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Les meilleurs ennemis. Une histoire des relations entre les Etats-Unis et le Moyen-Orient. #1
أعداء حميمون: فصول من تاريخ علاقات الولايات المتّحدة بالشّرق الأوسط، الجزء الأوّل من سنة 1783 إلى سنة 1953
Filiu and David B. draw striking parallels between ancient and contemporary political history in this look at the US–Middle East conflict. The reader is transported to the pirate-choked Mediterranean sea, where Christians and Muslims continue the crusades, only this time on water. As the centuries pass, the traditional victims of the Muslim pirates—the British, French, and Spanish—all become empire-building powers whose sights lie beyond the Mediterranean.
Praise for Best of Enemies:
“David B.’s rubbery, decoratively detailed images of historical figures suggest portraits from centuries-old pottery; his versions of Mohammed Mossadegh and Kermit Roosevelt seem to be players in an ancient legend.” —New York Times
"This complex and unsavory saga is told concisely and vividly, enhanced by David B.’s marvelously inventive pen-and-inks." —Library Journal
“Best of Enemies breaks down a complex and morally messy history into a clean and easily absorbed narrative." —Scripps Howard News Service
"Filiu and B. score a hit right out the outset by retelling a segment of the Gilgamesh fable but inserting quotes from George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld in the mouths of the main characters, letting you know that this is not a book that will shy away from offering an opinion." —Robot 6
“B. is one of contemporary comics’ true visionaries, the speaker of a visual language of his own devising.” —Comics Journal
"No single volume can hope to explain the tortured relationship of the U.S. and the Middle East, but Best of Enemies sheds light on this dark ‘friendship’ that might enlighten and, hopefully, inspire change." —BigThink.com
Praise for Best of Enemies:
“David B.’s rubbery, decoratively detailed images of historical figures suggest portraits from centuries-old pottery; his versions of Mohammed Mossadegh and Kermit Roosevelt seem to be players in an ancient legend.” —New York Times
"This complex and unsavory saga is told concisely and vividly, enhanced by David B.’s marvelously inventive pen-and-inks." —Library Journal
“Best of Enemies breaks down a complex and morally messy history into a clean and easily absorbed narrative." —Scripps Howard News Service
"Filiu and B. score a hit right out the outset by retelling a segment of the Gilgamesh fable but inserting quotes from George W. Bush and Donald Rumsfeld in the mouths of the main characters, letting you know that this is not a book that will shy away from offering an opinion." —Robot 6
“B. is one of contemporary comics’ true visionaries, the speaker of a visual language of his own devising.” —Comics Journal
"No single volume can hope to explain the tortured relationship of the U.S. and the Middle East, but Best of Enemies sheds light on this dark ‘friendship’ that might enlighten and, hopefully, inspire change." —BigThink.com
Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
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About the author
Jean-Pierre Filiu
45 books43 followersJean-Pierre Filiu (1961) is a French professor of Middle East studies at Sciences Po, Paris School of International Affairs, an Orientalist and an Arabist.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
March 3, 2017
I found the writing clunky and the narratives occasionally difficult to follow, as we are bounced back and forth across time whenever the author cares to break from the main chronological approach to give some context on a particular person or event. The choices of when to dip into a single conversation or battle vs. when to stay high-level also felt a bit weird: we spend six pages on a visit to the Shah's sister in the French Riviera and then her visit to the Shah in Tehran, but then we cover years of global change in two pages. This isn't great historical writing.
But I learned a lot that I'd either forgotten or never known, especially about early American involvement with the Ottoman regencies of North Africa and the Middle East. And the illustrations are beautifully rendered, walking a neat line between plain depiction of events, symbolism, and fully abstract flourishes.
But I learned a lot that I'd either forgotten or never known, especially about early American involvement with the Ottoman regencies of North Africa and the Middle East. And the illustrations are beautifully rendered, walking a neat line between plain depiction of events, symbolism, and fully abstract flourishes.
October 12, 2023
A pretty rapid-fire history of the US and Middle East.
1 - An Old Story
David B.'s art is the star of the show throughout the whole book. It starts with a story of Gilgamesh which is a story that was being told in Iraq 4000 years ago. Filiu, the writer, imagines the words Bush and Rumsfeld said in 2002 in the mouths of Gilgamesh and Enkidu.
2 Piracy
US's first encounter with Muslim countries was through piracy in the Mediterranean. Ports pof Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli pirated the English, Spanish, Dutch... and the newly independent USA. The Triplitans and Americans tried to come to terms but negotiations were difficult. Eventually leading to skirmishes in the seas and an attack on Tripli's fortified city.
