The Age of The Warrior

by Robert Fisk

A selection of Robert Fisk's finest 'Comment' pieces from the Saturday 'Independent'. Robert Fisk has amassed a devoted readership over the years, with his insightful, witty and always outspoken articles on international politics and mankind's war-torn recent history. He is best known for his writing about the Middle East, its wars, dictators and international relations, but these 'Comment' articles cover an array of topics, from his soldier grandfather to handwriting to the titanic - and of course President Bush, terrorism and Iraq.

Genres: Nonfiction, Politics, History, Middle East, Essays, Journalism, Society

320 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Robert Fisk was an English writer and journalist. As Middle East correspondent of The Independent, he has primarily been based in Beirut for more than 30 years. He has published a number of books and has reported on the United States'war in Afghanistan and its 2003 invasion of Iraq. Fisk holds more British and International Journalism awards than any other foreign correspondent. The New York Times once described Robert Fisk as "probably the most famous foreign correspondent in Britain.

Fisk has said that journalism must "challenge authority, all authority, especially so when governments and politicians take us to war." He is a pacifist and has never voted.

Reviews

[Sawsan · Rating 3 out of 5]

مقالات متنوعة لروبرت فيسك الكاتب والمراسل الصحفي في الشرق الأوسط لجريدة "ذي إنديبندنت" البريطانية
فيسك قام بتغطية كل أحداث الحروب والاحتلال في العالم العربي والإسلامي تقريبا خلال 40 سنة
يكتب -كما يقول- ما تمليه عليه معتقداته وأفكاره
في العموم رؤيته غير منحازة وموضوعية للقضايا التي يتناولها
المقالات عن سياسات أمريكا وبريطانيا الفاشلة في الشرق الأوسط وغيرها من البلاد خاصًة فترة رئاسة بوش وبلير
الازدواجية تبعا للمصلحة والمحاباة الدائمة لإسرائيل وسياسة إنكار الحقائق
نقد ومشاهدات وتحليل للكثير من الأحداث والموضوعات قديما وحديثا
الحرب في أفغانستان ولبنان والعراق, الإرهاب, فلسطين والاحتلال الاسرائيلي, الإعلام بين الحرية والتحيُز
وبعض المقالات يمتزج فيها العام بالشخصي
بعض الحكي عن حياته, لقاءاته, وآراؤه عن السينما القائمة على أحداث تاريخية أو حقيقية

[Amani Abusoboh (أماني أبو صبح) · Rating 4 out of 5]

كانت المرة الأولى التي سمعت بها باسم الصحفي البريطاني روبرت فيسك من خلال قراءتي لكتاب إلياس خوري "زمن الاحتلال"، حيث ذكر إلياس خوري اسم فيسك كأحد المراسلين الأجانب الذين تسنى لهم دخول مخيم صبرا وشاتيلا بعد وقوع المجزرة في 1982. ( وفِي هذا المقام، يقول فيسك في إحدى مقالاته في هذا الكتاب أن الجثث التي مشى عليها في صبرا وشاتيلا سكنت أحلامه لفترة طويلة، حتى أنه كان يستيقظ من النوم شاعرًا أن سريره مليء بالجثث).

يتضمن هذا الكتاب مجموعة من المقالات الصحفية التي كتبها فيسك لصحيفة (ذي اندبندنت) البريطانية خلال عمله مراسلًا ً في الشرق الأوسط.

ما يميز هذه المقالات جرأة فيسك واطلاعه الواسع على قضايا الشرق الأوسط، إضافة لخبرته الواسعة في العمل الصحفي الميداني، كما وتتميز هذه المقالات بالموضوعية في الطرح.

