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Sandstorm
The overthrow of Muamar Gadaffi has been one of the 21st-century's defining moments. This book traces the history of his strange regime from its beginnings, when Gadaffi had looks, charisma and popular appeal, to its paranoid, corrupt final state.Longlisted for the Guardian First Book Award.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2012
About the author
Lindsey Hilsum
11 books96 followersLindsey Hilsum is the author of "In Extremis: the Life of War Correspondent Marie Colvin" (2018)and "Sandstorm: Libya in the Time of Revolution" (2012). She is the international editor of Channel 4 News, and has covered many of the conflicts of recent times including Syria, Ukraine and Libya as well as the Trump administration, terror attacks in Europe and refugee movements. She was Beijing Bureau Chief from 2006-8, and reported from Baghdad during the 2003 US invasion, and Belgrade during the NATO campaign in Kosovo. In 1994, she was the only English-speaking foreign correspondent in Rwanda when the genocide started. Lindsey writes for Granta and the New York Review of Books, and has won several awards for her journalism including the Patrons' Medal from the Royal Geographical Society. Before becoming a journalist she was an aid worker, first in Central America and then in Africa.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
December 20, 2014
What a ride this book is.
As an Arab, I have lived through the Eighties in Syria where Pan-Arabism was the flavor of the day and have visited Damascus International Book Fair sometime in the late eighties where the Libyan Jamahiriya section was a massive expanse with only one book... Gaddafi's green book in multiple languages and it was distributed for free. I picked a copy and was given a portrait of a young Gaddafi in a green shirt to go with it. The book was scarcely read and the portrait, which I hung on my wall besides one of Che Guevara was an intense source of annoyance to my parents. I couldn't at the time, at an age of about 13, understand why were they unhappy about me idealizing a hero of the Colonel's fine caliper.
Years passed and I came to understand more the tyrannies of both Libya and my own country Syria. By the time I have spent a few years working internationally, I resented everything they represented from the lies about their higher ideals to the oppression they inflicted on the people they governed in the name of those ideals.
This book tells it all. It doesn't only recite the the stories of the revolution that ended Gaddafi's tyranny but also the history of him and his family. It tells the story from the point of view of historical research, Hilsum's direct experience and observation, and through the eyes and memories of people who lived both through Gaddafi's time and through the revolution.
The account is strong, well written, and assertive. I love it when journalists write about history because they know how to formulate it in a way that keeps it alive and Lindsey Hilsum did the job masterfully.
Such a good read if you want to know more about Libya, Gaddafi, and understand why even at this point things are not "back to normal" yet.
As an Arab, I have lived through the Eighties in Syria where Pan-Arabism was the flavor of the day and have visited Damascus International Book Fair sometime in the late eighties where the Libyan Jamahiriya section was a massive expanse with only one book... Gaddafi's green book in multiple languages and it was distributed for free. I picked a copy and was given a portrait of a young Gaddafi in a green shirt to go with it. The book was scarcely read and the portrait, which I hung on my wall besides one of Che Guevara was an intense source of annoyance to my parents. I couldn't at the time, at an age of about 13, understand why were they unhappy about me idealizing a hero of the Colonel's fine caliper.
Years passed and I came to understand more the tyrannies of both Libya and my own country Syria. By the time I have spent a few years working internationally, I resented everything they represented from the lies about their higher ideals to the oppression they inflicted on the people they governed in the name of those ideals.
This book tells it all. It doesn't only recite the the stories of the revolution that ended Gaddafi's tyranny but also the history of him and his family. It tells the story from the point of view of historical research, Hilsum's direct experience and observation, and through the eyes and memories of people who lived both through Gaddafi's time and through the revolution.
The account is strong, well written, and assertive. I love it when journalists write about history because they know how to formulate it in a way that keeps it alive and Lindsey Hilsum did the job masterfully.
Such a good read if you want to know more about Libya, Gaddafi, and understand why even at this point things are not "back to normal" yet.
November 8, 2018
In the early months of 2011, the Arab world was shaken apart by the cry of revolutions. Beginning with Tunisia, the 'Arab Spring' as it came to be called as, quickly spread to other states such as Egypt, Libya, Bahrain and Syria. After years of subjugation and repression under autocratic and ruthless dictatorial regimes, the people in these countries guided by the tech savvy and social media inspired younger generation took to the streets demanding for a change towards democracy. This book is an unbiased first hand account of the revolution in Libya leading to the fall of Gaddafi regime written by an able war correspondent who weathered the vagaries of a near civil war to bring truth before the world.
