Spiral: Trapped in the Forever War

by Mark Danner

In “a clear-eyed and shrewd examination…of how the US seems to be mired in a losing and intractable battle against global terrorism” ( Publishers Weekly ), Mark Danner describes a nation forever altered by President George W. Bush’s war of choice after 9/11.

The War on Terror has led to fifteen years of armed conflict, the longest war in America’s history. Al Qaeda, the organization that attacked us on 9/11, has been “decimated” (the word is Obama’s) but replaced by multiple jihadist and terror organizations, including the most notorious—ISIS.

Spiral , explains Mark Danner, is what we can call a perpetual and continuously widening war that has put the country in a “state of exception.” Bush’s promise that we have “taken the gloves off” and Obama’s inability to define an end game have had a profound effect on us even though the actual combat is fought by a tiny percentage of our citizens. In the name of security, some of our accustomed rights and freedoms are circumscribed. Guantanamo, indefinite detention, drone warfare, enhanced interrogation, torture, and warrantless wiretapping are all words that have become familiar and tolerated.

And yet the war goes badly as the Middle East drowns in civil wars and the Caliphate expands and brutalized populations flee and seek asylum in Europe. In defining the War on Terror as boundless, apocalyptic, and unceasing, Danner provides his “chilling cautionary tale of Orwellian repercussions” ( Kirkus Reviews ). Spiral is “a timely, valuable book” (San Francisco Chronicle) that is “an excellent resource for those who want to understand Middle East unrest and the ISIS terrorism threat without being Middle East scholars” ( Library Journal ).

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Military Fiction, War, Politics, Political Science, Middle East

288 pages, Paperback

First published February 16, 2016

About the author

Mark David Danner is a former staff writer for The New Yorker and frequent contributor to The New York Review of Books.

Reviews

[Murtaza · Rating 3 out of 5]

About halfway through this book I started thinking to mysel "this really seems more like an extended lecture." Lo and behold, as I completed it and proceeded to the acknowledgement the author revealed that the book was actually an adaptation of a lecture he had given at some point.

I agree with his thesis and particularly in the early pages Danner was an absolutely surreal level of eloquence in expressing the folly of our Forever War (the latticework-bars analogy to the GWOT's legal structure was kind of amazing). Having said that there was not a lot that I learned per se, primarily because I am relatively well versed in the topic. I'd recommend this book as an entry primer to anyone interested in the War on Terror and our current-yet-presently-indirect authoritarian legal regimen.

[Anniek · Rating 3 out of 5]

drone strike violence is never the answer!

[Rob Saunders · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found author Mark Danner’s analysis in Spiral: Trapped in the Forever War (2016) thought-provoking enough to garner my recommendation as a political read for our times. (The book was recommended as one which might more clearly assist in understanding current events.)

The title is succinctly proven. Nevertheless the book reads as a contentious lament. Danner argues the terrorism-producing-fear-producing-reaction triumvirate that has gripped the U.S. government's political, legislative, and policy decisions since 9-11 resulted in an America stuck in a "forever war" footing.

In believing that the way forward is to simply not repeat the past, this hopeless conclusion, ironically, seems to serve the noise of the angry faction who trust the future is to be won by returning to an America now lost in events spiraling beyond its ability to control.

[Eugene · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is stronger in the first half, detailing how the use of torture ("Enhanced Interrogation Techniques") came about and how the Bush administration sought to justify it. The unraveling begins as the author tries to draw the line from the Bush to the Obama administration. Writing on the tactic which succeeded torture, drone warfare, the author never finds a point of focus, and instead casts the net too wide, opining on foreign policy, counter-terrorism, and political optics. The important points aren't altogether lost, but the section on the second stage of the War on Terror is lacking in detail and substance.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book should be required reading for anyone involved in politics. The author makes a good case for withdrawing our troops from major foreign combat zones. Although the book is only a brief overview of its own thesis, the author conveys his message in succinct, clear writing. I would include some excerpts, but this book is under stringent copyright rules, and I will respect them. A very good read.

[Joseph Stieb · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm writing an article on this idea of a Forever War that I'll post later. For the moment, I'll just say that while I think Danner has a lot of good points about the overextension of the GWOT as well as its legal excesses, I find the Forever War to be an overblown concept, especially in its criticism of Obama.

There are a lot of books on the GWOT (I've read well over 50), and this one is largely inessential.

[Sarah Balzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very eye opening book, however it did seem quite repetitive. I appreciated that Danner attempted to hold president Obama accountable for his part in continuing the war instead of only bashing president Bush and the republicans for their role.

[Luc · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it an important, sobering and mostly objective account of how we became trapped in this never-ending war. I'd give it 5 stars for the core content but only 3 for readability because I found too much repetitiveness.

[Finn Buijs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book to learn more about the war on terror and the days following 9/11. Would be interesting to see a revised version to also include the Trump and Biden era policies that followed

[Matt Boyd · Rating 4 out of 5]

A bit repetitive at times, but poses provoking questions about the morality, or lack there of, of the actions taken by our country in the post 9/11 world.

[David Spin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a sobering book because it contextualizes where we are as a nation. It seems obvious that things have changed since 9/11 but we tend to forget that in our daily dealings with contemporary politics. Mr. Danner reminds us that we live in a "state of exception" that began on that date which continues to this day. That's a very powerful thing to remember as we deal with the nation's current affairs, domestic and foreign. Mr. Danner takes us through the meaning of that change. A deep and difficult but important book.

[Ross Harmon · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book made poor conclusions. Author wants terrorist to have citizen rights. The author also fails to compare the treatment of terrorist to spies. Fighting a people who are not a standing army require different treatment. Makes claim that lighter interrogation works over torture in a horrible example where the interrogation was concluded following torture. How can you determine what worked? The author also has poor logic that begins with defending against terrorist and ends with America fighting Muslims. The author significantly lets his views shape the data he is presenting. I agree with significant portions of the book, but I can not recommend because of his opinions. An uneducated reader would leave this book believing America tortures everyone, all citizens support it, we are in an forever war because we like it, and America hates Muslims. If you believe all of these statements you will give this book five stars and be real pumped up afterwards.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting but not essential critique of America's war in the post 9/11 era. Danner is long on (very valid) critiques of Bush, Obama, torture, drone strikes, etc. but light on viable solutions. He recommends statecraft and working through proxies but without much detail. Overall the trenchant criticism comes seems excessive given the lack of proposed alternatives.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very detailed description of how the Bush administration screwed up badly after 9/11 but I couldn't continue to read all the mistakes made and how the administration made excuses. It all could have been prevented

[Mimi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing new here, but well put together, especially the problems of the Obama administration. This was written before it seemed possible the election of a president who will exacerbate the situation in the middle east. I don't think Danner would have predicted this. A 3.4

[Rashel · Rating 2 out of 5]

ok surprising information, but a lot of unnecessary in the wash

[Daniel Mena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting information and surprising at times. Some of it will seem repetitive once you've caught on to the theme though. You have to be into the subject in order to enjoy this book.

[Chad · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ugh, it's a giant wake up to the "wars" in the Middle East. Fast read, but very thought provoking. I'm very concerned about the next 4 years. Torture is not the answer, never was and never will be.

[Derek · Rating 2 out of 5]

Valid points made, but no explanation as to a solution. Seemed to be very critical of US drone policy and constantly regurgitated the same statements without progressing his argument.