Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq

by Riverbend

"In August 2003 a young Iraqi blogger began reporting her experiences as a civilian observer in Baghdad. Calling herself Riverbend, she has offered searing eyewitness accounts of daily life in the war zone and has garnered a worldwide audience hungry for unfiltered news and fresh analysis." "Riverbend's blog, Baghdad Burning, collected here for the first time, responds to events both personal and political - from the impact on her family of the invasion's aftermath to the Abu Ghraib prison abuses. She reveals for us most sharply the fate of Iraqi women, whose rights and freedoms are falling victim to rising fundamentalisms." Describing the reality of regime change in Iraq in a voice at turns outraged, witty, and deeply moving, Riverbend is a witness to the recent events that are shaping the future of her homeland.

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

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005

About the author

Riverbend is the pseudonymous author of the blog Baghdad Burning, launched August 17, 2003. Riverbend's identity is carefully hidden, but the weblog entries suggest that Riverbend is a young Iraqi woman from a mixed Shia and Sunni family, living with her parents and brother in Baghdad. Before the United States occupation of Iraq she was a computer programmer. She writes in an idiomatic English with, as James Ridgeway notes in the introduction to the Feminist Press edition of her work, "a slight American inflection." The blog combines political statements with a large dose of Iraqi cultural information, such as the celebration of Ramadhan and examples of Iraqi cuisine. In March 2006, her website received the Bloggie award for Best Middle East and Africa blog.

On 26 April 2007 Riverbend announced that she and her family would be leaving Iraq, owing to the lack of security in Baghdad and the ongoing violence there. On September 6, 2007 she reported that she has arrived safely in Syria. Her last entry was in October, 2007.

Her weblog entries were first collected and published as Baghdad Burning, ISBN 978-1-55861-489-5 (with a foreword by investigative journalist James Ridgeway)[1], and Baghdad Burning II, ISBN 978-1-55861-529-8, (also with an introduction by James Ridgeway and Jean Casella)[2]. They have since been translated and published in numerous countries and languages. In 2005, the book, Baghdad Burning, won third place for the Lettre Ulysses Award for the Art of Reportage and in 2006 it was shortlisted for the Samuel Johnson prize.[3][4]

Baghdad Burning has also been made into several dramatic plays, mostly produced in New York City. BBC Radio 4 broadcast a five-episode dramatisation of her blog, "Baghdad Burning", on the "Woman's Hour" Serial, on each day from the 18th of December, 2006 until the 22nd of December, 2006.

Reviews

[Tulara · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you want to look behind the so-called media of the United States and find out about the war, read this book. It is written by a woman living in the war zone - along with her family and neighbors. She wrote blogs almost daily - this is a collection of her blogs.
She and her brother watch from their building's roof top as soldiers raid houses, Apache gunships fill the air with bullets and death, neighbors are taken away for "questioning" and never seen again and a man disappears on the way across the city to visit his elderly parents (found months later in a makeshift grave next to his bombed out car in another neighborhood).
Iraq was a thriving culture with colleges, women working along with men in corporations, large and small with the country's nfrastructure designed by their own engineers. Most people had televisions, dvd players, phones, etc. Public colleges were free. And then George Bush came and declared war on the country - based on lies. Our U.S. rallying cry was based on falsehoods and a grab for oil.
She lets us see/hear/smell the horror of war at her door.
She gives us a first-hand account we cannot ignore. It is a powerful read and a decidedly serious one.

Update: I finished the book. It's one of those - can't put it down - but hate to finish it too quickly because then it will be over. I read one reviewer that said although Riverbend was giving an account of what was happening to her, it wasn't representative of what is happening in Iraq. Huh? Our occupation put that country - city or rural back 50-75 years by bombing, shooting, looting - all done in the name of "democracy."
If you would take one moment and put yourself in Riverbend's life - so I live in Georgia. If a foreign government invaded my country, installed "puppets" with a history of stealing and self-promoting at the expense of the country, took over our streets, shot civilians, bombed public shelters with women and children inside, bombed the shops where we buy food, shut off electricity for hours or days at a time, prevented us from walking down the street to visit relatives, shell-shocked us with daily/hourly explosions - we'd fight it also. We had no reason to invade - now we know that and we are still there. It's deplorable that we go on with our "does-sandra-bullock-have-her-wedding-ring-on" lives while our government is acting in our name committing these acts against a majority of people who just want to live their lives.
It's like - how can you know it's happening and ignore it?
You can't.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a hard time talking about American involvement in the Middle East. I’m not sure whether it’s too soon or simply too enraging for me to discuss in any rational, diplomatic manner, but whatever the reason, I avoid the subject in my daily conversation to prevent embroiled emotional battles with friends and foe alike.