تتطرق مقالاته لمجموعة من المواضيع المثيرة للجدل مثل الاحتلال الأمريكي والبريطاني للعراق ونقده اللاذع لسياسة بوش وبلير في المنطقة عامة، وفِي العراق خاصة، (حيث يتطرق لأساليب التعذيب الرهيبة التي مارسها الجنود الأمريكيون بحق المعتقلين العراقيين في أبو غريب، وكيف أضحت الشوارع العراقية أماكن للموت، لدرجة بات الناس يخشون السير فيها مخافة أن يموتوا في إحدى التفجيرات، والتي كان احتلال العراق سبباً في تأجيج الطائفية في العراق، حيث غدا الناس يقتلون على المذهب والانتماء)، الحرب على لبنان، المحرقة اليهودية، مذابح الأرمن، أحداث الحادي عشر من سبتمبر، الحرب في أفغانستان، والتمييز العرقي في فلسطين والانحياز الغربي لإسرائيل وتلميع الصحافة الغربية لجرائمها في فلسطين.

كما وكانت هناك مجموعة من المقالات التي تطرّق فيها إلى حياته الشخصية وآرائه في السينما والثقافة. كما وتطرق أيضاً للحرب العالمية الثانية، المذابح في البوسنة والهرسك، وقضايا الاحتباس الحراري.

كانت قراءة هذا العمل مهمة جداً بالنسبة لي، وقد وسعت آفاقي حول المواضيع التي تطرق لها، كما وأعجبني جداً موضوعيته ومصداقيته في طرح هذه القضايا؛ والتي قلّما ينصفها الإعلام الغربي عندما يتناولها!

[Jim Coughenour · Rating 5 out of 5]

Picked up a paperback copy of Fisk's columns from The Independent when I was in Montreal at the end of June. I don't think this book's been published yet in US – according to Amazon, it should be out by the end of July.

I'm reading through in irregular fashion, impressed as always by Fisk's insight, political passion and bare bones honesty. As he explains in the preface, these writings record "a foreign correspondent's thoughts amid war ... the need to explore one's own anger as well as the gentler, kinder moments in a life that has been spent – let me speak bluntly – that has been used up and squandered in watching human folly on a massive, unstoppable scale."

It's hard to overstate the importance of Fisk's journalism.

[Mark Hebden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Robert Fisk has been a reporting from the Middle East for several decades now, first with the Times and then the Independent once Rupert Murdoch had shown too much interest in editing his pieces for the former newspaper. The majority of the writing in this collection of his articles for the Independent come from the Iraq invasion onwards to the book’s publication in 2010. Because Fisk has been a correspondent in the Arab world for so long there is a weariness in some of the reports, you get the sense that the author just wants to grab the leaders of America, the UK, Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, Syria etc etc and bang their heads together and tell them to stop bombing, killing, maiming, invading, occupying and destroying.

Robert Fisk is a go-to man for facts on the Middle East, not only his own time but the history of the area from cultural influences through the Crusades and early modern history up to the 20th Century and the Turkish genocide of the Armenian people, still unacknowledged by Turkey’s political elite. His knowledge of Arab involvement in the World Wars is comprehensive and is a renowned authority on the years following the creation of the Israeli state and the Palestinian Nakba. He writes pointedly, almost brusquely at times with his dispatches containing the horrific details of the aftermath of attacks, usually by western or western backed powers. We hear of the duplicity of the leaders of the free world, the complicity of leaders of the Arab world and the truculence of Israel’s politicians in the face of huge levels of human suffering. It is written with an even hand, and no one gets off lightly. As with all collections of journalism some of the dispatches have a dated feel and should be read in the context of the events they describe. Many of the articles have a solid prescience to them that can only come from the author’s knowledge that “we’ve been here before, and history repeats itself” as Israel tragically proves on a regular basis. This is a useful book for anyone wishing to recall the mendacity with which we were taken to war, the results of that invasion and its impact on the surrounding countries in the area and anyone who wants to know more about the historical precedents that lead our politicians to believe they have a right to interfere in other nations present and future as well as their torn pasts.

Robert Fisk is a hero of journalism and free speech, his masterwork is The Great war for Civilisation and this volume is a decent companion for that exalted tome.

