Dispatches: Stories from War Zones, Police States and Other Hellholes

by Michael J. Totten

Prize-winning author and award-winning foreign correspondent Michael J. Totten returns with a riveting tour of some of the worst places on earth in the early 21st century. From crumbling Havana, Cuba—still stubbornly communist decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall—to a comparatively upscale Hanoi, Vietnam, still struggling to free itself from Chinese-style authoritarian rule. From a nightmarish Libya under the deranged Moammar Qaddafi, to an exhausted, polarized and increasingly fanatical Egypt before the Arab Spring finally ripped the region to pieces. From the Lebanese border during the devasting war between Israel and Hezbollah, to Iraq in the grips of an insurgency mounted by the murderous precursor to ISIS. Partly a collection of Totten’s best previously published work, Dispatches includes plenty of new material from Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and the dysfunctional quarters of Europe. He goes to rough places so you don’t have to, and his dispatches are by turns entertaining, harrowing and occasionally even hilarious despite the dark subject matter. Whether you're an established fan or discovering the author for the first time, this one is not to be missed. Praise for Michael J. Totten “Totten…practices journalism in the tradition of morally imaginative, partisan in the best sense of the word, and delivered in crackling, rapid-fire prose befitting the violent realities it depicts.” Sohrab Ahmari, Commentary “It is extremely rare to read such an accurate account of anything to which one was oneself a witness.” – Christopher Hitchens, author of God is Not Great. “One of America’s premier foreign correspondents.” – Damien Penny, Seattle Post-Intelligencer “Of all the journalists now alive and writing in English, ther are few whose reporting interests me more than Michael Totten’s—in fact, none that I can think of offhand.” – Claire Berlinski, author of Menace in Europe “Michael J. Totten is one of a rare breed. Moving from front to front, he brings experience and context and the willingness to go where few men dare.” – Michael Yon, author of Moment of Truth in Iraq

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Politics, Travel, Historical

211 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 22, 2016

Reviews

[Melissa McShane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Re-read 4/15/24: I picked this e-book up at random because the price was 99 cents. I don't think that was a sale price. I don't know why Totten discounts his earlier work so heavily, but hey, take advantage of it!

I regret that Totten's journalism is done closer to home now, though I enjoy his articles about Portland, OR. His insights into the politics and culture of places all around the world was always valuable to me, and I found myself comparing what he wrote about Cuba to P.J. O'Rourke's visit and then, of all things, to Anthony Bourdain's. It's not a replacement for being there, but it is a window on a world (not just Cuba, but everywhere Totten went) most of us will never see.

Read 4/7/16: Michael J. Totten is one of the finest journalists working today. This book is a collection of pieces ranging over more than a decade, from Israel to Vietnam, Cuba to Lebanon. I'd read a couple of them before, but most were new to me, and all spoke to a lively understanding of the cultures they're about. I recommend this book to anyone who's interested in global politics on a personal scale--or if you just want to get really outraged, read the chapter on being trapped by Alitalia over the Christmas holidays.

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having not read any of his work before, I now want to buy everything Totten has published. First of all, anyone who's been chums with Christopher Hitchens and witnessed him getting beat up by thugs in Beirut after tearing down a swastika-like flag is a fun man/woman to be around of. Can I buy you a beer, please? Secondly - I have a soft spot for war memoirs and journalistic/non-fiction accounts of the places and times where humanity has shown its ugly side, and can recognise a good one when I see it. While this book has relatively short accounts from different areas of the world - Hanoi, Beirut, Tripoli and my favorite, the forgotten parts of Ukraine - Totten manages to build up and describe an area and its people with a few strokes of the pen. The title says it all, indeed - Dispatches - but many are not capable of distilling the essence of something to quickly and efficiently. In the interest of being fair, the author had some very harsh words about my home town of Bucharest, which he believes is ugly and drab. For a second there, I thought the point is worth defending... but that was solely the bellicose side of me, for I honestly think he is right. But hey, not all of us get to be born in the heart of Paris, eh? Recommended to anyone interested in a solid, enjoyable ride through the muck of our species; this will surely be at the top of my list for future recommendations in the genre.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totten's writing is very engaging. Much of it was very informative, and although I didn't always agree with his perspectives, he has an excellent grasp of what is happening and has happened politically in different regions. Learning about places like Libya pre-revolution gives perspective to what's happening there now.

[Ana-Maria Bujor · Rating 4 out of 5]

As someone who likes to go to less conventional destinations, this was an interesting read. Of course, these are just snapshots that may no longer apply, but they give a brief look into the state of particular countries at a particular time. It was interesting to see just what a different world Ukraine was a decade before I went. I don't have experience with the other countries (except for a much nicer flight with Alitalia), but I do have some of them on the list so it will be quite an experience to see where they are now.

[BLESK · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are the least bit curious about the world and want to know what is going on in it and more importantly, where it may be headed (eg. Egypt and Ukraine in this book), you need to be reading Michael Totten. Accessible and without the patina of soft Maoism that pervades almost all international reportage these days, his is a refreshing voice from places that desperately need it.

[David McCreath · Rating 1 out of 5]

The commentary on Hanoi was superficial at best for an experienced correspondent. I visited and briefly worked in Hanoi in 2000, and lived in Saigon from 1971-74. Could also be true for Cuba & Libya.

[Never Loved Banksy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book - extremely well-written, highly engaging, and stubbornly educational. I'll definitely be checking out more of Michael's work. Highly recommended reading.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Window to the world.

Wonderful in sight to parts of the world that few American will experience. It was a joy to read, both for the contents, and for the sometimes humorous style.

[Tomasz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Totten is so busy giving sloppy blowjobs to Uncle Sam, it's no surprise he mostly sees the white and hairy underbelly and mistakes it for the world. Good for him, I guess.

[Anna Brunskill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some fascinating stuff in here. I found some of the insights shared to be a little too subjective if not to say narrow, and for a man as widely-travelled and well-educated as Totten is sometimes I felt a hint of snobbery peek through, much like it can in Paul Theroux's writing. Having said that, this is a great book of reportage on some places that aren't exactly hot tourist destinations and Totten does an admirable job of reporting context along with an intimate sense of place, so I very much enjoyed the journey to the 'hellholes' in his company.