Suffice it to say that I despise everything about the Bush-era tactics (and, somewhat less, the Obama approach) in the Middle East and this book was a haunting reminder of the atrocities we’ve committed— and continue to commit— as a country.

Contrary to the puppy-dog and rainbow propaganda that we’re being fed by a corporate-owned news media, our presence in Iraq— and other occupied countries, I’m sure— is far from the “liberating” and “democracy-delivering” experience that we’re so ignorantly convinced it is. While there are no doubt supporters of the American regime in the Middle East, I think the majority, if given the opportunity, would probably opt out of the constant bombings and ransacking of their homes and communities; the unjustified detentions, torture, and murders of loved ones; the missile bombardments that threaten their existence every moment of every day.

Riverbend is a thoughtful and intelligent woman and I commend her for so thoroughly documenting an experience that will no doubt haunt her for the rest of her life. Armed with facts, rage, and an admirable sense of humor, she brings a sense of humanity and familiarity to the seemingly faceless wars we’ve waged over the course of so many years. This sense of unity— the idea that, in the end, we are all of one human community and should honor one another as brothers and sisters— is something that I hope will be embraced, as cheesy as it may sound to some.

I’m weary of war, and I’ve not even been mildly impacted. The unearned privilege that protects me from the true horrors of battle is far from universal. I can’t begin to imagine what it’s like for survivors of this madness who watch, day after day, as their country and homeland is reduced to rubble; as their government becomes a foreign, imposed regime with no sense of connection to the people themselves; as loved ones are assasinated in cold blood in front of their eyes.

Call me naive. Call me cliche. Call me unpatriotic.

This has to end.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought this book was worth reading and I really liked Riverbend. She is smart, funny, and very down to earth. Her observations on both daily life and the ever-shifting political scene sounded dead-on. I realize that the author is anonymous and that some wonder if she is for real (or not). I really didn't get hung up on that point and just accepted it for what it was. I am willing to believe she is really who she says she is and I enjoyed reading what she had to say. It is rather dismaying though to realize that the actions by the U.S. governmetn and G.W. Bush appear to have been taken directly from a book entitled "How to Really Screw Things Up in Iraq" -- the complete lack of understanding of the nuances of Iraqi culture, politics and mindsets is really appalling. And sadly, this book was written about events that took place 8-9 years ago and I'm not sure things are much improved or different today. Very sad.

I gave this book 3 stars not because I didn't care for it, but mainly because I'm not a huge fan of blogs turned into books. I usually end up thinking that the raw material for a strong narrative is there, but not used to its best advantage in blog entry format. That said, I think for what it is, it is nicely done.

[Hesper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating subjective experience seems like a stupid thing when that subjective experience deals with surviving in a war zone; the five stars here are not a rating of the book, but a mark of my being glad that, so long as warfare continues anywhere, documents like this book exist.

If anyone expects it to be an unbiased, journalistic account, then those expectations will be crushed. Originally written as a blog about life after the "liberation" of Iraq by US forces in April of 2003, it was also the only such document written by an Iraqi woman. It is full of personal opinions, sarcasm, observations and anger, unfortunately all too justified.

In a strange way, it is the flip side of David Finkel's The Good Soldiers; or maybe that book is the flip side of this one. In any case, they are both essential reading about the war in Iraq, or should be.

[Subha Karim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute must-read. This is the true story of a woman in her 20s who started a blog documenting her life under occupation as the United States invaded Iraq in 2003. Riverbend’s writing is sharp, intimate, and full of details that made me feel like I was right there with her.

She details life in Iraq before the invasion. There was a blossoming economy, rights for women, quality higher education, and opportunities for everyone. The US hates to see someone else win and will use all the propaganda that exists to paint a different picture. They will install their own dummy government in someone else’s country and think they are helping, when in fact they do nothing but make things worse AND take 0 accountability for the damage that follows. I felt so much grief along with her and her family as their world is turned upside down.