[Kym Robinson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robert Fisk is at present the Middle East correspondent for the Independent. This book is essentially a collection of various articles written by him around 2000 to 2008. Though much of the subject matter is over a decade old now, it is still relevant and helps to guide the reader on some of the histories that have helped to produce the present calamity of the region.

All though the book does cover other matters beyond the Middle East and Western foreign policy, it is in the specific area of near Eastern conflict that Fisk's talents lay. Certainly his foray into pop culture, the Titanic and academic elitism is most interesting, the book is mostly unconcerned with such affairs. Because of this some of the articles feel some what misplaced and serve to break up the 'general' theme of the books articles.

Robert Fisk is a man born in the West, an Englishman, his home however is in the East, Lebanon to be precise. He has has spend near forty years in this region reporting on the confused and complicated tragedies that have befallen so many individuals and in doing so he has maintained a consistent honesty where by he picks no side, merely reporting on the atrocious conduct of all the factions. It is because of this that he has seemingly contrarian and at times dissenting tone in his writing. This is welcome as most journalism is a combination of partisan political squabbles or nationalistic cheer leading. And those journalists who are contrary to the populist wonkery tend to lean on a confused ideological bend, or worse a conspiratorial lunacy. Or as Fisk would put it, they are journalistic 'Ravers'.

The book is at times incomplete and some what jumbled. It has the feel of something compiled simply to satisfy the publisher or to help promote other, better books, written by Fisk. Despite this it is on its own and interesting introductory read to some of the subject matter that is often concisely touched on by Fisk.

For those who wish to read some honest articles relating to the decade that was the 2000s then by all means read this book. Those who wish for a comprehensive and in depth exploration into the region, then perhaps Fisk's other books such as 'Pity the Nation' or 'The Great war for civilisation' are for you.

71 %

[Inasirimavo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Fisk is one of the rare journalists I've been following for a long long time now. Because he's worth it and he still does journalism the way it should be done.

This is an important collection of his writings and I highly recommend reading it.

"That’s the kind of anger that journalists are permitted to deploy, the anger of righteousness and fear. It is the language of our masters, the Bushes and Blairs and Browns, the Kinkels and the Sarkozy and, of course, the Mubaraks and the King Husseins and the Arabian kings and emirs and the Musharrafs and, indeed, even the crazed Muammar Ghadafi of Libya – who signs up to the war of Good against Evil. For journalists, this has nothing to do with justice – which is all the people of the Middle East demand – and everything to do with avoidance. Ask ‘how’ and ‘who’ – but not ‘why’. Source everything to officials: ‘American officials’, ‘intelligence officials’, ‘official sources’, anonymous policemen or army officers. And if those institutions charged with our protection abuse that power, then remind readers and listeners and viewers of the dangerous age in which we now live, the age of terror – which means that we must live in the Age of Warrior, someone whose business and profession and vocation and mere existence is to destroy our enemies."

[Mohani · Rating 5 out of 5]

Write what you mean, and mean what you write - that's the philosophy of Robert Fisk, and that may explain why he's been lauded as one of the most important journalists of our time. Professor Alan Dershowitz once branded him a "dangerous man" because he asked the question 'why'? about the cruelties by the U.S government. A harsh critic of Western imperialism, Fisk is always critical, scathing and never one to mince his words. Not only that, he delivers his critique and analysis in a no-nonsense, easy-to-understand language. You would find no no complicated rhetoric or flowery language here. In fact, he devotes one whole chapter in this book attacking the euphemisms, jargon, cliches and claptrap that U.S apologists and academics hide behind in order to water down the truth and withhold knowledge from the greater public. A fast and relatively simple read. And of course, relevant.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Fisk has both the knowledge of the Middle East and the eloquent gift of a writer to express and explain his frustration with many policies made by the US and Europe towards the ME region. Living in the Middle East helps me to appreciate his point of view. However, I understand why those who live in the West and have never traveled here or studied, to any great extent, the polices of the West towards the ME find Fisk one-sided. But I think those critics are poorly informed. Fisk is fair in his criticism, condemning Arabs, Jews, and Anglos when appropriate. If he is more critical of the West it is only because there aren't many voices that oppose the foolishness that often takes place in the name of 'democracy'.