Throwing light on the causes that led to the onset of the revolution, the author explains using testimonies of the most significant stakeholders - Libyan people - how the prevalent corruption and high handedness of the violent Gaddafi regime not only thwarted institution building but also led to extra judicial killings of a large number of common people accused of dissent. The book also reflects on the past incidents which establish Gaddafi as a rogue despot and Libya as a Pariah state using terrorism to achieve its ends. By giving voice to the rebels and regime players, the author has reconstructed the entire chronology of the uprising in a manner which is easily comprehensible to the reader. The book also contains sufficient material which unearths the duplicity of the West as it dealt with the growing protests in Libya and elsewhere such as Bahrain differently; ostensibly to safeguard its own interests in the volatile middle east region.
Most importantly, the book sounds caution as the transition government established after the fall of Tripoli went about carrying out its business. Even as the people were basking in the toppling of forty two year old ruthless regime, cracks appeared in the new government apparatus leaving the all too apparent divisions in the Libyan society for the world to see. If the events in the last six years are anything to go by, one can safely conclude that the warnings and apprehensions expressed by the author in the concluding pages of the book seem to be vindicated. Overall an enlightening book for anyone who seeks to enlighten themselves about the Arab Spring as it played out in Libya.
Throwing light on the causes that led to the onset of the revolution, the author explains using testimonies of the most significant stakeholders - Libyan people - how the prevalent corruption and high handedness of the violent Gaddafi regime not only thwarted institution building but also led to extra judicial killings of a large number of common people accused of dissent. The book also reflects on the past incidents which establish Gaddafi as a rogue despot and Libya as a Pariah state using terrorism to achieve its ends. By giving voice to the rebels and regime players, the author has reconstructed the entire chronology of the uprising in a manner which is easily comprehensible to the reader. The book also contains sufficient material which unearths the duplicity of the West as it dealt with the growing protests in Libya and elsewhere such as Bahrain differently; ostensibly to safeguard its own interests in the volatile middle east region.
Most importantly, the book sounds caution as the transition government established after the fall of Tripoli went about carrying out its business. Even as the people were basking in the toppling of forty two year old ruthless regime, cracks appeared in the new government apparatus leaving the all too apparent divisions in the Libyan society for the world to see. If the events in the last six years are anything to go by, one can safely conclude that the warnings and apprehensions expressed by the author in the concluding pages of the book seem to be vindicated. Overall an enlightening book for anyone who seeks to enlighten themselves about the Arab Spring as it played out in Libya.
January 9, 2013
A very interesting book on the little know history of Libya and Gaddafi. The author has done a pretty good job of presenting various aspects of the 42 years of Libya under Gaddafi which includes all the Western governments and corporations desperate to sell Libya contracts. The books reads like a story which kept me interested throughout. I enjoyed the profiles of many revolutionaries and even supporters of the Gaddafi regime. I was also surprised to find out about the role played by Qatar and UAE in the revolution, two countries which I didn't believe were big players in the region. I think the only area which remained unexplained was the kernel of the revolution, who were the masterminds and what were their vision after Gaddafi had been ousted. The last chapter touches on the Islamist agenda but not to a great extent. This makes the whole book seem like a huge newspaper article which is a common fault with journalists turned-from journalists. At least it is start as much needs to be written about this land and its history.
March 24, 2021
A very, very comprehensive description and analysis of Libya, from the times of monarchy, through the first revolution, Gaddafi's rule up until the revolution against him. Very well written and informative. Also, very, very cynical, showing how despite the lofty words, the UN, US, UK, France... basically evryone cares only for their profits and doesn't give a f*** about human rights violations. I know that there is this little thing called real-politik but there's real-politik and then there's being a heartless bastard and the global community has long crossed that line.
I knew next to nothing about Libya and learned a lot from this book.
I knew next to nothing about Libya and learned a lot from this book.
March 6, 2021
Really good depiction of almost a whole century of Libyan affairs. Full of interesting facts. Much better than I expected.
