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Night of Power: The Betrayal of the Middle East
In this final work from renowned journalist Robert Fisk, he picks up reporting on the Middle East where his internationally bestselling The Great War of Civilisation left off.
An extraordinary chronicle of Fisk's trademark rigorous journalism, historical analysis and eyewitness reporting. Fully immersed in the Middle East and critical of the West's ongoing interference, Fisk was committed to uncovering complex and uncomfortable truths that rarely featured on the traditional news agenda.
With a foreword from fellow Middle East correspondent and former colleague Patrick Cockburn, Night of Power delivers an essential and final account from one of the world's finest journalists, and proves itself timely as ever.
‘Every sentence of Robert Fisk radiates his loathe of wars and the inevitable dehumanization they produce, which makes his (sadly) last book an everlasting warning, beyond its value as a meticulous historical recount and analysis of today's events’ Amira Hass, journalist, Haaretz
'Fisk's reporting is clear-eyed and unflinching, a model for what journalists should aspire to practice in their ever more important and widely threatened craft' Anthony Arnove, editor, Iraq Under Siege and author, Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal
An extraordinary chronicle of Fisk's trademark rigorous journalism, historical analysis and eyewitness reporting. Fully immersed in the Middle East and critical of the West's ongoing interference, Fisk was committed to uncovering complex and uncomfortable truths that rarely featured on the traditional news agenda.
With a foreword from fellow Middle East correspondent and former colleague Patrick Cockburn, Night of Power delivers an essential and final account from one of the world's finest journalists, and proves itself timely as ever.
‘Every sentence of Robert Fisk radiates his loathe of wars and the inevitable dehumanization they produce, which makes his (sadly) last book an everlasting warning, beyond its value as a meticulous historical recount and analysis of today's events’ Amira Hass, journalist, Haaretz
'Fisk's reporting is clear-eyed and unflinching, a model for what journalists should aspire to practice in their ever more important and widely threatened craft' Anthony Arnove, editor, Iraq Under Siege and author, Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal
672 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2024
171 people are currently reading
1108 people want to read
About the author
Robert Fisk
46 books795 followersRobert 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
December 9, 2024
Highlights the West's duplicity, double standards, hypocrisy in its policies across the Middle East. I've always enjoyed Fisk's work. I will miss him.
August 20, 2024
I've always admired the journalism of Robert Fisk. He provides a vivid, albeit depressing and horrifying, insight into the political and ideological ruthlessness that is the Middle East.
Throughout this book I felt that Fisk was searching for a silver lining to the very dark cloud that was his experience as a resident and journalist living in the region. After the decades of pointless suffering that Fisk witnessed, it became clear to Fisk that US and European foreign policy is not about making the world a better place. It is about power.
In this book he provides insights into the aftermath of the 2001 and 2003 Coalition invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, Israel's conflicts with Lebanon (and Hezbollah and Iran), the so-called 'Arab Spring' in Egypt, Tunisia, and Bahrain, and the ongoing Syrian civil war. The book is dotted with gut-wrenching stories of suffering that is ignored in the West, and if not ignored, dismissed as bias or propaganda (friendly despots are strongmen, but unfriendly despots are tyrants, even though their policies of repression and torture feel the same to their people).
Fisk's insights reveal the hypocrisy of Amercian and European foreign policy and journalism. This book is a plea for an end to Western interference in the Middle East and is an account of human suffering due to the folly of war and propped-up dictators. It recognises that the media's inadequate and essentialised representation of the people in the Middle East is an extension of the same mindset that once drove and justified European colonisation in the region.
I often wonder to what extent reporting of the Middle East is sanitised. This book has given me a glimpse of the raw horror. The stories and experiences that Fisk describes cannot be shown on TV. I suspect that if they were, such images of torture, mass murder, and mutilation of children (imagine a boy, sitting in shock, who has had the lower half of his face blown off so only a jawless hole is left) would make the audiences of the US and Europe question the 'good' of their interventions in the Middle East.
I wanted to give this book 4 stars, but the lack of a clear link between all the chapters (other than the overall narrative of pain) meant that at times the book could be hard to track. Although that might be because Fisk died before finishing this book. That said, I recommend a read if you want a more down to earth (grim) understanding of post-2005 Middle Eastern politics.