3 Oil
Formal relations with the Ottoman Empire started in 1862. Lots of political intrigue and war efforts and pacts to follow. The Saudi's made agreements with the USA in 1945 and the partnership continues to this day.
4 Coup d'Etat
WW1 made oil essential. The British made agreements with Persia. Iran got split with the North being run by USSR and the South by the British. In 1951 American companies joined the boycott against Iranian oil. The CIA assisted in setting up a coup to get rid of the Prime Minister who wanted to nationalize the oil industry and install Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in power - which it now acknowledges was undemocratic. Ending with the end of the era of colonial power and the start of the American era.
1 - An Old Story
David B.'s art is the star of the show throughout the whole book. It starts with a story of Gilgamesh which is a story that was being told in Iraq 4000 years ago. Filiu, the writer, imagines the words Bush and Rumsfeld said in 2002 in the mouths of Gilgamesh and Enkidu.
2 Piracy
US's first encounter with Muslim countries was through piracy in the Mediterranean. Ports pof Morocco, Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli pirated the English, Spanish, Dutch... and the newly independent USA. The Triplitans and Americans tried to come to terms but negotiations were difficult. Eventually leading to skirmishes in the seas and an attack on Tripli's fortified city.
3 Oil
Formal relations with the Ottoman Empire started in 1862. Lots of political intrigue and war efforts and pacts to follow. The Saudi's made agreements with the USA in 1945 and the partnership continues to this day.
4 Coup d'Etat
WW1 made oil essential. The British made agreements with Persia. Iran got split with the North being run by USSR and the South by the British. In 1951 American companies joined the boycott against Iranian oil. The CIA assisted in setting up a coup to get rid of the Prime Minister who wanted to nationalize the oil industry and install Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in power - which it now acknowledges was undemocratic. Ending with the end of the era of colonial power and the start of the American era.
December 30, 2024
This is the first of 3 volumes covering the history of American "involvement" (aka interference) with the Middle East.
Although primarily being about the massive oil reserves of the Arab States this traces the interaction of the US all the way back to the late 18th century when they were trying to combat Barbery pirates in the Mediterranean.
Despite being a high level synopsis I still found out quite a bit I hadn't already been aware of.
Although primarily being about the massive oil reserves of the Arab States this traces the interaction of the US all the way back to the late 18th century when they were trying to combat Barbery pirates in the Mediterranean.
Despite being a high level synopsis I still found out quite a bit I hadn't already been aware of.
May 18, 2018
الكثير من النظرة الاستشراقية للعرب والأحداث التاريخية المبتورة والمجتزأة، وإن لم يخلو الكتاب من بعض المعلومات المهمة
March 7, 2013
Except for the first chapter, in which a Gilgamesh myth is retold using paraphrases from George Bush and Donald Rumsfeld, the content of this book is fairly straightforward. It is a brief retelling of U.S./Middle east relations, starting with our early wars with the Barbary pirate states, our inability to prevent France and Britain from carving up the Ottoman empire after World War I, our establishment of friendly relations with the Saudis during World War II (as a guarantee of oil supplies for the war effort), and finally our involvement in the Iranian coup that set the Shah up as dictator. The book stops in 1953.
There are many details of this history that I didn't know which this book, brief though it is, lays out. I am somewhat troubled by its lack of a bibliography--the authors expect the reader to simply take them at their word that these are true accounts. As I read the section on Iran, it occurred to me that while this history is little known to most Americans, every Iranian probably knows it by heart. So while we think they're just religious fanatics, they hold a long grudge.
The reason this book is rated so highly is because of the astonishing cartooning of David B. David B employs literary devices that a poet might use: metaphor, metonymy, etc. And he uses devices that don't really have a name because there is no literary equivalent. He employs the structure of comics so creatively that I just can't think of another artist like him. It is especially striking that he uses this vast expressive toolbox in this essentially informational book. It is not an obvious approach, and yet it works beautifully, leaving the reader with a book ten times more fascinating than it would have been with more straightforward comics illustration.
There are many details of this history that I didn't know which this book, brief though it is, lays out. I am somewhat troubled by its lack of a bibliography--the authors expect the reader to simply take them at their word that these are true accounts. As I read the section on Iran, it occurred to me that while this history is little known to most Americans, every Iranian probably knows it by heart. So while we think they're just religious fanatics, they hold a long grudge.
