to Fatima Gate is better, though.

[Jane · Rating 3 out of 5]

very interesting read - he actually lived in Iraq and spent time with people there, worth reading for those who are minded to wonder what is actually happening in Iraq