October 30, 2012
A very interesting account of the real life intrigue and incidents leading upto the Libyan revolution and overthrow of Colonel Gaddafi. Helped me get a better understanding of the region and the times. The book is written in a very objective manner and I appreciated that this let the reader draw his/her own conclusions regarding the people and politics involved. Interspersing history with current events and introducing the everyday people caught in the conflict were commendable factors though I thought both aspects could have been reduced in frequency. The Free Generation Movement was inspirational while Wanise Elisawi's life made me introspect; the sinister undercurrents in international politics as well as the continuing battle between those who have power and those who don't was driven home well. Definitely recommend the book.
June 14, 2020
A ground-level view of Libyan life in the time of Muammar Qaddafi. Somewhat misleading subtitle as twenty percent of the content took place during the "time of revolution" and eighty percent described Qaddafi and his four decades of misrule.
Before Qaddafi, Libya had a king--Idris. There appeared to be some post-royal nostalgia for Idris, particularly in eastern Libya, where attitudes remained skeptical of Qaddafi throughout his dictatorship. Qaddafi took over in 1969, though he pretended throughout his life to have no leadership role in Libya. He was just "the Guide," or Brother Leader, having no title and simply being adored by the people. Actually he was a dictator, sadist, and gadfly. Sudanese leader Gaafar Numeiri, who had worked together with Qaddafi, said he had "a split personality--both of them evil."
Libyan oil money kept Qaddafi in the black, enabling him to launch grandiose but random building projects, massive military equipment purchases from Russia and France, a feckless border war against Chad, and weapons shipments to the Irish Republican Army in the 1980s through Musa Koussa--a top Libyan official.
As far as beliefs, Qaddafi adored pan-Arab nationalist Nasser in Egypt. Libya often follows Egypt's lead. But Qaddafi didn't get along well with other Arab leaders, perhaps because he continuously ridiculed them and plotted to assassinate them. For one thing, he was very anti-Israel supported terrorism on behalf of Palestinian Arabs, complaining that other Arab leaders didn't do enough to help their cause. Of fellow Arab leaders he said, "If I could, I would behead them one by one."
Qaddafi published the "Green Book," a mix of socialism and pet personal pronouncements. His unorthodox views on women did not conform to any culture's, Muslim or Western. He would litter Libya with green, his favorite color--Green Square, Green March, the Great Green Charter of Human Rights, etc. The people suffered from his quixotic decision making, including the 1989 forfeiture of a World Cup qualifying match against Algeria just minutes before it started.
One of the seeds of revolution was the 1996 massacre against prison inmates at Abu Salim, who had carried out a prison riot for better treatment. The officials pretended to enter good faith negotiations with the inmates, then murdered them en masse. The widows and mothers of the victims long petitioned for justice, serving as one of the few elements of public activism against Qaddafi's policies.
Qaddafi's history of sponsoring terrorism and abusing his own people hadn't won him much support internationally. But against the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), an Al Qaeda partner focused on a jihadist takeover of Libya, the West and Qaddafi discovered a shared interest after 9/11 against a common foe. Qaddafi turned over his chemical weapons in 2003 and agreed to compensation (but not a confession) for the victims of the Lockerbie airplane explosion in exchange for American & British support and a suspension of UN sanctions.
But attitudes changed once again as the Arab Spring began and Western powers feared massacres by Qaddafi against his people. This book lightly touched on the political decisions in London, DC, Paris, Rome, and Berlin to intervene in the Libya. European powers worried about a refugee crisis and a Bosnian-style massacres. Ghosts of Rawanda and Darfur impelled Susan Rice and Samantha Power to push Hillary Clinton for American involvement, leading to a UN resolution imposing a no-fly zone and the authorization of "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians.
The international component of the war appears to have been waged mostly from American ships firing cruise missiles from the Gulf, French fighter jets overhead, Qatari supplies, and dozens of British special forces operating in secret on the ground. It took a while before the mostly leaderless rebels were able to coordinate with Western powers to win battles and territory as Qadaffi's government disintegrated. The attack against the American ambassador and facilities in September 2012 occurred after publication of this book.
I wish this book had been arranged differently. As in, chronologically. It jumped around too much between decades. Even within the main year 2011, when the revolution began and Qaddafi was killed, we got the month-by-month account, but some events from prior months would suddenly be described as background for a more recent event, but there weren't enough time markers to tell when certain events actually occurred. A more linear account would have helped.