Throughout this book I felt that Fisk was searching for a silver lining to the very dark cloud that was his experience as a resident and journalist living in the region. After the decades of pointless suffering that Fisk witnessed, it became clear to Fisk that US and European foreign policy is not about making the world a better place. It is about power.
In this book he provides insights into the aftermath of the 2001 and 2003 Coalition invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan, Israel's conflicts with Lebanon (and Hezbollah and Iran), the so-called 'Arab Spring' in Egypt, Tunisia, and Bahrain, and the ongoing Syrian civil war. The book is dotted with gut-wrenching stories of suffering that is ignored in the West, and if not ignored, dismissed as bias or propaganda (friendly despots are strongmen, but unfriendly despots are tyrants, even though their policies of repression and torture feel the same to their people).
Fisk's insights reveal the hypocrisy of Amercian and European foreign policy and journalism. This book is a plea for an end to Western interference in the Middle East and is an account of human suffering due to the folly of war and propped-up dictators. It recognises that the media's inadequate and essentialised representation of the people in the Middle East is an extension of the same mindset that once drove and justified European colonisation in the region.
I often wonder to what extent reporting of the Middle East is sanitised. This book has given me a glimpse of the raw horror. The stories and experiences that Fisk describes cannot be shown on TV. I suspect that if they were, such images of torture, mass murder, and mutilation of children (imagine a boy, sitting in shock, who has had the lower half of his face blown off so only a jawless hole is left) would make the audiences of the US and Europe question the 'good' of their interventions in the Middle East.
I wanted to give this book 4 stars, but the lack of a clear link between all the chapters (other than the overall narrative of pain) meant that at times the book could be hard to track. Although that might be because Fisk died before finishing this book. That said, I recommend a read if you want a more down to earth (grim) understanding of post-2005 Middle Eastern politics.
June 28, 2025
I first heard Robert Fisk on Late Night Live with Phillip Adams. He was one of the few western journalists who ‘got’ the Middle East. He spoke Arabic, lived in Lebanon and had a true and deep appreciation of the Middle East and its people. He was known for his three interviews of Osama Bin Laden. The weasel word 'controversial' was so often used to describe him. He preferred to report from the view of the victim rather than the perpetrator.
I read his brilliant tome, ‘The Great War for Civilisation’, such an impressive book. He quotes and writes about his father and his part in the mass slaughter known as World War 1.
I was deeply saddened when I heard of his death from a stroke in October 2020. Adams produced a special edition on LNL. Later I listened to an interview with Nelofer Pazira, his widow, and I knew I had to clear my reading agenda to make way for this near 700 page book. Night of Power is a painful and powerful read. Fisk takes the reader on a journey throughout the Middle East over the last four or more decades, up to his death. This book was completed by his wife. She used notes and written and recorded accounts that Fisk had accumulated over the years.
The central theme of the book is the role and influence that western nations have had on the area, the continued shallow and predictable reporting by much of the western media and finally, most, if not all of the local leaders are despotic and ruthless autocrats who will not hesitate in slaying their own people. Saddam, Khamenei, Qaddafi, al Assad, bin Salman, El Sisi.
Fisk spends many pages describing the role that Israel plays in attacking its neighbours and persecuting the Palestinians. I am sure that if he were alive to day that he would be horrified but not surprised by actions of the Jewish state. Nevertheless, he is most forthright in his criticisms of the actions of those Arab/Muslim elements who commit heinous crimes to innocent civilians.
Starting with the Balfour Declaration and the Sykes-Picot Agreement he plots the West’s role in creating the modern Middle East. Through the many Israel Arab conflicts, Saddams invasion of Kuwait, Osama Bin Laden, Bush’s Weapons of mass destruction invasion, the rise and fall of Al Queda and ISIS, through to the misnamed Arab Spring and its aftermath.
Fisk’s writings are based on historical knowledge, his personal experiences and his access to so many in the region. His personal take on so much of what has happened in this region, but at the core of his writing is a deep respect for the citizens and the suffering and loss many have endured.
This book demonstrates that Fisk was truly a master of the craft of journalism.
‘That is the best definition of journalism I have heard; to challenge authority – all authority – especially so when governments and politicians take us to war, when they have decided that they will kill and others will die.’