A brilliant book that only occasionally veers of the path.

[Andrew · Rating 2 out of 5]

It probably would've been impossible for Robert Fisk to follow up 'The Great War for Civilization' with anything but a disappointment, given the depth and scope of that great book. Still, the writings here are brief little diatribes with predictable themes that show nothing of Fisk's deep knowledge of the middle east. There's an interesting commentary here and there, but not a whole lot more.

[Aida · Rating 4 out of 5]

في الأغلب كانت الرؤية موضوعية لصحفي متمرس
و في الأجدى علينا أن نرى واقع الشرق الاوسط بعين أخرى
عينٌ خارجية تستطيع رؤية التفاصيل التي نجهل
رؤية نقاط الضعف و القوة
و ربما
ربما تعلمنا منها انقاذ هذا البيت المهلهل.

[Pat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thought provoking and provocative articles based on extensive experience of living and writing in the Middle East.

[Mary Hodgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I relocated to the Middle East last July & have set about learning as much as possible about this exotic, beautiful and troubled part of the world. Robert Fisk is an authority on the region and writes candidly and articulately about what REALLY causes the war and strife we see splashed across our television screens and newspaper headlines.

Essentially, the meddling and brutality of states such as the USA, UK, Israel and France (mostly for their own gain) have caused misery, torture and mass murder to countless innocent lives. We’re all familiar with the 9/11 attacks, the Jewish holocaust, the London bombings (all atrocities) but, are we so familiar with the Armenian holocaust, the forced exile of Palestinians from their own land, the apartheid conditions for “Israeli Arabs”, the invasion of Lebanon by Israel...?

Can western leaders really put their hand on heart & say that they are standing up for “democracy” when in actual fact, they are doing nothing of the kind. What’s democratic about killing innocents in the search for “weapons of mass destruction” that never existed in Iraq? These chronicles enlighten us to the real reason why the Middle East is ravaged by conflict all over the region with the occasional retaliation aimed at innocent citizens in the West.

Mr Fisk’s use of language has made me laugh, cry, pout and despair. I love his use of subtle sarcasm - using words such as “balderdash” and “poppycock” to describe the rantings of George W Bush as he justified his bombing of Baghdad. Quite in contrast to descriptions by the Irish journalist Vincent Browne (read page 25 - 28 to see what I mean!)

An enlightening read - will be sourcing more of Robert Fisk’s work in my quest for knowledge and acuity of the region.

[Martyn Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my normal type read as prefer a story but found these “letters” very insightful. The author is obviously an Authority on all things Middle-East and I am not so I learnt a great deal from his knowledge. It has always intrigued me how Israel and its friends has been able to a very large extent “control” any journalism or news story portrays the country in a bad light , given it is such a small state. What gives? Fisk’s years of living and breathing the Arab world gives his words added weight and one can sense his utter frustration at the people who rule there - both homegrown and foreign - and the chaos that pervaded the place now and its cause. Obviously not a lover of “Western” interventions and the true intentions of them. Did find some reports a tad samey and disagreed re his stance on journalists giving evidence, however, overall well worth a read to anyone a middle east virgin.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picked this up expecting to read a handful of the articles in this book and I ended up reading it cover-to-cover. Fisk really was a tremendous journalist. He wrote with a certain moral clarity and anger sorely missing from today’s press, all without compromising the tremendous complexity of the people, places, and conflicts he reported on. I didn’t care for some his philosophical digressions on death, but that’s only my preference. Damn good book.

“If you believe that victims should have more of a say than people who commit atrocities, then yes, I take a definite position. If reporters don't do that then they are out of their minds.”

[Wietse Van den bos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hoewel de voorkant anders doet denken is dit een snoeiharde aanklacht tegen oorlog, en dan vooral de clusterfuck in het middenoosten. Een serie columns geschreven door Robert Fisk, over hypocrisie en martelingen, taal in oorlog en in journalistiek, over de idiotie van Israël ophemelen en ook de idiotie van holocaust ontkennen. Hoop goede punten, de enigszins cynische en vaak ook gewoon boze columns zijn vaak overtuigend. Niet altijd even coherent, het is niet een boek met een heldere kop en staart, maar wel goed.

[Craig · Rating 5 out of 5]

As the title suggests, a collection of short pieces on a plethora of subjects, but largely revolving around war and the Middle East. His perspective on events, even reading it 11 years later, is still different and often quite poignant and personal, something that is often forgotten in the strategic-level coverage usually provided to Western audiences. I found his writing style quite engaging, and given the format, something that can be read gradually or quickly.

[Sang · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the more controversial books I read, yet very enlightening. A gathering of pieces written by a journalist who has spent about 3 decades covering the Middle East, across multiple countries and warzones. Almost chilling how fortelling some of his comments were and how relevant they still are today. From criticizing the American wars in the Middle East to commenting on Israel/Palestine, it's hard to believe some of his posts in this book were made in the early 200

[Lysergius · Rating 4 out of 5]

A selection of occasional pieces mostly about the middle east which contain some interesting insights and which refresh a lot of the recent history of events in that part of the world, which sad to say, have been drowned out by the howl of propaganda unleashed since 11th September 2001. A good re-introduction to the period.

[Mohamed Shams · Rating 3 out of 5]

رغم الترجمة السيئة الا ان اختيار المقالات كان جيد الى حد كبير
اكثر فصل ممتع هو الفص الثالث اللذي يتحدث فيه فسك عن العمل الصحفي وكيفية اختيار الكلمات
روبرت فيسك بيبين التناقضات التي تعيشها اوروبا عندما تقارن بين ماضيها وحاضر الشرق الاوسط
يرى فسك ان اوروبا تدعم في الشرق الاوسط ما كانت تحاربه في اوروبا ومن ذلك الدكتاتوريات والتعذيب والقتل خارج نطاق القانون وصولا الى الابادات الجماعية.

[Greg D'Avis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fisk has some irritating habits which are exacerbated in a collection like this, but ultimately he’s right on about the world, and his passion and intelligence make this worthwhile.

[Musaadalhamidi · Rating 3 out of 5]

مجموعة مقالات لفترة مهمة وحساسة من تاريخنا العربي المعاصر بقلم واحد من اهم الصحفيين الاجانب

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am pleased that this was our Book Group choice of the month as it made me, generally a non-fiction reader, dip into this set of essays over a period of some weeks. I didn't read them all - mainly because Fisk's themes in support of the underdog against hawkish governments in the US, Israel and Britain became repetitive. They also seemed dated - after all, the most recent was written in 2007.

That did lead me to the Internet to read some of his more recent articles, some of which I found very persuasive. He is certainly a journalist who asks 'why' rather than 'what' (a dying breed it seems) and that causes us as readers to question and rethink our own positions on complex international issues. His deep knowledge of the Middle East (he has lived there for 40 years) really shows as does his background in the classics. He recognises the warrior impulse and its disastrous consequences over the ages. The essays I appreciated most were in the section titled "Words, words, words". Fisk exposes the way leaders manipulate language to lull the population into feelings of security and allow them to ignore the realities of war and conquest.

[Matthew Griffiths · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of letters that differs a great deal in style to the other two works by Fisk that I have read. Whereas there was a strong consistent theme to "pity the nation" and "the great war for the civilisation" this was a lot more varied in its approach and while a little jarring at times it made for an enjoyable change of pace to Fisk's usual approach. It was quite pleasant seeing Fisk's more humorous side in some of the articles especially the repeated jibes as Messrs Bush and Blair.

I think this work, being as it is a collection of articles directly printed in book form as oppossed to the recollections of events between articles as such, serves to demonstrate why Fisk is arguably one of the worlds greatest investigative journalists.

I would highly recommend this to anyone interested in Robert Fisk's work and particularly for someone looking to understand Fisk himself a little more.

[Don · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fisk is a well-known foreign correspondent in Britain, and this book is a collection of his essays and reports/editorials covering the Middle East. As such, there is great insight into the culture of the region, as well as the historical effect of western policy towards the area. While Fisk is highly critical of certain policies (some rightly so in my mind), I find it important to remember that some of what he presents is fact, and some is opinion. In any event, its a great read just to be better informed, in particular, about the policies of the last decade or so and the effect they have had, and how absurd and hypocritical it has been. I truly enjoy books that inform and make you think, especially about current geo-political issues, and the book definitely accomplishes those two goals.

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robert, lighten up mate. (How he’d hate me for saying that!) Life is Serious for Mr Fisk, and maybe if I’d seen the troubles he’s seen, I’d feel the same. A collection of his editorials published weekly in The Independent, I sometimes tired of the relentless hectoring about The West, Blair and Bush, the Israelies and the injustice of it all. Even if he’s right, and I suspect he is, he sometimes comes across as a pair of shutters banging in a deserted town as the hurricane strikes. Does it change anything? It’s hard to see how any of it did. I just can’t help but feel it’s all a lot more complicated than Bush and Big Oil or Tony and Ego, no matter how much those things are undeniable factors in the problems. But the man can’t even go and see a film or a Manchester United game without relating it to The Bush and Blair conspiracy.

[Shaimaa Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

One word to describe this work! "Brilliant"!
It's very rare to find an unbiased Western writer - specially when writing about Middle East - but here comes Mr.Fisk with very shocking facts at some topics & very honest ones at others. He has seen the ME from another perspective, he saw Arabs .. how they are thinking, dealing, interacting with events.. he see how Worldwide leaders were treating Arabs, Muslims... he comes sarcastic of their decisions leading to all the horrors the West is facing right now, But at the same time he is fair, he is confronting the world of several genocides that they prefer to keep silent about ..
Mr. Fisk.. hats off for this fair piece of art!

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book. Very well written, and had it been fiction I could probably have raced through it in a few days - but as it is "real" I had to stop after each chapter or two in order to absorb the information, and reflect upon it.
Robert Fisk seems to be an extraordinarily understanding, observant, and fair minded individual. A "proper" journalist who reports and analyses what he sees and hears without any spin, bias, or melodrama.
Also, the book wasn't limited to covering a small range of "expected" subjects, and all of it was well observed, well written and interesting.

[Asma · Rating 4 out of 5]

Over 30 years of Middle East reporting, with civil wars, insurgencies and massacres, Fisk collects the writings he's published as a columnist for The Independent, ranging from historical events to recent and personal subjects with sharp perception.

I didn't think I'd enjoy reading this as much as I did. It's non-fiction, and it's about all sorts of atrocities within the Middle East, and a few times, during the World Wars. But somehow, Fisk makes it all so appealing. To read the rest of this review, visit A Reading Kabocha @ http://areadingkabocha.blogspot.com

[Tanja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am impressed with Robert Fisk. This book is a collection of articles for Independent and it's mostly oriented to Middle East. Mostly about politics, but also about some author's personal considerations.It's rare to read/hear that someone prefers letters than emails and that journalism shouldn't be focused on a mere "objective facts" and underestimate readers. A real refreshment in the world of average, monolithic world of news.

[Khaled · Rating 4 out of 5]

Robert Fisk is perhaps one of the very few who still speak their mind without any self-censorship or restraints. His aggregated first hand experience in the issues of the Middle East makes his opinions and writings a must-read for anyone interested in knowing what is really going on. In the current world where media is all biased, censored and has "foreign agendas", no one can be trust but 'good old Bob of Arabia' as he called himself once in this book.