But the content was strong because of the personalized accounts of Libyans conveyed by the author, a journalist. Sandstorm does not opine on whether the mismanagement, chaos, and violent score-settling created during the power vacuum that followed Qaddafi's death were just unfortunate outcomes or whether better planning and coordination could have saved Libyan lives and society. Nevertheless, readers in countries that participated in Qaddafi's ouster should read at least one book about Libya to help judge for themselves whether intervention was appropriate.
Before Qaddafi, Libya had a king--Idris. There appeared to be some post-royal nostalgia for Idris, particularly in eastern Libya, where attitudes remained skeptical of Qaddafi throughout his dictatorship. Qaddafi took over in 1969, though he pretended throughout his life to have no leadership role in Libya. He was just "the Guide," or Brother Leader, having no title and simply being adored by the people. Actually he was a dictator, sadist, and gadfly. Sudanese leader Gaafar Numeiri, who had worked together with Qaddafi, said he had "a split personality--both of them evil."
Libyan oil money kept Qaddafi in the black, enabling him to launch grandiose but random building projects, massive military equipment purchases from Russia and France, a feckless border war against Chad, and weapons shipments to the Irish Republican Army in the 1980s through Musa Koussa--a top Libyan official.
As far as beliefs, Qaddafi adored pan-Arab nationalist Nasser in Egypt. Libya often follows Egypt's lead. But Qaddafi didn't get along well with other Arab leaders, perhaps because he continuously ridiculed them and plotted to assassinate them. For one thing, he was very anti-Israel supported terrorism on behalf of Palestinian Arabs, complaining that other Arab leaders didn't do enough to help their cause. Of fellow Arab leaders he said, "If I could, I would behead them one by one."
Qaddafi published the "Green Book," a mix of socialism and pet personal pronouncements. His unorthodox views on women did not conform to any culture's, Muslim or Western. He would litter Libya with green, his favorite color--Green Square, Green March, the Great Green Charter of Human Rights, etc. The people suffered from his quixotic decision making, including the 1989 forfeiture of a World Cup qualifying match against Algeria just minutes before it started.
One of the seeds of revolution was the 1996 massacre against prison inmates at Abu Salim, who had carried out a prison riot for better treatment. The officials pretended to enter good faith negotiations with the inmates, then murdered them en masse. The widows and mothers of the victims long petitioned for justice, serving as one of the few elements of public activism against Qaddafi's policies.
Qaddafi's history of sponsoring terrorism and abusing his own people hadn't won him much support internationally. But against the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), an Al Qaeda partner focused on a jihadist takeover of Libya, the West and Qaddafi discovered a shared interest after 9/11 against a common foe. Qaddafi turned over his chemical weapons in 2003 and agreed to compensation (but not a confession) for the victims of the Lockerbie airplane explosion in exchange for American & British support and a suspension of UN sanctions.
But attitudes changed once again as the Arab Spring began and Western powers feared massacres by Qaddafi against his people. This book lightly touched on the political decisions in London, DC, Paris, Rome, and Berlin to intervene in the Libya. European powers worried about a refugee crisis and a Bosnian-style massacres. Ghosts of Rawanda and Darfur impelled Susan Rice and Samantha Power to push Hillary Clinton for American involvement, leading to a UN resolution imposing a no-fly zone and the authorization of "all necessary measures" to protect Libyan civilians.
The international component of the war appears to have been waged mostly from American ships firing cruise missiles from the Gulf, French fighter jets overhead, Qatari supplies, and dozens of British special forces operating in secret on the ground. It took a while before the mostly leaderless rebels were able to coordinate with Western powers to win battles and territory as Qadaffi's government disintegrated. The attack against the American ambassador and facilities in September 2012 occurred after publication of this book.
I wish this book had been arranged differently. As in, chronologically. It jumped around too much between decades. Even within the main year 2011, when the revolution began and Qaddafi was killed, we got the month-by-month account, but some events from prior months would suddenly be described as background for a more recent event, but there weren't enough time markers to tell when certain events actually occurred. A more linear account would have helped.
