Salam Pax : The Baghdad Blog

by Salam Pax

In September 2002, a young Iraqi calling himself "Salam Pax" began posting accounts of everyday life in Baghdad onto the Internet. Written in English, these bulletins contained everything from reviews of the latest CDs, to descriptions of Saddam's brutality. In writing this web diary, Salam took a huge risk. Had he been caught criticizing Saddam on his web site, it would have cost him his life. Salam Pax's incisive and dryly funny articles soon attracted a massive worldwide readership. In the months that followed, as an American-led force gathered to destroy the Iraqi regime, his diary became a unique record of the resentment, amusement and terror felt by an ordinary man living through the final days of a long dictatorship, and the chaos that followed its destruction. This book collects together Salam Pax's writings to tell the story of the war in Iraq from inside that besieged country. It provides a gripping perspective on the conflict and its aftermath.

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

206 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Calzean · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is a collection of a blog from an Iraqi 20 year old before the 2003 US invasion it still is an interesting set of views from a Arab on Western Government's and media typical view of their superiority and belief they are knights in white armour. His humour is best when he exposes the hypocrisy or pokes fun in his own Government.

[Carla Krueger · Rating 3 out of 5]

I knew there'd be a good time to read The Baghdad Blog. A sociopath is the President of the United States and I'm writing a book set in the Middle East. Every time Trump speaks, I sense history is about to repeat itself using his idiotic brain as the host organism. He is so anti-everybody-else; his rhetoric is so full of racism he ought to be done for inciting racial hatred (why is he not?)… So, yeah, I figured it was the right time for Salam Pax.

I picked it up and delved in one warm evening when there was a lull in household traffic and found the writing refreshingly straightforward, honest, remarkably funny given the seriousness of the topic and full of common sense – just like a friend sending you personal emails really. That personal touch, the way you feel Salam is just a mate telling you what's happening outside his front door, brings the invasion closer in a way Western journalists, for all their efforts, cannot. Because they are not Iraqis, they are not the frustrated young citizens of a country Bush and his puppet decided to invade without the permission of the majority of their democratic public and therefore, however accurate*, compelling or considered their writing is, it can never match the viewpoint of a real Iraqi, observing the escalating horror of a conflict he cannot believe is happening on the very streets he's known from being a child.

I really like the way the blogposts in the book start off fairly randomly, with Salam chatting about the music he’s into (Deftones, Aphex twin, two of my own favourites) and various IT projects he’s working on – him dancing around waiting for his code to process is an image I’ll never forget because it’s just him having fun; it’s simple. Then things gradually gets more frightening as the soldiers appear armed in every street, and as bombs start to drop. It is not terrifying to read because it is not fiction. It is much worse because it is real and the danger creeps up on those innocent people in a horribly insidious way. Like, for example, Salam can be sat watching TV (when there’s a signal) and suddenly the whole house shakes upwards from its foundations. He knows the bombs are getting closer to his own street. That is terrifying.

Old anger came back when Salam started asking things I’d questioned on Iraq’s behalf back when the invasion happened, like what the fuck did we do to deserve this? And, why are the Americans saying the invasion is for our own good? The Iraq invasion (not war; war implies they were equally to blame) is a heinous act of selfishness on the part of those in power and this book is important because it helps everybody remember that.

(*The accuracy thing is massive by the way, as you’ll see if you read the book – it's crazy just how many mistakes are peppered throughout Western reporting.)

[Marianne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. I think when I think of the blogs I frequent they tend to be on the more flippant variety of celebrity or fashion variety so it's good to have a reminder sometimes what type of less frivolous things can get be conveyed with the medium. Salam Pax was an internet blogger who became famous due to his input on his blog about Iraq pre, during and post the invasion. He's a 180 from what most people would think of the stereotypical Iraqi - for one he drops the names of 'Western' music into his blogs and in every regard he is a guy you could find anywhere in the world. It's not something you see portrayed very often.

The book was interesting purely from a sociological standpoint as you see how the knowledge that your country is going to be bombed at any moment and how that affects your everyday life and, more bizarrely how it doesn't affect your life. There are some dark moments stated in passing about seeing a man on the street without a leg after the grenade he was carrying went off, or how someone couldn't go out because there was part of a dead person on their lawn but these are balanced by lighter moments as well.

In my opinion it's not great but it's insightful and it's a wonderful thing to see how the world has moved on where, even in the middle of a warzone, we can still get internet coverage of what's going on. A blurb on the front cover says that it's similar to Anne Frank - I don't agree with it. With Anne Frank's diary we had an emotional connection with her and it was the little details - the complaining, the angst, the spoiled tantrums that we were never meant to see because they were in her diary that made her story so heartbreaking. Pax admits that people reading his blog, designed for public consumption, don't really know him - they see the side of him that he wants to portray and that's fine. Maybe that's the modernity of things - more facts, more access but less emotive.

[Krocht Ehlundovič · Rating 4 out of 5]

Immediately as I saw this book, I knew that this is what I want - an insight to the non-western cultures, people and lives. The book is a collection of Salam Pax´s blogs. Salam is an Iraqi resident living and working in Baghdad before US invasion (2002 and on). It is true that he spent some time in Western EU (Vienna), he got a good education and that he is from a intellectual family - but still he is Iraqi, one of them.

Reading his blogs is like browsing Iraqi realities. He reflects all types of problems - supplies, alcohol, Ramadan, music (like I do listen!), friends, US and Iraqi politics. He is not a pro-US or pro-Iraq (then Saddam´s Iraq), he is a patriot - the one who loves his country. His approach to problems is very personal - but still clear and sober. Parts where he writes about bombing Iraq by US planes are emotionally strong, you can feel how it "is" - waiting bombers to bomb your city, your country and for what reason...? Then you spend time with him in Baghdad, you can feel and smell the city. You can even hear his beating heart. His texts are very human.

After reading this book I had to massively adjust my view/ideas of Iraqis! What if there are many such Salams? How strong is a tendency to judge and stereotype people we do not know anything - anything real.

It has been a wonderful experience during which I have broadened my understanding. Thank you Salam Pax. (I can just believe you are still alive...)

[Dave Schumaker · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Baghdad Blogger"

I remember reading parts of this blog during the months leading up to the initial invasion of Iraq in March 2003. The Guardian UK has taken posts that span a range of about 6 months leading up to the war and during the war, detailing Salam's (the author) life in Baghdad before and during the invasion.

The beginning is rather slow and mundane as he talks about various aspects of his life, but as the war drums start to beat louder, he begins to focus more on life in Baghdad and offers some interesting ideas on what he thinks the future of Iraq holds.

Definitely an interesting read, especially with the current events in Iraq. It's unfortunate that he no longer appears to post on his blog. His blog entries and writing dramatically improved over the course of the war.

Excerpt:

November 15, 2002
I know the war is inevitable and I know nothing you said was meant as an attack on me personally - and I know Saddam is a nutcase with a finger on the trigger. But this is my country and I love its people. There is no way you can convince me that a war is OK. I worry about what will happen during the attacks and I worry more about what will happen afterwards. I take walks in parts of the old city and I can't stop thinking "Will this be still there this time next year?"

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a candidate for the series on conflict and resistance in the Middle East that my library is involved in next year.

It is comprised of collected blog posts by a twenty-something Iraqi architect writing in English in 2002-2003, before and during the U.S. bombing of Iraq. The posts are personal, funny, angry, frustrated, bemused, smart... I was fascinated by Salam's voice. The footnotes were helpful but didn't always fill in my blanks.

Given the recent popular uprisings in Egypt and other countries, sometimes spurred by use of social media, this book is timely even though the story is already 8 years old. It is a quick read - check it out!
-----------
Addendum - we did indeed include this title in the 2011-12 Conflict and Resistance in the Middle East learning series. It complements other works we've read (or watched) about Iraq and foreshadows some themes that will surface again when we read Joris Luyendijk's Hello, Everybody! One Journalist's Search for Truth in the Middle East.
http://www.gettysburg.edu/library/new...

[Fadillah · Rating 4 out of 5]

You want an honest, on point and real idea about what really happened pre, during and post Iraq's war? Grab this book immediately. While the writing is unusual and maybe seems a little bit childish, salam pax steer clear from being politically correct. He spoke his own mind and he replied back to those who have been nasty towards him. He is not a fan of bullshit comments of 'the war is the only way that American can granted Iraqi freedom'. You sense his struggle of keeping his followers updated in the blog. To be honest, his ranting over what happened to his country makes people like him in the first place. How he talked about the price of goods can soar triple times, how sometimes electricity and water is disconnected and remain unavailable for more than 5 hours and the list can go on. This is not a heavy, full of facts but a truthful tale from the ordinary Iraqi during the war period.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great book which has been described as a modern day version of Anne Frank.
Salam Pax starts keeping a casual blog on the internet for his own amusement on everyday life in Baghdad at the time of Saddam's regime.
Honest, sometl.imes witty but always insightful on what is going on around him Salam has no idea of how his blog would affect people when it went viral.
This is an inside view of life in the last days of a long dictatorship, the horror, the hope for better days and through it all Pax seems to overall keep his sense of humour and faith that one day things will change for his country.
A great read and an honest account of the brutality of living in a war torn country.
A must read for people who enjoy this style of writing, diaries, personal blog accounts etc.
Well worth the time to take a look at this.

[Angharad Stokes-rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

A gripping insight into war-time Iraq. Unusual in its format (and as such not to everyone's taste), The Baghdad Blog reveals an invisible world to us Westerners, documenting the progression of the UK/US invasion through the eyes of an intelligent, Western-educated, young Iraqi. Sometimes colloquial, sometimes rambling, the blog gives you a real sense of what life was like for ordinary Iraqis both under Saddam's regime and in the first few months after his deposition and initial bombardment of Iraqi cities.

Goes very well with Leilah Nadir's The Orange Trees of Baghdad, which I read first. With out the background and context provided by Nadir, I would perhaps not have been able to relate to Pax so well, nor appreciate his message so much.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Blogging can really be a crapshoot: the writer could be an erudite work of eloquent phrasing or a off-kilter, unintelligible dinkeroo. Luckily, one of the most vocal blogs from Baghdad before, during and after the US occupation is a little bit of both. While Pax sometimes slips into colloquialisms and rough language, he is well-read, well-researched and, above all, desperately intelligent. His posts give insight to the average citizen’s experiences during a modern war, reminding those who are removed from the action that the not all casualties carry weaponry or military ID. An engaging, thoughtful and readable account of the US invasion to remove Saddam Hussein.

[amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

You might be appalled if I tell you that Salam Pax is funny when he writes about his experience as an Iraqi in the days up to and during the Iraq War--but he is. He's so witty and charming that I had a crush on him (which is a shame since he's not into the ladies). I think it's his frank and sometimes comical attitude that makes it all the more tragic when he describes his very real fears--if we as readers can appreciate him when he's lighthearted, we are that much closer to him when he feels terror and sorrow.

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Worth reading even if you know most of what's in it... very relatable. Interesting to find out it broke some news items before the mainstream media had a clue what was going on. The book form kind of limits it since you can't follow any of the links, but I looked up some of the photo links and such after reading it instead and they're still there. Also, when he stopped posting for days at a time, I always had the luxury of knowing he hadn't died and therefor wasn't as involved as the people who waited nervously for new posts.

[Sara]

So far Salam Pax is a really quick read. I'm probably a third of the way through, and although I don't find his posts as insightful as I thought they would be, his writing is significant nonetheless. Most importantly, Salam Pax is his most honest critic- he knows he is not the "typical" Iraqi but that does not make his thoughts less valuable. I am interested to see how the war unfolds in his writing.

...I'll let you know.

[Nazmi Yaakub · Rating 5 out of 5]

SALAM Pax ialah nama yang cukup kontroversi pada awal kemunculannya di laman blog kerana latar perang apabila AS dan UK mengganyang Iraq, kebenaran tidak lebih daripada propaganda perang.
Membaca Salam Pax ibarat membebaskan diri daripada simpang-siur panah propaganda AS/UK atau regim Saddam.
Daripada blog yang isinya seputar masa sebelum, ketika dan sesudah perang, ia diangkat menjadi buku Baghdad Blog.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A completely different kind of book from my usual choice, but extremely pleased I read it. It was captivating throughout and really opened my eyes regarding the Iraq War. Something everyone should read as, without preaching or persuading, Salam Pax's view on the war cannot help but infiltrate your previously conceived ideas and challenge them.

[Camille · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd heard a lot about Salam Pax back during the start of the war but never got around to checking out his blog. He is a good writer and gives a great "witty" on the ground view of this senseless situation. Sad to see he doesn't really seem to blog much these days. Sadder yet to see that America still hasn't pulled out of Iraq.

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the book, it is surely a different and truer vision of the war than that we know from newspapers and TV. I just didn't like the way the book ended, I think a more adequate post could have been found, either before, or after the one that was chosen. As it is, it seems the book was left somewhat unfinished.

[Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite engaging - I was frankly amazed with how much he could get away with under Saddam. I personally find that first person narratives about being in a warzone tend to bring things home a lot more than works of history do (unless Robert Caro decided to write books about wartime!)

[Simon Barton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book detailing the blog of an ordinary Iraqi in the build up to and during the gulf war. really brings home the boredom, the fear and the resentment during this time period. The writer was risking his life to blog about his thoughts. Very thought provoking.

Author was born in Iraq

[Souvik · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a "goodread". Anne Frank's diary of 21st century, one might say. Gives a first-hand account of how an ordinary Iraqi felt during the Iraq invasion. Sometimes it might become a bit boring but the reader has to keep in mind that it's not a fiction but rather an online diary.

[Katie Hurse · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know why this took me so long to read, because it was really short and also really engaging. I couldn't get over how funny it was. Most of all though, the experience of this educated me so much on the conflict in Iraq - really interesting.

[Mike DaRonco · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book that actually humanized the people that we're killing in Iraq. You're also an idiot if you support this war.

[Hoess_c]

This book is something I recommand for everyone to read.

[Charlotte Osborn-bensaada · Rating 5 out of 5]

The failures of the U.S. invasion into Iraq have been chronicled by many, however the postings of Salam Pax provide an accounting that many of us have under appreciated.

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

wish i'd read it when it was live...amazing insights into what we never saw or experienced...

[Bricksta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book in one sitting. Provided such an interesting insight into the use of social media during the early days of the Iraq War and how Iraqis lived during those tumultous days.

[Karen Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

The blog of Salam Pax during the 2003 US led war on Iraq. An excellent insight into what it’s like for the Iraqi people. Very insightful and educational.

[Theresa · Rating 3 out of 5]

The war of Iraq from a computer,, it is great to read! I gives a detailed posting of his entries, compelling!

[Moonie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perspective from someone who was actually living in a City that is waiting to be bombed! Scary, heart rending but so humorously written.

[Russell Warfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating document - both as an account of the civilian experience of the Iraq invasion, and of the emergence of a world-shaping communications tool (the Internet).