PS. As I read this book the sounds of war and suffering were being relentlessly broadcast over the evening news. So little has changed since Robert Fisk arrived in Beirut in 1976.
I read his brilliant tome, ‘The Great War for Civilisation’, such an impressive book. He quotes and writes about his father and his part in the mass slaughter known as World War 1.
I was deeply saddened when I heard of his death from a stroke in October 2020. Adams produced a special edition on LNL. Later I listened to an interview with Nelofer Pazira, his widow, and I knew I had to clear my reading agenda to make way for this near 700 page book. Night of Power is a painful and powerful read. Fisk takes the reader on a journey throughout the Middle East over the last four or more decades, up to his death. This book was completed by his wife. She used notes and written and recorded accounts that Fisk had accumulated over the years.
The central theme of the book is the role and influence that western nations have had on the area, the continued shallow and predictable reporting by much of the western media and finally, most, if not all of the local leaders are despotic and ruthless autocrats who will not hesitate in slaying their own people. Saddam, Khamenei, Qaddafi, al Assad, bin Salman, El Sisi.
Fisk spends many pages describing the role that Israel plays in attacking its neighbours and persecuting the Palestinians. I am sure that if he were alive to day that he would be horrified but not surprised by actions of the Jewish state. Nevertheless, he is most forthright in his criticisms of the actions of those Arab/Muslim elements who commit heinous crimes to innocent civilians.
Starting with the Balfour Declaration and the Sykes-Picot Agreement he plots the West’s role in creating the modern Middle East. Through the many Israel Arab conflicts, Saddams invasion of Kuwait, Osama Bin Laden, Bush’s Weapons of mass destruction invasion, the rise and fall of Al Queda and ISIS, through to the misnamed Arab Spring and its aftermath.
Fisk’s writings are based on historical knowledge, his personal experiences and his access to so many in the region. His personal take on so much of what has happened in this region, but at the core of his writing is a deep respect for the citizens and the suffering and loss many have endured.
This book demonstrates that Fisk was truly a master of the craft of journalism.
‘That is the best definition of journalism I have heard; to challenge authority – all authority – especially so when governments and politicians take us to war, when they have decided that they will kill and others will die.’
PS. As I read this book the sounds of war and suffering were being relentlessly broadcast over the evening news. So little has changed since Robert Fisk arrived in Beirut in 1976.
January 29, 2025
I’ve just put down Night of Power, the Betrayal of the Middle East, the epic final volume by veteran Middle East reporter Robert Fisk. Largely completed before his death in October 2020, Fisk’s widow and fellow journalist, Nelofer Pazira-Fisk, saw the book through to publication in 2024. And we owe her a debt of gratitude.
The book provides a broad picture of the past 50 years of Western interference in the Middle East, and digs specifically into the past twenty years. Picking up where his last book, The Great War for Civilisation, ended, Night of Power is made up of contemporary accounts of the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq, the Arab Spring, war in Syria, Israel’s colonial expansionist projects, and the brutality of the region’s dictatorships. It is a necessary primer providing context and understanding to the period we are in, told not only from the lofty vantage point of rulers and war lords – but most importantly, he tells the stories of the perspective of the people who live – and die – in these wars.
What is unique about Fisk’s reporting is not only his ability to cut through the BS – he isn’t worried about crossing the official Western lines about conflict that we read about in most publications. Nor is he pre-occupied with toting anyone else’s ideological positionings. The first time I met Robert Fisk, in the early 2000s, at an event organized with Carleton University’s Middle East Discussion Group – a group I volunteered for as a student - he gave the example of his coverage of Bahrain that earned him a vilified cartoon in the country’s media… Every side, on the stories he covered in the Middle East, had a gripe with him because he toed no one’s line – and this he suggested, is what journalism is about – reporting on the facts on the ground as he knew them. I always felt I could trust Robert Fisk was doing his utmost best to do real journalism: to report on the facts, and to tell the stories of the people affected. Not to “balance a story” – what has become a trite he said/she said formula that I think has destroyed contemporary journalism (a discussion for another day).
This may be the most important book I’ve read in 2024, and deserves to be on your 2025 must reads, as in many ways it helps fill the void I’ve felt acutely since October 7 2023, in coverage and analysis of the Middle East.