The reason this book is rated so highly is because of the astonishing cartooning of David B. David B employs literary devices that a poet might use: metaphor, metonymy, etc. And he uses devices that don't really have a name because there is no literary equivalent. He employs the structure of comics so creatively that I just can't think of another artist like him. It is especially striking that he uses this vast expressive toolbox in this essentially informational book. It is not an obvious approach, and yet it works beautifully, leaving the reader with a book ten times more fascinating than it would have been with more straightforward comics illustration.
March 25, 2017
جميل الكتاب ده، فصول فى السياسة و التاريخ، رسوم حلوة و تتابع سلس.
April 27, 2014
David B is a little bit famous for EPILEPTIC, which is about growing up with a brother who has severe epilepsy, and less famous for THE ARMED GARDEN, a collection of Persian legends that I thought was better than EPILEPTIC. Now he's teamed up with some guy named Jean-Pierre to try to teach us about the U.S. and the Middle East, and it's not very good. I guess I learned a couple of facts, but the most interesting stories in here are given so little context that I had no idea what actually happened or why. That aint good history. The constant conflation of Americans/Christianity/capitalism and Arabs/Islam/violence seems lazy and boring, and the retelling of the Gilgamesh epic (in which all dialogue is replaced with quotes from Bush & Cheney??) is stupid, baffling, and meaningless. Sorry that I'm so mad about this, it's just because I want things to be good, and this could have been like really useful if it was good, but instead it sucks. I'll probably read the second volume if it ever gets made, but I sort of hope it doesn't.
http://tymelgren.com/books/october2012bookreport.html
http://tymelgren.com/books/october2012bookreport.html
June 7, 2018
This is a very interesting and informative book. The books uses a story from the ancient Gilgamesh text to set the themes of faith and war for the rest of the stories to come. Both threads run throughout the history of US and ME relations, as far as Filiu sees it. The second chapter, PIRACY, looks at imperial clashes between the US and Barbary pirates from roughly the mid-1700s to mid-1800s. It was interesting to find out about the roles of Morocco, Algiers, Tunis and Tripoli during Ottoman rule. I had no idea that Americans had sought diplomatic relations in the Middle East for so long. "Shores of Tripoli" makes more sense now. With the advent of Westward Expansion, the US seemed to care less about the Middle East, but only after having built a successful US Navy as a result. The next chapter OIL explains early US ties to Saudi Arabia and the reasons for US interests in supporting Al Saud. I was a little bit disappointed with this chapter because it skips over some important information about the Arab Revolt of the time and completely skirts around Palestinian/Zionist issues by simply mentioning Balfour and Sykes-Picoult, blaming it more on the British and French. The last chapter, Coup d'etat was about American efforts against Russia in Iran during the Cold War. There is a lot of evil deception, corruption, spying and all kinds of pay-offs going on. The US was totally involved. Wow! I highly recommend, even with its omissions in places.
May 9, 2023
A fascinating look at US involvement in the Middle East, obviously written by someone who knows the history (and is not an apologist of the U.S.).
The history of the Barbary Coast and the US going to battle with Tripoli is not something I knew about.
There is a long section about Kermit Roosevelt and the overthrow of the democratically elected government in Iran (this was over oil rights, and the repercussions continue to this day).
The art work is clever and the text offers much insight and overview. The best news for the reader: there is a second part!
The history of the Barbary Coast and the US going to battle with Tripoli is not something I knew about.
There is a long section about Kermit Roosevelt and the overthrow of the democratically elected government in Iran (this was over oil rights, and the repercussions continue to this day).
The art work is clever and the text offers much insight and overview. The best news for the reader: there is a second part!
September 17, 2017
Really great graphiv novel about US-Arab relations and colonialism. I had no idea that it dated back to the birth of the US as a country, and how the US navy fought barbary pirates. There was also some good background on the Sa'ud family. Looking forward to the next volume.
January 25, 2018
Enjoyed the drawings a great deal, and that no one were portrayed as particularly noble (some less so, but everyone's a bit of a bastard in the end). But the story "jumped" a bit too much for me. Gonna see if I can find vol.2 and see if more continuity makes the story easier to follow.
June 19, 2013
Pretty good. David B.'s artwork is as expressive as ever. While very little of the history in this book was unfamiliar to me, it's nice to have it all in one volume. Looking forward to volume 2.