Riverbend’s points still hold true today. America invades countries under the promise of peace and security, but no one ever actually ends up safer. Not the people in the countries being occupied. Not Americans either. This was written over 20 years ago and we’re watching the same story unfold over and over again.

I went to her blog to see if there were any recent updates but the last one was in 2013. She was evaluating life 10 years after the invasion. Her and her family had left Iraq in 2007 like so many others. I hope one day we do get another update on her life and we see her return back home 🥺.

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the Internet, we are now able to read accounts of war by noncombatants who are not journalists - while the war is happening, even as armies invade and bombs fall. Someone has called Iraq the first postmodern war in that we get simultaneous reports of what is happening from many different points of view besides the "official" ones. This remarkable blog by a young woman in Baghdad is a day-by-day record of the experience of the war in her city - and told from the perspective of someone not unlike her Western readers (so convincingly that some readers consider her blog a hoax). She writes fluent English and is familiar with American culture; she is educated, urbane, politically informed, and computer savvy (having worked at a software company before the war - a job that was lost at least in part because she is a woman in a rising tide of fundamentalist sentiment). Most of all, she demolishes any stereotypes of Iraqis that Westerners might have - stereotypes that often serve to justify the war itself.

In the 13 months covered in this published volume of her blog, we see the American invasion become an occupation, and the initial sporadic resistance to it evolve into a widespread insurgency with a mounting death toll. The focus, unlike news coverage, is on the casualties among noncombatants, and we are reminded on nearly every page of what it is like to live life literally "under the gun." And in a city where law and order are up for grabs, citizens must arm themselves for protection, while running the risk of being taken for "terrorists" because they are armed. Added to that, there are daily explosions, kidnappings, home invasions, and the continuing problem of power shortages. Meanwhile, the TV and internet news reveal the blunders of the American authorities and the follies of a do-nothing, American-installed provisional government. Then we hear again of the siege of Fallujah, with its staggering loss of civilian life, and finally the humiliations on all sides of the photos released from Abu Ghraib. Most poignant and disturbing is her retelling of the 1991 Amiriyah Shelter massacre, in which 400 women and children were killed by an American missile during the Gulf War.

There is understandably a lot of anger in this book. While certainly justified - often even restrained and measured - the book avoids becoming an endless and wearying diatribe. The mood modulates among a range of emotions and attitudes. We are treated at times to interesting descriptions of Iraqi culture, accounts of daily routines (like filling the water tank on the roof), and reports, laced with irony, of the laughable incompetence of appointed public officials, plus rejoinders to readers who have sent her emails revealing their own ignorance. Finally, the book is a record of clinging to sanity in a world gone very wrong. For those who support the war, don't support it, or are indifferent about it, it's important to read for what it has to say about the impact of foreign policy decisions on those whose lives are - through no fault of their own - suddenly in harm's way.

[Catherine Mustread · Rating 3 out of 5]

Day-by-day commentary on what's happening in the country, neighborhood, and family of a 20-something young woman beginning in August 2003. Certainly a quite different perspective than from US news reports. I found her observations interesting and the story compelling. I read this as a book selection of the Middle East North Africa group.

I read this like I do most blogs to which I subscribe -- skimming some, focusing on others.  Her talk of daily chores and the difficulties of such things as filling the water tanks, doing laundry, celebrating holidays seem more interesting than the political, which seem dated, although interesting from an historical view.

Now moving on to The Trench, the second book in the Cities of Salt series by Abdelrahman Munif after I finish a few other books.

[Tippy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two things: First, I think my favorite part of this book was learning about the culture and customs held by some of the Iraqi people. I particularly liked the description, importance and uses of palm trees. (Although I can't remember if this was in this book or the second one.)

Second, because it's written in a diary/blog form, this felt to me more like a story or history rather than something that was currently happening. Also, given that it's impossible to know with any certainty whether or not Riverbend is actually a woman in Iraq right now, it's hard not to keep reminding yourself of that or questioning that the whole time your reading it. So I found myself in the weird space of reminding myself that this is real and current and yet maybe not real at all.

Overall, it was powerful and detailed.

[Jamie Clegg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A must-read.

[Marissa Getts · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most powerful books I have ever read. Riverbend's voice transcends any cultural differences between Iraq and the US, and seeing the war from her point of view was humbling and angering.

[Madeleine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was an Iraq war protester months before the war even started. I remember getting into some particularly acrimonious arguments in fall 2002 in NYC and then Seattle, back when more than a few of your average liberals thought Saddam Hussein was coming to get them with weapons of mass destruction. I cared (and care), I argued, I spoke up, I went to protests...but I never connected with the people living the violence of my government's war and occupation on that deep level that means you can't ever look away or forget.

For those of us who don't personally know anyone in Iraq, who don't have to think about the horrors of the occupation every day whether we want to or not, Riverbend's book is a must-read. Baghdad Burning is a word-for-word publication of her blog by the same name (I really wish I'd known about the blog at the time she was writing it). Riverbend (pseudonym) mixes tales of her "ordinary" life under the occupation with on-the-ground reporting with cultural/history lessons about Iraq and Islam from her perspective. She's heartbreaking and hilarious, often in the same post. The blog picked up readers all around the world in the mid-2000s, when she was blogging from Iraq (her family left for Jordan several years ago). This collection of posts covers 2003 through September 2004.

A couple of years ago, I was talking with my dad about Iraq (right after reading City of Widows an Iraqi Woman's Account of War and Resistance), and he expressed a view I often hear: that Iraq is so "fragmented" and "tribal" that the removal of US troops would mean instant civil war and a situation far worse than any occupation could ever be. That Iraq today is what inevitably happens after the British "put together" a colony and then country that "never existed," out of people who'd hated each other since the dawn of time. That's a very neat and easy (and inaccurate) view that takes the responsibility for today's sectarian violence off the US occupation and puts it on British colonialism. Now, British colonialism was plenty awful too, but this line of reasoning has sort of become the liberal-ish American way of justifying the continued occupation, and I'm quite sick of it.

I wish I could give Baghdad Burning to everyone who thinks Iraq is a made-up country of people who've been locked in sectarian conflict for centuries, so that they could consider Riverbend's perspective. She views her family and community as fairly typical for her country. Her family is about half Sunni and half Shi'a. She has friends in both religious communities, as well as Christian and Kurdish friends. Again and again, she remarks on her country's long history of tolerance, equality, and fellowship. Seeing that break down because of a foreign occupation often seems more painful for her than the actual physical violence of the occupation.

When people are desperate--when their country is being occupied by the most powerful army in the world, when the electricity is on 3 hours a day in the scorching summer heat, when bombs rain down on civilians who've done nothing--some people will turn to extremism. They'll latch onto sectarian loyalties that never mattered before. Occupation and war and violence try their hardest to warp people and warp communities. And the architects of those atrocities often know this and use the resulting violence to justify their course of action.

Yes, Riverbend's story is only one story. She does not purport to speak for anyone other than herself, and I would be doing a great disservice to the Iraqi people and to Riverbend if I assumed she spoke for her entire country. However, we need to be listening to as many authentic Iraqi voices as possible, and basing our opinions of the occupation and our activism on those voices, rather than on the comforting stories and excuses that we pass around the US media.

[Sasha · Rating 2 out of 5]

You can find the full review on my blog The Dancing Nerd Writes Again .

*I was required to read this book for my Literature and War class.

Initial Thoughts:

I was really excited to being this book because it is a compilation of blogs from a girl who was living in Baghdad in 2003-2004. As a blogger myself, I thought it would be interesting to see a different bloggers perspective, especially in these circumstances. Obviously our blogs are not in any way similar. I write about (mostly) young adult novels and she is writing about her experiences and life during a war, but I still thought there might be some parallel solely from the blogging point of view.

Conclusion:

Normally with my reviews, I have a spoiler section, but if people haven’t read the book they normally skip over it. I decided for this review to write most of my thoughts in the conclusion, in the hopes that more people would read it.

I did not enjoy this book. The writing was great, she is a very witty and intelligent girl, but that was also a problem. The extent of my knowledge on the Iraq war or Operation Iraqi freedom is as follows: Someone attacked the World Trade Centers and a few other choice locations in the U.S. and we went to war in the Middle East. I didn’t know where, I didn’t know who we were fighting or even why, so reading this book and trying to understand the politics of it all was extremely difficult and frustrating.

Riverbend is a very smart girl and her whole life is immersed in the politics of what is happening in Iraq during this time period. She is much more educated than I am in this subject and most of her arguments went right over my head. I struggled to see past my ignorance and prejudices, but this book did make me think.

Although I didn’t understand a vast majority, or pretty much all of the books contents, on a human level I could sympathize with her situation. In its most basic form, this book depicts a girl and her family dealing with horrific circumstances of a war that is taking place literally in her front and back yard. Even when I didn’t understand what she was talking about politically, I could still appreciate her opinions and the points that she made.

I took this Literature and War class for this very reason. I am so blissfully ignorant as to what is going on in the world. I was pretty young when September 11, 2001 occurred, and I feel like I’m too far behind to ever be able to catch up with what has happened over the past twelve years. I took this class hoping that it would open up my eyes to the world around me, and in many ways it has done that. I am aware of different cultures, war strategies, the many varying effects of war on the people, the land, and the government. However, I wouldn’t say that I understand any of these things, I’m simply more aware of them.

I would recommend this book to someone who has more than just basic background information on what has happened in Iraq. Can you read this book without doing any research? Sure you can. I struggled with keeping track of political leaders and corporations and I wasn’t able to form my own opinions on the matter because I’m too ill informed, but it did open my eyes, and that is the first step.

Rating:

2/5 stars

[Brynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's always that nagging doubt when you read supposed non-fiction from an anonymous author, that of "Is this actually for real or am I just being taken in?" and that was present, I admit, throughout this. However, I've decided to go with it anyway. If an Iraqi woman didn't write this then whoever did is a master liar and fabricator. It's very believable.
Riverbend is a very good writer. She told the story of the 2003 occupation of Iraq by the US (and others) in an extraordinarily acute and understandable way. It feels a bit cheesy to say "powerful" and "gripping", but those are two words that, I think, very accurately describe the blog. (You can also look at the real blog online. It still exists, though she hasn't updated it for a few years). She has a fantastic grasp on politics and society, which is not really surprising considering her education, and delivers everything either with a humorous bent or straight-up in your face honest, with little ceremony - which is exactly what you want in a book like this, in a non-fiction account of a real war that really happened.
Going into this book I knew basically nothing about the Iraq war. I always got a bad vibe from that whole situation, and I understood that Bush was an idiot (you just have to watch one or two of his speeches; it's kind of hard to miss), but I had absolutely no idea about the specifics of what actually happened. I knew they didn't go to war for some noble cause. (Wars are rarely waged for noble causes, anyway). I didn't know anything but the surface information on the weapons of mass destruction (or lack of them) and the insane mess that the US propagated when they went in and occupied the country. I was completely unaware that Iraq was a progressive country pre-war. I didn't think it was necessarily third-world but I lumped it together with Iran and Saudi Arabia - I'd never taken the time to learn that it wasn't like that, previously. I knew the names Sunni and Shi'a but I didn't know what they were. I didn't know who the Bayshmarga were, though I'd heard about them on the news sometimes. Basically this book enlightened me about an insane mess of a war that they don't teach us about in school, or on TV, or anywhere, unless you go looking for the answers. I'm glad I found this book because, though this is also a bit cheesy to say, it kind of did change my life. It gave me a whole new perspective on the Middle East and specifically on Iraq. And not to mention my feelings on Bush. I'm telling you the man is either foolish beyond compare or a fucking psychopath. Obama is basically the second coming of Jesus, compared to that awful excuse for a person. For God's sake America, don't elect Jeb. Keep that family far away from your government.

Anyway I think I needed to read this book. Not only was it more informative than anything about war or the Middle East that I've ever learned in school by far, but it was easy to read and to understand. Riverbend is a fantastic person and I hope she blogs again soon, because I've never learned so much so quickly. She has a gift.
5 stars for Baghdad Burning.

[Cat. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I should probably put a caveat here: I am against the continuing presence of American troops in Iraq, and have been opposed to the war for over two years. This can't help but color the way I read this book.

And another technicality: my copy of the book has a slightly different cover. The woman on my cover looks slightly older than the one in this photo, who looks (to me) younger and more Caucasian. It is the same photo, but airbrushed. Or something.

This was purportedly written by a young (24ish) Iraqi woman who calls herself Riverbend living in Baghdad before and during the war, and the ongoing upheaval since Bush declared the war "over" in April 2003. She created a blog in August of 2003 to chronicle the frustrations and annoyances of everyday life in a war-zone.

This book is a reprint of her writings from that point up though September 2004. It follows the growing fear and petty goings on in a family that seems surprisingly strong and intact considering everything the country has been through.

Whatever your feelings about the war, or her reliability, I do think it gives a clearer view of what has been happening to the people of Iraq over the past two years. She gives very short shrift to the horrors of Saddam Hussein's rule of the country, and gets increasingly angrier at the sight of American's "occupying force."

I had some qualms about the 'reality' of Riverbend--her English is far better than a lot of native English speakers, which is disconcerting, and her willingness to use electricity for blogging instead of "necessities" strikes me as odd on occasion--but the overall picture of a young person watching her country be, as she puts it on many occasions, "auctioned off" to the highest bidder (usually Haliburton) or bed led by incompetent puppets obvious placed by the U.S.

I have a whole different take on the news. I actually hear the word "insurgent" now, and think, "Insurgent, or freedom fighter? Suicide bomber, or a guy bringing a big sack of rice home from the market?"

Good, good book, although (because?) it made me angry.

[And just for an FYI, I'd kind of like to know what has happened to Riverbend since last month when she posted her last time...]

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq is exactly what it says it is: a blog written by a young Iraqi woman living in Baghdad during the initial phase of the Iraq War. The blog itself extends from August 2003 until October of 2007 (and then the blogger vanishes completely), but this book just covers the period August 2003-September 2004, ending with the Marine attack on Fallujah. Riverbend, as the author calls herself (she remains anonymous in order to keep herself and her family safe), blogs about everything from her daily life experiences and Iraqi culture to the evolving Iraqi political situation and American policymaking in her occupied country. I assigned it to a group of students this semester, and I think it's an especially useful book for two reasons: first of all, it offers not only an Iraqi view of life during that critical period of the war, but a young, female, modern, secular voice - Riverbend isn't terribly different from most college students today, with her love of technology, easy use of slang, and sharp commentary on the world she sees around her; secondly, it explores the Iraqi political landscape in an informative but not pedantic way (in my opinion, anyway). I learned plenty from reading this book, and it is at the top of my list for books to read to try and get a comprehensive view of post-invasion Iraq.

[Elyse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Baghdad Burning tells the story of a young girl living in Iraq when the United States is occupying the country. This book sets itself far above other books similar to it because it simply is the author's blog printed in a book format. The girl narrating the story is a very strong and independent woman. She is very intelligent and has intriguing viewpoints on the situation happening around her and her family. When she writes her blog you feel as if you are with her in person and she is talking to you, her style of writing is very free and casual, but it is obvious she has had a great education in the past. This book displays a different way to look at the war/occupation in Iraq. Baghdad Burning is a phenomenal read, and puts a variety of things into perspective. Personally, I really enjoyed this book… it showed me how difficult it is to be a women in countries like Iraq and how much strength and courage you need to posses. I now feel more than ever grateful for the little things like running water and electricity. When reading this particular book I was constantly worrying if “Riverbend” (her fake name she uses on the internet) and her loved ones are safe. I highly recommended Baghdad Burning to anyone, whether you are interested in this topic or know very little… I can guarantee you will learn and take something new away from this book.

[Steph · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is a compilation of a year of blog entries by a upper-middle class young woman in Iraq. Although the woman is well-educated and a near-native speaker of English, the final product is less an eye-opener on the US occupation of Iraq and more a reflection of her ignorance or bias against various groups, her fellow citizens included. She tends to depict situations and issues in stark terms, rather than with the (purportedly) objective eye of a journalist. There is no mention of the Kurds, even though they are a sizable portion of the population sitting on the hotspot of Kirkuk, while returning exiles are viewed with complete disdain (not just politicians, but anyone who had managed to escape Saddam's rule for more than five years). I would read a more comprehensive book first, such as Fiasco by Thomas Ricks or Night Draws Near by Anthony Shadid, and then use this book to fill in the gaps regarding the circumstances faced by ordinary Iraqis. I certainly would not use this book as an example of how all Iraqis view the U.S. or their own country.

[Jennifer Abdo · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is Riverbend's blog. She's a girl from Iraq and I wish I'd have found her blog at the time of the invasion.

It brought back some thoughts and feelings I had at the time of the invasion and highlighted things I'd not thought of or forgotten. All those things I didn't know or have forgotten definitely added insult to injury or injury to injury. Each event that came next was more ridiculous than the first. The invasion on false pretenses was bad, but everything that came after...wow.

In addition, she describes the food and culture, like the tea making process, Ramadan, significance of gold jewelry, relationships with Chrsitians and sharing holidays with them.

Riverbend explains things so well for us Americans. I have enjoyed the detail and context- not enjoyed descriptions of war- but you know what I mean- it fills in some blanks that were left intentionally by the government and media or my bad memory. It is a new context or perspective on what I felt back then.

More detail: http://notanotherpoliticalblog-j.blog...

[Leif Kurth · Rating 5 out of 5]

For anyone who is interested in learning what Operation Iraqi Liberation (the Iraq War: 2003-?) looked like from the perspective of an Iraqi civilian, "Baghdad Burning"provides the intimate details that our media failed to capture. Riverbend gives us a sense of the chaos that ensued after the Bush administration unraveled the entire government structure in Baghdad, leaving local clans to fend for themselves and reigniting the sectarian conflict that ultimately created the unstable environment we see in Iraq and Syria today (2016). The book begins with a "lighthearted" description of the daily life in her Baghdad neighborhood but by the end of the first book (two in the series) we can feel the desperation, angst, and sense of hopelessness that takes over the broader Iraqi society. Essential reading for anyone interested in the effects of bad foreign policy. This book describes what happens when governments fail to consider the ramifications of their actions.

[DebbieK · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting slice of Iraqi life as it was lived during several years of the war. I found myself wondering, though, just how representative Riverbend's perspective is of the country as a whole. She's a middle-class, well-educated woman from a big city. She speaks as if before the war, all women in Iraq had freedom to marry the man they wished, work where they wanted, and divorce at will. She posits that there was no sectarian strife before the war and no fundamentalism. She also concludes that the only reason the US was there was for oil (never explores any other reason -- Model democracy in the Middle East? Hussein causing regional instability? Faulty intelligence? Bush's oedipal complex?)

Works better as a blog than a book, but hers is a valuable voice from the region in either format. Best part: her descriptions of Iraqi culture and customs.

[Orchid]

I used to follow this blog so know riverbend's writing style. I didn't realise there was a published form to her blog, but I definitely encourage everyone to read it. It's illuminating and has really shown me the daily impact of the transformation inside Iraq and how it affects normal people. Stories like suddenly needing her nephews and cousins to surround her as she leaves for her job, because all of a sudden the freedoms she used to take for granted were under threat, dealing with abductions of a family member, what it's like to wake up in the morning and scan your road for suspicious cars parked there (car bombs) -these are stories we don't hear of in the news- which tends to focus on stories of tragedy of expacts in iraq. I've cried and laughed reading her blog, and loved her alter cooking blog wittily called "is something burning".

[Devin · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone born in the mid-90s, I was absolutely surprised by how much I didn't know about the war in Iraq and what actually happened. This book was a fascinating read about the occupation of Iraq from an Iraqi woman's perspective. She goes from being a college graduate with a job involving computers where she is paid the same as any man to a girl who is persecuted for not wearing a hijab and who cannot find any place that will let a woman work. And it is all the indirect result of the American forces occupying Iraq. While the book answered a lot of questions, it also left me with a lot more unanswered. It made me question how we allowed something like this to happen. It made me question how many Americans ignore politics and war and imagine that if they don't see it then it isn't happening.

[Grace · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was slow-going. Not because it wasn't interesting and not because the narrative voice wasn't engaging, but because it was depressing. Of course it's depressing. It's about the war in Iraq. And it's relentless. Riverbend is scathing in her critique of American foreign policy, Bush, and the interim Iraqi government. And she does a lot of research.