I’ll give you an example: like so many of us, I’ve watched in dismay as Israel commits genocide in Gaza, throwing to wind international human rights law. Canada, largely following the lead of the US, ignores the very instruments it helped establish to ensure large-scale state-sponsored murder and war crimes never happen again. As Canadian John Humphrey, one of the drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights wrote in 1949, and explained to me as a young journalist when I met him in the early 1990s “The experience of the second world war and the events which gave rise to it, as well as the history of the post-war years, have convinced the great majority of thinking men and women that persistent violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in one part of the world jeopardize the rights of people in other countries and will inevitably result in a situation that will eventually threaten the peace of nations.” [1]
While these human rights instruments and their application have always been controversial, they continued to guide an understanding of human rights and dignity and drive international solidarity work.
However, what we’ve witnessed the past year and half has brought all of this history into question, it seems. Those who pay attention to Israel have seen how it regularly gets away with violating all tenants of human rights. Activists and academics, like Ilan Pappe, have warned of Israel’s ethnic cleansing for years, however no one I’ve spoken with anticipated the full on genocide we are witnessing, and the utter lack of willingness our government has to condemn it.
Yet Fisk reminds me of how quickly we forget history, as in his first pages, he addresses the erosion of international human rights instruments...
See my full review on Substack : https://open.substack.com/pub/kimelli...
The book provides a broad picture of the past 50 years of Western interference in the Middle East, and digs specifically into the past twenty years. Picking up where his last book, The Great War for Civilisation, ended, Night of Power is made up of contemporary accounts of the aftermath of the invasion of Iraq, the Arab Spring, war in Syria, Israel’s colonial expansionist projects, and the brutality of the region’s dictatorships. It is a necessary primer providing context and understanding to the period we are in, told not only from the lofty vantage point of rulers and war lords – but most importantly, he tells the stories of the perspective of the people who live – and die – in these wars.
What is unique about Fisk’s reporting is not only his ability to cut through the BS – he isn’t worried about crossing the official Western lines about conflict that we read about in most publications. Nor is he pre-occupied with toting anyone else’s ideological positionings. The first time I met Robert Fisk, in the early 2000s, at an event organized with Carleton University’s Middle East Discussion Group – a group I volunteered for as a student - he gave the example of his coverage of Bahrain that earned him a vilified cartoon in the country’s media… Every side, on the stories he covered in the Middle East, had a gripe with him because he toed no one’s line – and this he suggested, is what journalism is about – reporting on the facts on the ground as he knew them. I always felt I could trust Robert Fisk was doing his utmost best to do real journalism: to report on the facts, and to tell the stories of the people affected. Not to “balance a story” – what has become a trite he said/she said formula that I think has destroyed contemporary journalism (a discussion for another day).
This may be the most important book I’ve read in 2024, and deserves to be on your 2025 must reads, as in many ways it helps fill the void I’ve felt acutely since October 7 2023, in coverage and analysis of the Middle East.
I’ll give you an example: like so many of us, I’ve watched in dismay as Israel commits genocide in Gaza, throwing to wind international human rights law. Canada, largely following the lead of the US, ignores the very instruments it helped establish to ensure large-scale state-sponsored murder and war crimes never happen again. As Canadian John Humphrey, one of the drafters of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights wrote in 1949, and explained to me as a young journalist when I met him in the early 1990s “The experience of the second world war and the events which gave rise to it, as well as the history of the post-war years, have convinced the great majority of thinking men and women that persistent violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms in one part of the world jeopardize the rights of people in other countries and will inevitably result in a situation that will eventually threaten the peace of nations.” [1]
While these human rights instruments and their application have always been controversial, they continued to guide an understanding of human rights and dignity and drive international solidarity work.
However, what we’ve witnessed the past year and half has brought all of this history into question, it seems. Those who pay attention to Israel have seen how it regularly gets away with violating all tenants of human rights. Activists and academics, like Ilan Pappe, have warned of Israel’s ethnic cleansing for years, however no one I’ve spoken with anticipated the full on genocide we are witnessing, and the utter lack of willingness our government has to condemn it.