But the content was strong because of the personalized accounts of Libyans conveyed by the author, a journalist. Sandstorm does not opine on whether the mismanagement, chaos, and violent score-settling created during the power vacuum that followed Qaddafi's death were just unfortunate outcomes or whether better planning and coordination could have saved Libyan lives and society. Nevertheless, readers in countries that participated in Qaddafi's ouster should read at least one book about Libya to help judge for themselves whether intervention was appropriate.
October 5, 2026
Last pages of this book have several photos, Gaddafi with world leaders, Gaddafi on holidays with his family, the author riding into Tripoli in the back of a pick-up with a group of rebels the day following the city's fall, average Libyans who took role in the revolution one way or another: as a radical waging jihad against Gaddafi after receiving training in the same camps as Osama bin Laden's fighters or as an IT student raised in London and never actually living in Libya up until the revolution. The book is built on first hand testimonies, which paint a vivid picture of life under the regime, of hopes and fears of Libyan people during the 42 years of Gaddafi's rule, and later during the Arab spring.
Gaddafi's Libya was not like any other state, he came to power as a 27 years old officer, and he built a state around "quasi-socialist, quasi-religious, idiosyncratic and shifting ideology". He invented the word jamahiriya, meaning "state of the masses" or "peopledom" to then govern this state as a sole erratic totalitarian dictator, "Brother Leader":
He went through pan-Arabism, pan-Africanism, anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism, waging terror in 80s and fighting terror after September 11, he supported financially the Palestinian question by funding "a myriad of Palestinian groups that plotted against the PLO and each other—and probably did more to undermine the Palestinian cause than any of Israel’s actions at the time."
The non-linear narrative and large number of protagonists, made it hard to follow at times, but overall, I enjoyed geo-political, cultural, and human levels of the historical events described in the book.
Gaddafi's Libya was not like any other state, he came to power as a 27 years old officer, and he built a state around "quasi-socialist, quasi-religious, idiosyncratic and shifting ideology". He invented the word jamahiriya, meaning "state of the masses" or "peopledom" to then govern this state as a sole erratic totalitarian dictator, "Brother Leader":
The ministries were parallel, and at times overlapping, centers of power. Multiple intelligence services reported directly to Gaddafi and operated independently from the police. Gaddafi had destroyed the private sector in the 1970s, and now the businesses that thrived were monopolies owned by his sons and other relatives, and by cronies. Libya didn’t even have a president with defined powers—Gaddafi denied that he held any official position at all, pretending that power resided with the people. He ruled by an unwritten personal decree.
He went through pan-Arabism, pan-Africanism, anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism, waging terror in 80s and fighting terror after September 11, he supported financially the Palestinian question by funding "a myriad of Palestinian groups that plotted against the PLO and each other—and probably did more to undermine the Palestinian cause than any of Israel’s actions at the time."
Muammar Gaddafi’s four-decade-long zigzag trajectory from enemy to friend and back to enemy again has no parallel in modern history. In 1986, U.S. president Ronald Reagan called him a “mad dog” and bombed his compound. Eighteen years later British prime minister Tony Blair praised him as a leader who wanted to make “common cause with us against Al Qaeda, extremists and terrorism” and shook hands in his ceremonial tent. “Old hostilities do not need to go on forever,” added U.S. president George W. Bush.
The non-linear narrative and large number of protagonists, made it hard to follow at times, but overall, I enjoyed geo-political, cultural, and human levels of the historical events described in the book.
April 27, 2023
Poorly narrated account of the Rise and Fall of Libyan dictator General Muammar Gaddafi, the 'Falcon of Africa', what otherwise could have been a very interesting memoir. The chronology was a wasted opportunity and the storytelling was like a report rather than an account, considering so many sources had contributed either as firsthand commentaries, or quoted.
The timelines kept mixing and the interesting details of the end were unceremoniously given away just like that.
At the end, the death of Gaddafi isn't mentioned at all, and the reader has to do with whatever is told about it at the beginning of the book in the first few pages.
However, the book covers everything in facts, including the very interesting idiosyncrasies of the dictator.
The timelines kept mixing and the interesting details of the end were unceremoniously given away just like that.
At the end, the death of Gaddafi isn't mentioned at all, and the reader has to do with whatever is told about it at the beginning of the book in the first few pages.
However, the book covers everything in facts, including the very interesting idiosyncrasies of the dictator.
