The Wars Against Saddam: Taking the Hard Road to Baghdad

by John Cody Fidler-Simpson

Book by John Simpson

Genres: Nonfiction, History, War, Middle East, Politics, Journalism, Biography

432 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2003

About the author

John Cody Fidler-Simpson CBE is an English foreign correspondent. He is world affairs editor of BBC News, the world's biggest broadcast news service. One of the most travelled reporters ever, he has spent all his working life at the corporation. He has reported from more than 120 countries, including thirty war zones, and has interviewed numerous world leaders.

Simpson was born in Cleveleys, Lancashire; his family later moved to Dunwich, Suffolk. His great grandfather was Samuel Franklin Cowdery (later known as Samuel Franklin Cody), an American showman in the style of Buffalo Bill Cody, who became a British citizen and was an early pioneer of manned flight in the UK. Simpson reveals in his autobiography that his father was an anarchist. That didn't prevent him from getting a top-notch education: he was sent to Dulwich College Preparatory School and St Paul's, and read English at Magdalene College, Cambridge, where he was editor of Granta magazine. In 1965 he was a member of the Magdalene University Challenge team. A year later Simpson started as a trainee sub-editor at BBC radio news.

Simpson became a BBC reporter in 1970. He describes in his autobiography how on his very first day the then prime minister Harold Wilson, angered by the sudden and impudent, as he saw it, appearance of the novice's microphone, punched him in the stomach.

Simpson was the BBC's political editor from 1980 till 1981. He presented the Nine O'Clock News from 1981 till 1982 and became diplomatic editor in 1982. He had also served as a correspondent in South Africa, Brussels and Dublin. He became BBC world affairs editor in 1988.

Reviews

[Osama · Rating 4 out of 5]

مؤلف الكتاب جون سيمبسون صحفي بريطاني مشهور، عمل مراسلا لـ بي بي سي. اشتهر بتغطيته للحروب والصراعات حول العالم. كما أجري مقابلات مع العديد من قادة العالم وترك بصمة كبيرة في عالم الصحافة.

وله مؤلفات كثيرة قرأت منها هذا الكتاب والذي يقدم فيه سيمبسون مقدمة عن أهم الأحداث السياسية في تاريخ العراق الحديث، ويعرض خبراته في تغطية ثلاثة حروب مرت بالعراق خلال فترة حكم صدام حسين.

وقد تعرض المؤلف مع مجموعة من الصحفيين لقصف بالخطأ من الطيران الأمريكي أدى لإصابته ووفاة أحد العاملين معه خلال تغطيتهم لحرب الاحتلال الأمريكي لبغداد. تم قراءة النسخة المختصرة من الكتاب وهي تقريبا ثلث النسخة الكاملة (في حدود أربعمائة صفحة).


Title: The Wars Against Saddam
Author: John Simpson
Publisher: Macmillan

[Nigel McFarlane · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a history of Saddam's Iraq, from his rise to power, to the war with Iran and the two Gulf wars. It's a reminder of what a very bad man Saddam was, of Western hypocrisy in dealing with him, and finally, as we all know, American superpower hubris.

Regarding the second Iraq war, the book concerns itself mainly with John Simpson's personal account as he travelled from Northern Iraq to Baghdad. I have the 2004 edition, which is a little disappointing because the book ends at the end of the fighting, with a couple of extra chapters tagged on, so the dreadful aftermath and the worst of the US behaviour were yet to come. There are later editions, which I'd guess might contain more material.

Considering that he was bombed by the Americans, killing one of his team, John Simpson is remarkably restrained about their conduct, drawing conclusions only about how careless and trigger-happy the US troops were, their frequent killing of journalists, their politicians' indifference towards post-war governance, and their disregard for winning hearts and minds. Many Iragi citizens died at US road blocks simply because nobody bothered to learn the Arabic for "stop".

[George Foord · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and moving.

[Andrew Cooper · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m bloody sure there’s a typo in this book regarding the date of 9/11.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Believe nothing you hear and half of what you see - in the media. Told with integrity and fact in place of sensationalism, if you'd like an accurate account of what happened/s on the ground start here!

[Eric Pape · Rating 3 out of 5]

John Simpson is an excellent author. Gives an overview of events leading up to the Gulf wars a clear picture of his view the action.
It's a good read but to me a little too wordy and too focussed on journalism.

[Kelvin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Factual, interesting and well written. Altogether a very good book that talks about the life of Saddam Husein and John Simpson's reporting from Iraq. The book came with some interesting insights on journalism and also seems to be quite balanced.

[Bill McFadyen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A readable and factual account of the wars against Saddam and the impact of Iraq upon the world during the 1990s and the 2000s. It is interesting to refresh and remember the main players from Bush to Blair and everyone in between who made decisions based on sometimes weak and mixed evidence.

[Jasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great book. And an eye - opener about all the details that we don't hear about the history of Iraq and the wars.

[Martin Mcananey · Rating 4 out of 5]

great read

[Nicholas · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've not read a bad book by John Simpson and this is brilliant. Covers the history of Iraq, Saddams rise to power, his conduct as president and his downfall. Also filled with Johns thoughts, feelings, experiences and stories.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

// From my 2005 book diary:

Very readable and engaging account of not only the wars against Saddam, but also those Saddam waged against others.

Simpson's unique insight, thanks to his on-going reporting in the region dating back to the days of the Iran-Iraq war, helps lend a new perspective on these conflicts as well as the Saddam regime. The many anecdotes keep the story going and bring the various people to life: from Saddam and his henchmen; Foreign Office mandarins; French diplomats; and US officials all the way to the man in the street.

I'll certainly be on the lookout for other books by Simpson.

You might also want to try (albeit very different): Naked in Baghdad: The Iraq War and the Aftermath as Seen by NPR's Correspondent Anne Garrels