Yet Fisk reminds me of how quickly we forget history, as in his first pages, he addresses the erosion of international human rights instruments...
See my full review on Substack : https://open.substack.com/pub/kimelli...
February 11, 2025
I don't like to use this word because it usually isn't true, but this book is ESSENTIAL reading for anyone who wants to understand the modern Middle East. Fisk died in 2020 and his writings were uncannily prescient. His death was a huge blow to truth-telling which is already an endangered species.
June 6, 2025
3,5 stars; this one had to grow on me, I really got into it when Fisk related his encounters with Osama Bin Laden; that felt really unique and insightful; this book is a nice companion piece to works about the Israel-Palestinian conflict in particular and in addition gives lots of background info on the broader situation and history of the Middle-East; excellent listen on Audible.
November 24, 2024
روبرت فيسك، الصحفي المخضرم غني عن التعريف. توفى منذ عدة سنوات وصدر آخر كتاب له مؤخرا بعنوان ليلة القدر. يحكي في هذا الكتاب تفاصيل عمله كمراسل صحفي في المنطقة العربية خلال العشرين عاما الماضية. أنصح بقراءته.
November 14, 2025
Incredible book to cap off Fisk's lifetime of work. I miss being able to read his take on the latest in the Middle East, but he's left us a lot of material to use as a lens for whatever is to come in the future.
September 18, 2025
The irony of naming this book after the holiest night in the Islamic calendar, Laylat ul-Qadr, then proceeding to defile almost every page with derogatory references to “Islamists,” a propaganda term concocted by the Western Empire to discredit the Arab desire to form Islamic governments to resolutely counter Western interference à la Iran, a republic which Fisk can’t help but scorn at any given opportunity.
There isn’t a lot of great reporting here. Instead the pages are full of surface-level, extremely biased accounts of the so-called “Arab Spring” uprisings. It’s disappointing because “The Great War for Civilisation” was a profound read. I expected more from the sequel to Fisk’s masterpiece.
There isn’t a lot of great reporting here. Instead the pages are full of surface-level, extremely biased accounts of the so-called “Arab Spring” uprisings. It’s disappointing because “The Great War for Civilisation” was a profound read. I expected more from the sequel to Fisk’s masterpiece.
November 30, 2024
I read Fisk's "The Great War for Civilization" and it was revelationary. This one .... .wasn't. I'd give it 3.5 stars, but am rounding down. Maybe I should round up, out of respect.
I guess the nice way to explain why it isn't as good would be to note how Fisk died while still writing it, thus never getting a chance to revise it or give a final few goings-over. I mean, the man still knows his stuff. He still has a sense of what's going on. I'm not entirely sure the nice explanation really qualifies it.
Some parts just sound stale. He begins with a lengthy expose of the problems of the US war in Iraq. Yeah, he's right. Yeah, it's good. Yeah -- but, this is not exactly a revelation when reading it in the year of our Lord 2024. It fits his themes, but goes on too damn long.
Beyond that, there's a certain monotony in how it feels. Let me try to make an analogy with a random story. When I was in grad school, a professor of Japanese history told me about how when studying in Japan, you go through phases where all of Japanese culture is wonderous and amazing, and you go through phases where one goes to the opposite end and are sick of it. He noted that some books on Japan read like the author was in the midst of one of those doom cycles.
This reads like a 539-page doom cycle. Everything is bad. Everything is terrible. Every time the West intervenes it's terrible. Every time the West stands aside it's terrible. It's all terrible, terrible, terrible, 24/7 terrible. Yeah, there's a lot a terrible things and relevant points, but the overall monotony of everything being as terrible as possible . . . .it fosters learned helplessness more than anything. On page 512 he writes on the Syrian war, "Had tehre ever been, one wondered, a Middle Easter was of such hypocrisy, of such moral cowardice, of such false rhetoric, and such public humiliation?" That line surprised me because up until then, I hadn't noticed any difference in his attitude towards this war than any of the other things he writes about. Syria is the worst thing ever - tied for last with every single other thing he's writing about. (shakes head). I can't imagine that's the impression he wants to give, but it's what I got. It feels less informed reporting and more like never-ending doomscrolling.
There is a nice epilogue written by his wife. She makes some nice points, such as how the West has adopted different rhetoric to describe massacres by regimes they like vs. ones they don't like. The massacres can be the same, but the hypocrasy of how we speak about them leads to dictators using this for their own ends. This is an excellent point, but one that's easy to lose sight of in the hundreds of pages of endless, hopeless doom in this book.
Minor point: Fisk comes off pretty clueless on America sometimes. He says how Bernie Sanders was "foolishly persuaded" (p.276) to step aside for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Man, Sanders ran and lost. I remember some controversy about how he waited to endorse her until well after she'd mathematically sewn up the nomination. A few pages later, ponders how US foreign policy with Israel might be better if the US hadn't memory-holed why Sirhan Sirhan killed RFK. Really, Fisk? If people remembered that RFK was killed by a Palestinian because RFK supported Israel -- that would pretty clearly lead to GREATER US support for Israel and more anger at Palestine. Look, this is off the main part of his book. He's writing on the Middle East, not the US. But the US plays a role, and some of his comments sound out-of-town stupid.
I guess the nice way to explain why it isn't as good would be to note how Fisk died while still writing it, thus never getting a chance to revise it or give a final few goings-over. I mean, the man still knows his stuff. He still has a sense of what's going on. I'm not entirely sure the nice explanation really qualifies it.
Some parts just sound stale. He begins with a lengthy expose of the problems of the US war in Iraq. Yeah, he's right. Yeah, it's good. Yeah -- but, this is not exactly a revelation when reading it in the year of our Lord 2024. It fits his themes, but goes on too damn long.
Beyond that, there's a certain monotony in how it feels. Let me try to make an analogy with a random story. When I was in grad school, a professor of Japanese history told me about how when studying in Japan, you go through phases where all of Japanese culture is wonderous and amazing, and you go through phases where one goes to the opposite end and are sick of it. He noted that some books on Japan read like the author was in the midst of one of those doom cycles.
This reads like a 539-page doom cycle. Everything is bad. Everything is terrible. Every time the West intervenes it's terrible. Every time the West stands aside it's terrible. It's all terrible, terrible, terrible, 24/7 terrible. Yeah, there's a lot a terrible things and relevant points, but the overall monotony of everything being as terrible as possible . . . .it fosters learned helplessness more than anything. On page 512 he writes on the Syrian war, "Had tehre ever been, one wondered, a Middle Easter was of such hypocrisy, of such moral cowardice, of such false rhetoric, and such public humiliation?" That line surprised me because up until then, I hadn't noticed any difference in his attitude towards this war than any of the other things he writes about. Syria is the worst thing ever - tied for last with every single other thing he's writing about. (shakes head). I can't imagine that's the impression he wants to give, but it's what I got. It feels less informed reporting and more like never-ending doomscrolling.
There is a nice epilogue written by his wife. She makes some nice points, such as how the West has adopted different rhetoric to describe massacres by regimes they like vs. ones they don't like. The massacres can be the same, but the hypocrasy of how we speak about them leads to dictators using this for their own ends. This is an excellent point, but one that's easy to lose sight of in the hundreds of pages of endless, hopeless doom in this book.
Minor point: Fisk comes off pretty clueless on America sometimes. He says how Bernie Sanders was "foolishly persuaded" (p.276) to step aside for Hillary Clinton in 2016. Man, Sanders ran and lost. I remember some controversy about how he waited to endorse her until well after she'd mathematically sewn up the nomination. A few pages later, ponders how US foreign policy with Israel might be better if the US hadn't memory-holed why Sirhan Sirhan killed RFK. Really, Fisk? If people remembered that RFK was killed by a Palestinian because RFK supported Israel -- that would pretty clearly lead to GREATER US support for Israel and more anger at Palestine. Look, this is off the main part of his book. He's writing on the Middle East, not the US. But the US plays a role, and some of his comments sound out-of-town stupid.
November 21, 2024
"Night of Power" is a gripping final work by the esteemed journalist Robert Fisk, offering a candid look at the turmoil in the Middle East over the last two decades. Picking up from his acclaimed "The Great War of Civilisation," he masterfully combines investigative journalism with historical analysis. The book explores significant events, including the Arab uprisings, the Syrian civil war, and the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
His writing is descriptive and, at the same time, unapologetically honest . He dares to challenge and denounce the colonial and neo-colonial powers of the West and their subterfuges in the Middle Eastern region while offering a quite biting account of the imperialist’s interferences.The narratives are brought to life with vivid, on-the-ground reporting, focusing not only on geopolitical matters but also on the personal stories of ordinary people caught in these conflicts.
The book’s strength lies in its clear and direct approach. He doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of war, occupation, and violence, revealing the deep scars left by decades of turmoil. The book also does a fantastic job of blending on-the-ground reporting with historical analysis for the audience’s benefit to explain the area’s dynamics.
The book can feel elaborated and long due to the sheer volume of historical details and conflicts covered, which might deter readers looking for a lighter narrative. While his passion is compelling, his critical stance on Western policies might feel overly one-sided for those seeking a more balanced perspective.
In conclusion, it is a hard-hitting, bold, well-researched book of Middle Eastern conflicts, focusing the deep-rooted consequences of Western interference in the region. It is a thought-provoking final work from the author, ideal for readers interested in history, international affairs, foreign invasions and fearless journalism.
His writing is descriptive and, at the same time, unapologetically honest . He dares to challenge and denounce the colonial and neo-colonial powers of the West and their subterfuges in the Middle Eastern region while offering a quite biting account of the imperialist’s interferences.The narratives are brought to life with vivid, on-the-ground reporting, focusing not only on geopolitical matters but also on the personal stories of ordinary people caught in these conflicts.
The book’s strength lies in its clear and direct approach. He doesn't shy away from the harsh realities of war, occupation, and violence, revealing the deep scars left by decades of turmoil. The book also does a fantastic job of blending on-the-ground reporting with historical analysis for the audience’s benefit to explain the area’s dynamics.
The book can feel elaborated and long due to the sheer volume of historical details and conflicts covered, which might deter readers looking for a lighter narrative. While his passion is compelling, his critical stance on Western policies might feel overly one-sided for those seeking a more balanced perspective.
In conclusion, it is a hard-hitting, bold, well-researched book of Middle Eastern conflicts, focusing the deep-rooted consequences of Western interference in the region. It is a thought-provoking final work from the author, ideal for readers interested in history, international affairs, foreign invasions and fearless journalism.
March 25, 2025
A valuable account of the major wars, civil wars, coups and uprisings in the Middle East, mainly during the period 2000-2020, although Fisk often goes back much earlier in giving the historical background of the conflicts. A lot of the book is based on Fisk's own first-hand reporting, which gives it a much more immediate quality than most popular history.
The book is packed full of exposures of the lies and hypocrisy of the United States and British imperialism, as well as the lies of the Zionist regime in Israel. The sections on the 2003 invasion of Iraq are particularly vivid and horrifying. It is worth being reminded of just how depraved the US and its "coalition of the willing" were.
Other topics include Israel's repeated attacks on Gaza, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and the relationship between Israel and its western backers. In light of the continuing Gaza genocide, these parts of the book are chilling. One can see very clearly how history has built up to this point.
The chapters dealing with the Egyptian revolution of 2011, and how it was brutally crushed with the support of the west, are very powerful. And the chapters on the wars of regime change in Libya and Syria are especially valuable, in debunking the misconceptions and lies that these were some kind of popular revolution.
It should be stressed that Fisk is just as thorough and unsparing in documenting the atrocities carried out by Saddam Hussein, Gaddafi, al-Assad and other Middle Eastern dictators, as he is on the crimes of the US and Israel.
The book suffers from the lack of any real political perspective other than pessimism. But it should still be widely read.
The book is packed full of exposures of the lies and hypocrisy of the United States and British imperialism, as well as the lies of the Zionist regime in Israel. The sections on the 2003 invasion of Iraq are particularly vivid and horrifying. It is worth being reminded of just how depraved the US and its "coalition of the willing" were.
Other topics include Israel's repeated attacks on Gaza, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, and the relationship between Israel and its western backers. In light of the continuing Gaza genocide, these parts of the book are chilling. One can see very clearly how history has built up to this point.
The chapters dealing with the Egyptian revolution of 2011, and how it was brutally crushed with the support of the west, are very powerful. And the chapters on the wars of regime change in Libya and Syria are especially valuable, in debunking the misconceptions and lies that these were some kind of popular revolution.