August 14, 2018
This gripping account of the Libyan revolution brings its chaos and violence to life, but the 'live on the street' narrative style fails to consistently provide a context for the action or a coherent timeline. In contrast, the circumstances of Qaddafi's rise to power and the major events that marked his four decades of idiosyncratic rule are described in the manner of a conventional history. While I learned a lot about Libya from this book, it left me with more questions than answers. In a sense, that characteristic provides the greatest insight into the Libyan revolution which is an event still in search of its ultimate meaning. Libya emerged from forty-two years of bizarre autocracy and promptly fractured into a patchwork of tribal fiefdoms. It still remains to be seen whether it will ever coalesce into a modern state.
November 26, 2018
I laid my eyes on the cover of this book on my first day working in Tunis for the Libya mission of a UN agency, and have been wanting to read it ever since to get a better understanding of a country I first got to know through tv reporting in 2011. This book succeeded in presenting a complex modern history of Libya, weaving together multiple dimensions – including tribal relations, shifting loyalties with Arab, African and Western countries, and Qaddafi family politics - leading to the downfall of the regime.
Contextualized within historical backgrounds and coupled with Hilsum’s observations while reporting on the onset, progress, and aftermath of the revolution, the mayor strength of the book is that it is narrated through the eyes and memories of ordinary Libyans. It therefore comprises a rich collection of different human histories of Libya, but also - although less prominently - presenting perspectives of those loyal to the regime. It is particularly these stories and fragments "We're a family country - that's how it works in Libya" that probably taught me more about Libya than any academic article could do. It is an achievement worth noticing that while the richness in detail and the shifts back and forth in time ask for dedication, at no point does this limit the accessibility of the book, even for those unacquainted with Libyan history.
Contextualized within historical backgrounds and coupled with Hilsum’s observations while reporting on the onset, progress, and aftermath of the revolution, the mayor strength of the book is that it is narrated through the eyes and memories of ordinary Libyans. It therefore comprises a rich collection of different human histories of Libya, but also - although less prominently - presenting perspectives of those loyal to the regime. It is particularly these stories and fragments "We're a family country - that's how it works in Libya" that probably taught me more about Libya than any academic article could do. It is an achievement worth noticing that while the richness in detail and the shifts back and forth in time ask for dedication, at no point does this limit the accessibility of the book, even for those unacquainted with Libyan history.
July 3, 2021
Good book to gain better understanding of the Arab Spring events and time line, while also painting a picture of the history of Libya under the rule of Muammar Gaddafi.
My only question is; where are the reporters now in the United States? Seems they had no problem reporting on Libya during the Arab Spring uprisings. Yet here in America they're nothing more than political apparatchiks for progressive woke bs.
This statement isn't aimed at Lindsy Hilsum as I don't know about her specifically, it's a generalization comparing then and now as I see it. Political propaganda has taken hold yet we know there are people who see it for what it is.
Ask the people of Libya how it worked out for them?
My only question is; where are the reporters now in the United States? Seems they had no problem reporting on Libya during the Arab Spring uprisings. Yet here in America they're nothing more than political apparatchiks for progressive woke bs.
This statement isn't aimed at Lindsy Hilsum as I don't know about her specifically, it's a generalization comparing then and now as I see it. Political propaganda has taken hold yet we know there are people who see it for what it is.
Ask the people of Libya how it worked out for them?
April 5, 2024
I picked up this book pretty much on a whim, and I am glad I did. I vaguely remember hearing about the events of the Arab Spring on the news in 2011; being in high school then, I did not pay a whole lot of attention, but wow, it is apparently fascinating to read about. I'm going to have to explore more.
This is a captivating book that shifts seamlessly between the big-picture facts of the Libyan revolution and personal accounts from the people who lived it. There are heartbreaking stories of families broken up by Gaddafi's tyranny, heroic tales of those who dared resist him, and page-turning excitement in the struggle to oust him from power. One of the better on-a-whim reads I've done in a while; you won't regret picking it up.
This is a captivating book that shifts seamlessly between the big-picture facts of the Libyan revolution and personal accounts from the people who lived it. There are heartbreaking stories of families broken up by Gaddafi's tyranny, heroic tales of those who dared resist him, and page-turning excitement in the struggle to oust him from power. One of the better on-a-whim reads I've done in a while; you won't regret picking it up.