December 4, 2014
Re-reading this book due to it having been published in Swedish, wonder over all wonders! This is the first volume in a trilogy that will describe the history of the relationship between the US and the Middle East, in comics form. And despite it's didactic aim it's riveting reading, grabbing hold of you from the start and not letting go until the end, when you instantly grab around for the next volume. Oh if only the text books in school had been this engaging!
This is an example of just how good information comics can be. I have read and reviewed a lot of information comics these last few months, all of them from the EU, and they have all been sub par. Even so, I have looked long and hard for quality and have actually given a few of them as much as three stars. Well, on a normal scale, that would mean that I should give this book fifty stars and not five. It's that good.
Filiu delivers a concise script that works really well in comics form. Not too much text and a good selection of examples to show the development through the almost 200 years that are covered in this first volume. But it's the art of David B. that lifts this from the depths that information comics can sink to, and elevates it to an artform. His distinct black and white art and penchant for visual allegories suits the story perfectly, often adding information and possible interpretations to specifik moments in history.
I can go on lauding this book with superlatives, but I must also admit that this has to be THE graphic novel aimed at yours truly. It covers a subject that I am very interested in, it is written by one of the experts on this subject, and it is beautifully rendered by one of my very favourite, now living comics artists. For me, it can't get much better than this.
This is an example of just how good information comics can be. I have read and reviewed a lot of information comics these last few months, all of them from the EU, and they have all been sub par. Even so, I have looked long and hard for quality and have actually given a few of them as much as three stars. Well, on a normal scale, that would mean that I should give this book fifty stars and not five. It's that good.
Filiu delivers a concise script that works really well in comics form. Not too much text and a good selection of examples to show the development through the almost 200 years that are covered in this first volume. But it's the art of David B. that lifts this from the depths that information comics can sink to, and elevates it to an artform. His distinct black and white art and penchant for visual allegories suits the story perfectly, often adding information and possible interpretations to specifik moments in history.
I can go on lauding this book with superlatives, but I must also admit that this has to be THE graphic novel aimed at yours truly. It covers a subject that I am very interested in, it is written by one of the experts on this subject, and it is beautifully rendered by one of my very favourite, now living comics artists. For me, it can't get much better than this.
September 9, 2012
This was disappointing. I was hoping that it would be a brief but concise history in graphic novel form that would give me an overview of the history of US and Middle East Relations. Well, maybe the holes in my knowledge are too huge, but it seemed like a very patchy collection of sound bytes and name dropping that left me confused and bored. I think the author and illustrator would have been better served to break this up into more books, and add more detail.
At first I was looking all the names up in Wikipedia to get a background on them so that maybe the story would make sense, but then that was taking forever and I thought, "Really, why don't you just get some books that give you more of the picture?" So I found some titles at the library that may or may not be exactly what I want, and stopped looking stuff up in favor of just plowing on through.
The artwork was great, and reminds me of a fabulous local artist here in Oklahoma, Eric Humphries, although to tell you the truth I like Eric Humphries's art better. You can judge for yourself, though. http://www.paintedatrocities.com/inde... He hasn't done any graphic novels or histories that I know of, but I think he should.
Meanwhile, I'm going to be doing a little more research of the US and Middle East relations, because it is still a very foggy subject to me.
At first I was looking all the names up in Wikipedia to get a background on them so that maybe the story would make sense, but then that was taking forever and I thought, "Really, why don't you just get some books that give you more of the picture?" So I found some titles at the library that may or may not be exactly what I want, and stopped looking stuff up in favor of just plowing on through.
The artwork was great, and reminds me of a fabulous local artist here in Oklahoma, Eric Humphries, although to tell you the truth I like Eric Humphries's art better. You can judge for yourself, though. http://www.paintedatrocities.com/inde... He hasn't done any graphic novels or histories that I know of, but I think he should.
Meanwhile, I'm going to be doing a little more research of the US and Middle East relations, because it is still a very foggy subject to me.
August 17, 2015
pretty interesting stuff
May 4, 2020
Avant de lire ces livres, je savais que les relations entre les États-Unis et le Moyen-Orient étaient complexes, mais je n’imaginait pas qu’elles l’étaient à ce point et depuis si longtemps. Depuis les premiers conflits liés à des actes de piraterie il s’est passé des choses: Israël et la guerre quasi permanente avec ses voisins, les liens avec L’Arabie Saoudite, le théâtre de la guerre froide avec la Russie, la guerre en Irak, le post 11 septembre et Al-Qaida et enfin le printemps arabe et toutes ses conséquences – et j’ai oublié beaucoup de choses. Le Moyen-Orient est stratégique de par son positionnement et son sol recèle le bien le plus convoité du siècle précédent: l’or noir. Cette série passe en revue plus de 200 ans d’histoire pour en décrire les évènements majeurs.
Sur la forme maintenant. J’adore DAVID B.. Ses dessins, surtout lorsqu’ils illustrent des motifs orientaux me font toujours rêver. Je suis conquis par ce style dont un signe distinctif est l’énorme turban qui coiffe la tête de certains personnages. Ils m’avaient déjà frappé dans Les Chercheurs de trésor – que je conseille vivement au passage. Dans le contexte de ce type de livres, ils sont particulièrement adaptés. Par contre, et c’est l’un des travers de cette série, ils illustrent plus qu’ils ne racontent. Leur apport est bien plus artistique qu’explicatif – à la différence par exemple des dessins employés par Scott Mccloud dans ses oeuvres théoriques qui ont pour but d’expliquer plus que d’illustrer. Ils viennent en appui du texte de JEAN-PIERRE FILIU, universitaire spécialiste de l’Islam contemporain, pour illustrer, souvent en une case, le propos. Ils sont toujours bien inspirés, très bien réalisés et originaux, mais ils ne font qu’illustrer une phrase, ils ne s’enchaînent pas, il n’y a donc pas de séquence ce qui est le fondement de la bande dessinée.
D’ailleurs les propos sont parfois difficiles à suivre tant le sujet est complexe et tant les histoires s’entremêlent. Profiter des illustrations pour afficher quelques cartes aurait été une aide appréciable pour le lecteur – au moins pour moi. Mais passé ces petit défauts il faut reconnaître que ces ouvrages – il existe trois tomes – sont captivants. Ils offrent une perspective marquante sur cette plaie ouverte qu’est le Moyen-Orient et sur la responsabilité des grandes puissances – et pas que les États-Unis – dans ces drames humains. Dans cette histoire malsaine, même le retrait des troupes décidé par Obama qui pourrait ressembler à un happy end a un goût amer. Après tout cela, qu’elle nouvelle page de cette sanglante histoire écrira Donald Trump …
> Obama sanctionne la fin d’une longue histoire de l’Amérique au Moyen-Orient. Elle n’est pas toujours intervenue pour de bonnes raisons, mais elle s’en retire au pire moment. Alors que du Pakistan à la Libye, de la Turquie au Yémen les populations sont en proie à la guerre, à la faim, à l’exil et à un terrorisme qui atteint l’Europe et les États-Unis.
https://www.aubonroman.com/2017/09/le...
Sur la forme maintenant. J’adore DAVID B.. Ses dessins, surtout lorsqu’ils illustrent des motifs orientaux me font toujours rêver. Je suis conquis par ce style dont un signe distinctif est l’énorme turban qui coiffe la tête de certains personnages. Ils m’avaient déjà frappé dans Les Chercheurs de trésor – que je conseille vivement au passage. Dans le contexte de ce type de livres, ils sont particulièrement adaptés. Par contre, et c’est l’un des travers de cette série, ils illustrent plus qu’ils ne racontent. Leur apport est bien plus artistique qu’explicatif – à la différence par exemple des dessins employés par Scott Mccloud dans ses oeuvres théoriques qui ont pour but d’expliquer plus que d’illustrer. Ils viennent en appui du texte de JEAN-PIERRE FILIU, universitaire spécialiste de l’Islam contemporain, pour illustrer, souvent en une case, le propos. Ils sont toujours bien inspirés, très bien réalisés et originaux, mais ils ne font qu’illustrer une phrase, ils ne s’enchaînent pas, il n’y a donc pas de séquence ce qui est le fondement de la bande dessinée.
D’ailleurs les propos sont parfois difficiles à suivre tant le sujet est complexe et tant les histoires s’entremêlent. Profiter des illustrations pour afficher quelques cartes aurait été une aide appréciable pour le lecteur – au moins pour moi. Mais passé ces petit défauts il faut reconnaître que ces ouvrages – il existe trois tomes – sont captivants. Ils offrent une perspective marquante sur cette plaie ouverte qu’est le Moyen-Orient et sur la responsabilité des grandes puissances – et pas que les États-Unis – dans ces drames humains. Dans cette histoire malsaine, même le retrait des troupes décidé par Obama qui pourrait ressembler à un happy end a un goût amer. Après tout cela, qu’elle nouvelle page de cette sanglante histoire écrira Donald Trump …
> Obama sanctionne la fin d’une longue histoire de l’Amérique au Moyen-Orient. Elle n’est pas toujours intervenue pour de bonnes raisons, mais elle s’en retire au pire moment. Alors que du Pakistan à la Libye, de la Turquie au Yémen les populations sont en proie à la guerre, à la faim, à l’exil et à un terrorisme qui atteint l’Europe et les États-Unis.
https://www.aubonroman.com/2017/09/le...
March 28, 2025
Wow! Spectacular! This is so deep and detailed history with even dialogue lines revealing motivations. The whole thing is enticing and impossible to put down. Everything flows. The drawings are grand. The text is extraordinary and clearly written by an expert on the history.
This is basically exactly what I seek in a history comic book. It depicts all sides with brutal honesty going over anti-Semitism and the idea of Israel, the creation of Saudi Arabia, the Iran oil empire controlled by Britain and then USA. Mainly it goes over the pirates who kept attacking American ships. They enslaved all Christian passengers. Women forced into harems and men forced into cruel slavery unless they converted and then they could get housework jobs. A slavery so cruel even the American slave holders were aghast and Jefferson tried to negotiate a deal. The British and French were rich enough to make a deal with Algeria and Tripoli etc. to use the route for transportation without pirate attacks. Americans meanwhile were poor and didn't have enough people in the nation to even get enough money. Once they paid to free hostages and get free shipping the Muslims only kept the deal for a short time and started kidnapping and plundering again. After a while as Jefferson became president started to attack ships and the fortress of Tripoli. Yet the ships were too big for the reef and the walls of the city too great for cannons. They had to hire Muslims who kept rebelling. But finally they reached the city and captured it. But USA just made a deal instead of annexing the area so of course the Muslims broke the deal a few years later and again sent their pirates after the Americans. But now Americans were busy with a new 1812 war with the British and other wars. Finally France annexed Algeria and put a stop to pirating.
Americans depended on the president. Some were anti-Semitic or against the creation of Israel. Some wanted to stay out of the Middle East. Wilson wanted to give the Arabs their own rights. FDR was against the creation of Israel as he needed Saudi oil for WW2. Truman was for Israel. The grandson of Teddy Roosevelt was in charge of the secret plan to overthrow the regime in Iran that nationalized the oil fields from the British. They staged fake violent communist protests. The communists were quite popular as Soviets controlled half the country. Then they staged fake peaceful protests pro the shah who had fled to Rome. And then staged the violent coup and the coward shah, who was against the coup, could return.
The whole thing pulls no punches which makes it extremely memorable. Usually with modern history historians pull their punches to not offend certain cultures. So any minority culture looks like a liberal paradise. Here everything is brutal. All man are brutally honest and corrupt.
This is basically exactly what I seek in a history comic book. It depicts all sides with brutal honesty going over anti-Semitism and the idea of Israel, the creation of Saudi Arabia, the Iran oil empire controlled by Britain and then USA. Mainly it goes over the pirates who kept attacking American ships. They enslaved all Christian passengers. Women forced into harems and men forced into cruel slavery unless they converted and then they could get housework jobs. A slavery so cruel even the American slave holders were aghast and Jefferson tried to negotiate a deal. The British and French were rich enough to make a deal with Algeria and Tripoli etc. to use the route for transportation without pirate attacks. Americans meanwhile were poor and didn't have enough people in the nation to even get enough money. Once they paid to free hostages and get free shipping the Muslims only kept the deal for a short time and started kidnapping and plundering again. After a while as Jefferson became president started to attack ships and the fortress of Tripoli. Yet the ships were too big for the reef and the walls of the city too great for cannons. They had to hire Muslims who kept rebelling. But finally they reached the city and captured it. But USA just made a deal instead of annexing the area so of course the Muslims broke the deal a few years later and again sent their pirates after the Americans. But now Americans were busy with a new 1812 war with the British and other wars. Finally France annexed Algeria and put a stop to pirating.
Americans depended on the president. Some were anti-Semitic or against the creation of Israel. Some wanted to stay out of the Middle East. Wilson wanted to give the Arabs their own rights. FDR was against the creation of Israel as he needed Saudi oil for WW2. Truman was for Israel. The grandson of Teddy Roosevelt was in charge of the secret plan to overthrow the regime in Iran that nationalized the oil fields from the British. They staged fake violent communist protests. The communists were quite popular as Soviets controlled half the country. Then they staged fake peaceful protests pro the shah who had fled to Rome. And then staged the violent coup and the coward shah, who was against the coup, could return.
The whole thing pulls no punches which makes it extremely memorable. Usually with modern history historians pull their punches to not offend certain cultures. So any minority culture looks like a liberal paradise. Here everything is brutal. All man are brutally honest and corrupt.
July 28, 2017
First things first... I picked this book up because I enjoy history and nonfiction graphic novels, but only noticed it at first because I respect and enjoy David B.'s art, and saw his name on the front.
As far as the art goes, it is a 4-4.5 star book imo. It covers so many different times and places (including some mythology) that he gets ample opportunity to run wild with the flush and active pages he is so good at illustrating.
The history itself could have been much richer. Covering almost 200 years in a pretty slim volume is a ridiculous task. It did provide some insight into bits of history I had just minor knowledge of, and at times it digs in with a particular focus. Those are the times it succeeds the most, but overall it just doesn't take the time to provide the context or fill in the gaps necessary to make this a history book that can stand on its own. It certainly whet my appetite to seek out other more thorough books on this topic, and is a quick and enjoyable enough read, but as graphic literature is moving into more nonfiction territory it would have been nice to see a more ambitious effort.
Would recommend it, and am looking forward to part two, but don't expect it to blow your mind.
As far as the art goes, it is a 4-4.5 star book imo. It covers so many different times and places (including some mythology) that he gets ample opportunity to run wild with the flush and active pages he is so good at illustrating.
The history itself could have been much richer. Covering almost 200 years in a pretty slim volume is a ridiculous task. It did provide some insight into bits of history I had just minor knowledge of, and at times it digs in with a particular focus. Those are the times it succeeds the most, but overall it just doesn't take the time to provide the context or fill in the gaps necessary to make this a history book that can stand on its own. It certainly whet my appetite to seek out other more thorough books on this topic, and is a quick and enjoyable enough read, but as graphic literature is moving into more nonfiction territory it would have been nice to see a more ambitious effort.
Would recommend it, and am looking forward to part two, but don't expect it to blow your mind.
July 10, 2022
This is the first graphic novel I’ve read since I was a kid who was briefly into comic books, and I have to say I quite enjoyed reading history in this new format.
The book is a retelling of US & Middle East relations starting with America’s early war with the Barbary pirate states, the country’s passivity in the face of Anglo-French offensive against the Ottoman Empire, then the friendly relations established with Saudi Arabia during World War II (primarily to secure oil for the war effort), and concluding with America’s involvement in the Iranian coup that set up the Shah as dictator.
Whilst I enjoyed the novelty of the format, I found the segues between the chapters lacking (which all seemed to end rather bluntly) with no real context on how future periods were consequences of or the mirrors of previous chapters. The narratives seems patchy as a result. Sometimes characters are introduced with no context at all, for instance Reverend George Bush is suddenly advocating for a Jewish Israel and Mark Twain journeys to the Middle East. Okayyy… why?
The illustrations, however cannot be faulted. If I was judging the book on art alone, it would be a 5 star read!
The book is a retelling of US & Middle East relations starting with America’s early war with the Barbary pirate states, the country’s passivity in the face of Anglo-French offensive against the Ottoman Empire, then the friendly relations established with Saudi Arabia during World War II (primarily to secure oil for the war effort), and concluding with America’s involvement in the Iranian coup that set up the Shah as dictator.
Whilst I enjoyed the novelty of the format, I found the segues between the chapters lacking (which all seemed to end rather bluntly) with no real context on how future periods were consequences of or the mirrors of previous chapters. The narratives seems patchy as a result. Sometimes characters are introduced with no context at all, for instance Reverend George Bush is suddenly advocating for a Jewish Israel and Mark Twain journeys to the Middle East. Okayyy… why?
The illustrations, however cannot be faulted. If I was judging the book on art alone, it would be a 5 star read!
August 4, 2023
I had modest expectations going into this, the first of a three part history of US-Middle East relations. David B is among my favorite graphic novelists. While I don’t enjoy him quite as much as other favorites like Kerascoet and Lewis Trondheim, he has influenced me to a greater degree than they have. He has a mythopoetic-imagistic vocabulary that I find versatile and effective in expressing the unique humor and pathos that are characteristic of his works. My reservations stemmed from the ostensibly dry subject matter. Was this history compatible with his mythopoetic style? Would those features I admire most be watered down in the sea of nightmarish events. I shouldn’t have worried. It is absolutely a success and ranks among my favorite books of his. Why did I worry? History is always present in his works. Black Paths, perhaps my favorite of his books, documents the precarious historical would-be utopian free-state of Fiume. Hasib and the Queen of Stories, while not quite history, as part of the 1001 Nights does have the imprint of a place and time. I think it is fair to say that in David B history is always present as the nightmare from which we try to awake. I’m looking forward to reading the next books in the series.
September 28, 2017
Gli inimitabili disegni di David B si prestano alle illustrazioni di un volume storico che descrive un argomento molto particolare: le relazioni fra Stati Uniti e medio oriente. Un confronto scontro che affonda fin dalla nascita dello stato americano, quando ancora Turchia, Algeria e Marocco lasciavano navi pirate imperversare per il Mediterraneo e la neonata confederazione si erse a baluardo di un mare libero, con l'assedio di Tripoli e le relative trattative. Nel volume, anche il rapporto con l'arabia Saudita per il petrolio e il complotto ai danni dell'Iran per indebolire la sua posizione nei confronti dell'oro nero. E' un volume molto interessante, oltre che visivamente spettacolare.
December 26, 2023
Volume One covers issues like the conflict with the Barbary Pirates, the rise of the House of Saud in Arabia, oil extraction, and early relations with Persia and Iran through the coup in 1953.
The art doesn't do too much for me. It isn't terrible clear. It is interesting in helping convey the feelings of the authors though, which is appreciated.
The topic is so complicated, the comic doesn't allow too well for lots of nuance. However, based on the massive scope of the topic, a more in-depth look at the topic would have been too daunting to pick up.
The art doesn't do too much for me. It isn't terrible clear. It is interesting in helping convey the feelings of the authors though, which is appreciated.
The topic is so complicated, the comic doesn't allow too well for lots of nuance. However, based on the massive scope of the topic, a more in-depth look at the topic would have been too daunting to pick up.
January 27, 2018
Quite remarkable that the more we learn from history, the less we tend to heed it. So many of the problems we face in the world today can be traced back to at least 1953 and the US/England intervention in Iran. Only ever designed to be a brief overview of such a complex situation but some interesting illustrations throughout - very pointed and well thought out. However, the typeface used is terrible and makes it harder to read on the smaller screen.
June 6, 2018
Well... this is dark. I've never read anything, fiction or nonfiction, that has been quite so overwhelming in this particular way. I grew up with a basic understanding that American and Middle Eastern relations go back a long way, and had a lot to do with money... But I had no idea that they went this far back, were this much about money, and were so tightly intertwined.
Powerful and real, but bleak.
Powerful and real, but bleak.
June 14, 2025
While a perfectly informative introduction to the history of US and the Middle East I had some problems with the book.
First of all the use of the term Middle East and then having a section about Algeria is problematic. It jumps around history geographically - Mesopotamia, Algeria, Palestine, and Iran.
Maybe I would think more of the book after reading the next part but as it is now I cannot recommend it for my Modern AP World History students.
First of all the use of the term Middle East and then having a section about Algeria is problematic. It jumps around history geographically - Mesopotamia, Algeria, Palestine, and Iran.
Maybe I would think more of the book after reading the next part but as it is now I cannot recommend it for my Modern AP World History students.
July 23, 2021
I don't know if Part Two is already published but I look forward to reading it; that being said, this ~200 year history is the part I knew nothing about, from Middle East interactions between early America (as a nation) and post-WWII alliances over oil that led to Saudi Arabia's place of privilege today.
November 9, 2023
This is a good series if you know a lot of the history or if you don't, for the most part. I really enjoy the graphic novel format, and I'm glad I found this series. Pretty sure if you've read piles of books on "Middle East" history, you will still enjoy it as long as you enjoy comics. Would love to see more serious graphic novel series translated from French.
January 24, 2018
Intressant bok, men det känns lite ytligt och snabbt för sådan komplicerad historia. Inte säker på att jag alltid hänger med om vad som egentligen hände. Det positiva är att jag blir nyfiken på att läsa mer
November 13, 2018
A rather quick and dirty overview look at US relationships with countries in the Middle East and how that has shaped the world. As usual David B's work is phenomenal, the incredible fecundity of his ink is impressive
January 6, 2021
Visuellement magnifique, chaque case est une pépite. Le sujet est très interessant et pâlie mon ignorance en la matière. La scénarisation et la narration (souvent très distante) sont cependant complexes et ne réussissent pas à plonger le lecteur dans une lecture très active du sujet.
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