I liked the parts where she discusses Iraqi and Muslim customs. I learned a great deal about Ramadan and other holidays, as well as the food Iraqis prepare and consume for those holidays.

I gave it three stars because it became rather tiresome to read at times. This makes sense as Riverbend is trying to show the relentlessness of the war and how tired she was of it. But it got repetitive. I also could not keep the names of the governing council straight. There were so many. Again. Probably Riverbend's point.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book should be required reading for American citizens, particularly those of us in our twenties. Riverbend, the anonymous author of this blog-turned-book, is a young professional woman whose life has been turned upside down by the Iraq war. I was alternately struck by how unbelievably difficult her life has become and how much she writes and sounds like she could be one of my friends. Her descriptions of life in Baghdad after the invasion made the suffering there seem real to me in a way that no statistic can, and forced me to imagine how I would respond if I were in such a situation. I don't know how sound her political analysis is, but this is an invaluable look into the perceptions of an educated young Iraqi.

[Jen Petras · Rating 5 out of 5]

Extremely powerful. Definitely not for the timid.

Without even knowing Riverbend's real name, her very intimate story, or I should say her life, in a war zone grabbed ahold of me and made real not only the occupation of Iraq but also how quickly freedoms we take for granted can be stripped.

A blog is like reading a diary: you are allowed into the most private of thoughts and experiences. I had to read this one in doses because her very honest and passionate words moved me to frustration, sadness, laughter, and fist-clenching anger. But despite my outbursts of emotion, I never wanted to stop reading, because very quickly Riverbend becomes your friend. Despite the tragic events that she relates, I always wanted to know that my friend made it through.

[Jim Laughren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book is like having an ongoing conversation with a contemporary, educated Iraqi. All too often we in the west objectify Iraqis and slip them into neat little pigeonholes that give us distance from the day to day reality created by "us." Though a few years old, most of the blog postings that make up this rather compelling look at everyday life in a war zone are from 2003, anyone who's paying attention realizes there hasn't been much change since. If you want an inside look at what it's like to try and raise a family, go to school, visit relatives, go shopping, or even out on the streets while artillery and car bombs and militias and soldiers and corrupt politicians are operating freely in your hometown, this compilation of blogs is a great place to begin.

[Derek Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I very rarely give 5 stars. In this case, they are well deserved. I have seldom been so affected by a book, some chapters moved me to tears, some made me furious and some rare passages made me smile. I always knew that the 2003 war in Iraq was wrong, now I am convinced it was a catastrophic mistake carried because of ignorance, pure stupidity and for greed. I would love to know what happened to Riverbend and her family - is she safe now?
Here is a link to the last word I have been able to find from her.
https://foreignpolicy.com/2013/04/11/...

I recommend this book to everyone. But I especially recommend it to all those who are convinced that this war or any war was or is worthwhile. This book should be compulsory reading in all schools.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fascinating read! A young female student's blog was transcribed in this book that explains a lot of what is going on in Bagdad. She talks about her family, their circumstances, and what daily life entails. It really puts a personal narrative on a war that is often portrayed extremely impersonally in the media.

My gosh...I would be on the roof too if it was 112 degrees and there was no electricity. I am not trying to be naive, I know that the circumstances are horrible, but I found this book just seemed to provoke a lot more thinking about the Iraqi people and what they are going through.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found it very interesting to read about the thoughts and point of view of this blogger in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, but I also found some of the book to be boring. I don't think I ended up liking the blog format very much....I had trouble making sense of some of the events and politics (I don't know how many times I read a name and thought "Who??") and some of the blogger's personal experiences were way too repetitive being condensed into a book. How many times do I need to be reminded that the power is out a lot or that it is hot? The book would have been more effective if it was rewritten and edited as a memoir.

[Radha Sukhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Baghdad Burning” is a blog by an unnamed woman who calls herself Riverbend, sharing the stories of her life during the Iraq War. She describes political, religious, and personal issues, ranging from government assassinations to women’s rights. The truthful voice of Riverbend is one that every writer could benefit from. Although this isn’t a “legitimate” novel, the character’s emotions are clearly displayed on each page. If this was a work of fiction, I’d say that I definitely learned how to create a round, detailed character. This blog gives Americans insight into how the “War on Terror” affected the everyday people of Iraq, and it should make us reflect on how fortunate we are.