April 16, 2021
Interesting and exciting look back on the Arab Spring in Lybia. Having followed events on the news as a teen it was interesting to have a more nuanced and deep look into what actually happened. Negatives: I would have liked to see more about Ghadaffi, especially in terms of his ideology which I find this book didn't manage to make clear. The book could at times be a bit disjointed with lots of forward and back between dates. It moreover lacked a conclusion and a critical look at what the situation is currently like.
June 19, 2024
I has this book with me since a long time but i had not read it,
it is a nice book or a book about Libya and its history by an american journalist who is called Lindsey Hilsum,
i enjoyed reading it,
it is actually about the leader of Libya Muammar Gaddafi,
and this women is actually a reporter who goes to many countries and she also goes to Libya where she covers the war and destruction,
she works for channel 4 news!.
it is about how he Libyan leader tortures people in prisons etc!.
it is about how notorious he was and about how people were sick of him and about his death in the end!.
it is a nice book or a book about Libya and its history by an american journalist who is called Lindsey Hilsum,
i enjoyed reading it,
it is actually about the leader of Libya Muammar Gaddafi,
and this women is actually a reporter who goes to many countries and she also goes to Libya where she covers the war and destruction,
she works for channel 4 news!.
it is about how he Libyan leader tortures people in prisons etc!.
it is about how notorious he was and about how people were sick of him and about his death in the end!.
Read
July 8, 2022i find it hard to rate academic books especially when it’s about the politics and history of a country I learn about everyday through my internship and dissertation research, but it was very interesting! i liked the fact that it focused on the profiles of people involved in pre revolutionary Libya, and the historical facts weren’t explained with too scientific terms from academia so i definitely recommend to people wanting to get introducing to fascinating libyan politics :)
August 25, 2018
I came to this late, so the fault lies with me that I found the book dated. Hilsum has still done an admirably thorough job of pulling together the messy threads that were the early days of Libya's revolution.
July 23, 2022
Interesting to learn about some of what was happening in the lead up to the death of Gaddafi. So many names, places and groups at times it was confusing. Either way the book provides some context for the eventual revolution.
May 22, 2020
Very Good book on the rise and and fall of the Gaddafi Regime.
December 18, 2021
I really need to stop reading these books by female journalists on the middle east they all end up blurring together
March 23, 2023
Excellent read.
September 18, 2016
Journalists really know how to write vividly. I found this a really accessible way to wrap my head around this giant mess of a country. At times Hilsum prioritized themes over chronology (a timeline might not have been a bad addition to the front of the book, with a map, perhaps?) There were only a few times where that made me squint and read more carefully, though. Overall, it's a terrific work of Arab Spring documentary. The edition I read I had an epilogue noting the 2012 death of Ambassador Stevens and how that added yet another ambiguous and messy facet to the country's problems; it does end well before the internal strife of 2014-present, but you can see much, much easier how it fell into that conflict, how those seeds were sown.
May 18, 2019
Lindsey Hilsum competently and relentlessly weaves through a long series of horror stories and facts related the 40-year reign of Gaddafi, and then the heroics of many ordinary Libyans during the final civil war. She lets the reader decide the right and wrongs, most of which appear obvious, but some (like the West’s pirouetting over the years, his son Saif’s attempts to de-radicalise Libyan dissidents in the first decade of this century, and a number of Gaddafi’s own attempts to improve his country) demand reflection. This is a wonderfully readable book that convincingly puts paid to those who would maintain that democracy is not for everyone.
November 4, 2012
Having lived in Libya 2009-2010, I found the author's insights quite accurate. I knew personally had be-friended several of her on-going interviewees.
Read
December 21, 2012Compelling and riveting account of the Libyan revolution which finally brought an end to the brutal dictatorship of Ghaddafi.
June 5, 2013
A good written book, well researched and an insightful look at Libyan cultures and politics.
August 24, 2014
Brilliant.
Depressing.
Depressing.
October 27, 2014
Intriguing.
September 15, 2015
Good insight on the Libyan revolution and why many chose to risk their lives to rise up.. enough is enough!
April 16, 2016
Well written book. Gripping and gives an insight into the revolution. Informative reportage while not making any judgement. Must read
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews