Axis of Evil World Tour: An Americanýs Travels in Iran, Iraq, and North Korea

by Scott Fisher

Axis of Evil World Tour goes beyond the superficial coverage found in much of the media to bring a boots-on-the-ground look at three of the most enigmatic, difficult-to-enter countries on the planet-Iran, Iraq, and North Korea. North Visit the tense yet quiet DMZ that divides North from South, one of the eeriest places on earth. Spend time touring Pyongyang, the showcase capital that houses the regime and its elites. Travel halfway across the country to the beautiful "Heavenly Fragrance" mountain for a visit to the surreal, cult-like "museums" housing gifts to the country's leaders, Kim Il-sung and Kim Jong-il. What's it like to live on a U.S. military base during the war in Iraq? Spend two months as part of the Iraqi Survey Group, the international team that was tasked with finding Saddam's weapons of mass destruction. What do Iranians think of the U.S. and Americans? You might be surprised. Travel around the country and take an inside look at Khomeini's tomb, hear about Iran's own fight against Al Qaeda, and take a look inside the secret world of the mullahs that really run Iran. Head to AxisofEvilTour.com for photos, book excerpts, and video clips.

Genres: Nonfiction

258 pages, Paperback

First published December 10, 2006

Reviews

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

My ex worked as special orders clerk at Borders for almost a year and during that time he would bring home books that he found sifting through various publishers. He brought home Axis of Evil World Tour, read through it in one day and passed it on to me. Scott Fisher has a pretty extraordinary set of circumstances in his life that allow him to get first hand access to the three member countries of the Bush Administration's Axis of Evil.

Fisher's background as a professor in South Korea made his adventure through North Korea so valuable to me as a reader. He is able to explain various subtleties in the culture, evidenced by a passage about language and how North Koreans and South Koreans use a different word for "Korean". His "trip" (or rather employment by the US government as a civilian) to Iraq is the least informative in terms of the culture because he never is far from the US held Green Zone. It is, however a fascinating first hand-look at the Iraq war during height of violence and chaos in 2005 & 2006... even if it mostly took place outside the walls of his compound. His discussions of being trapped in the minutia and round-peg-square-hole philosophy of the government definitely give a some perspective as to what our service men and women have dealt with and are continuing to deal with day by day.

The final leg of the Tour is trip to Iran. It is this section that puts the book into the "favorite" category for me because it stresses the difference between a people and their government; a message that meant a great deal to me after living under an administration that I disagreed with for the past 8 years. Regardless of your politics or what you think you know about North Korea, Iraq and Iran - I would recommend this quick, invigorating read for a healthy dose of perspective and information about some of the most isolated countries in a globalized world.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fisher has put together an interesting book based on his diverse range of experiences in the Axis of Evil--his primary experience was a decade working in South Korea, leading him to make the journey to North Korea as a tourist. He then worked for the US government on Korean issues, but when they inexplicably transferred him to work on China (with which he had no experience or familiarity), he volunteered to help rebuild Iraq after the invasion. Finally, he took a 3-week trip to Iran as a tourist, meaning this is the country for which he has the least depth of insight. I found this book enjoyable and worth a read, but there was nothing about his writing style or observations that elevated the book from good to exceptional.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been interested in doing a tour of North Korea for the last few years, so to read the account of someone who did the exact same tour I want to do was fascinating. Fisher further confirmed just how whacked out North Koreans are...which makes me want to go even more. His section on Iraq was the shortest and least interesting, but that can be forgiven by the fact that he devotes nearly half the book to his 20 day tour in Iran. Overall, a highly enjoyable read.

[Liz Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed it. I liked the jolly tone overall, and the pictures added a lot. My favorite part was Iran, but the whole thing was pretty interesting. There are a lot of embittered travel writers these days and Fisher was not one of them. I would love to see a travel book about his other travels like China, or the rarely written about, South Korea.

[Ruchira Wijayaratne · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really didn't read too much of this. I got irritated with the writer's voice and wasn't too impressed when I found out that he only decided to write the book after having already gone to N. Korea (for a very short visit) and Iraq. He only decided to write the book before going to Iran.

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable easy read. Reads a bit linear, "I went here, then went here and then did this and then went here." but the author is insightful and funny which made up for its one dimensional nature.