It should be stressed that Fisk is just as thorough and unsparing in documenting the atrocities carried out by Saddam Hussein, Gaddafi, al-Assad and other Middle Eastern dictators, as he is on the crimes of the US and Israel.
The book suffers from the lack of any real political perspective other than pessimism. But it should still be widely read.
August 23, 2024
Quite an extraordinary book by an amazing writer. Fisk combines deep historical knowledge, the personal history of a long-term resident with the authritative tone and clear writing style of a senior and very experienced foreign correspondent to produce a devastating review of foreign policy int he Middle East. It is a withering criticism and analysis of the region (and in particular, the involvement of the USA and Europe in the region) and exposes the cynicism and cruelty of the foreign policy of the great powers in the region.
He had almost unparalleled access to some of the main players in the region (including being one of the very few journalists to have interviewed Osama bin Laden post 9/11, and not just once) - and brings a perspective and depth of knowledge that few can match.
The book isn't perfect - perhaps suffering from final polish and editing, perhaps as a result of it being posthumously published? As such, it also seems at times a bit repetitive and its unrelievedly grim. But that seems to match quite well with its subject - a long unrelenting cycle of death, betrayal, cynical opportunism and war. Its not a happy read - but if you want to understand more about the region and its troubles, and why the issues seem so intractable, its essential reading. The USA, the UK, France, none of them come out well from this analysis, and after absorbing this, its hard to understand how we could ever resolve the issues in the Middle East, when the West is so implicit in its historical and ongoing problems. Depressing.
He had almost unparalleled access to some of the main players in the region (including being one of the very few journalists to have interviewed Osama bin Laden post 9/11, and not just once) - and brings a perspective and depth of knowledge that few can match.
The book isn't perfect - perhaps suffering from final polish and editing, perhaps as a result of it being posthumously published? As such, it also seems at times a bit repetitive and its unrelievedly grim. But that seems to match quite well with its subject - a long unrelenting cycle of death, betrayal, cynical opportunism and war. Its not a happy read - but if you want to understand more about the region and its troubles, and why the issues seem so intractable, its essential reading. The USA, the UK, France, none of them come out well from this analysis, and after absorbing this, its hard to understand how we could ever resolve the issues in the Middle East, when the West is so implicit in its historical and ongoing problems. Depressing.
November 21, 2024
“Wars come to an end. And that’s where history restarts.”
Night Of Power: The Betrayal Of The Middle East by the British war correspondent Robert Fisk, is a series of incisive and scholarly essays documenting the political situation in the Middle East. Combining journalism and historical research, the book brings out startling facts about how USA's faulty foreign policy has descended the entire Middle East region in a turmoil.
The book begins in the immediate aftermath of the Iraq War in 2003, the book through different episodes, looks at the foreign policy missteps in the Middle East. From the ill advised Iraq War and hanging of Saddam Hussein, the war crimes by US Army, the corruption and the lies, the wanton destruction of life and property and the rise of extreme ideologies in form of Al Qaeda & ISIS, the book potrays the gruesome realities on the ground.
The book goes in-depth into several key events in the Middle East from Iraq War, Arab Spring and it's aftermath and also the historical background of the Israel-Palestine issue. The highlight of the book for me is that it's not just a narration of historical events but a look at the events through the human prism; from the deaths, the sufferings, the war crimes and the atrocities, which he pins solely on the West's policies. The book rarely holds back on questioning the hypocrisy and incompetence of the world powers for the current mess in the Middle East.
Overall, 'Night of Power' is a deeply insightful read about the events in the Middle East, uncovering several unknown and uncomfortable truths.
Night Of Power: The Betrayal Of The Middle East by the British war correspondent Robert Fisk, is a series of incisive and scholarly essays documenting the political situation in the Middle East. Combining journalism and historical research, the book brings out startling facts about how USA's faulty foreign policy has descended the entire Middle East region in a turmoil.
The book begins in the immediate aftermath of the Iraq War in 2003, the book through different episodes, looks at the foreign policy missteps in the Middle East. From the ill advised Iraq War and hanging of Saddam Hussein, the war crimes by US Army, the corruption and the lies, the wanton destruction of life and property and the rise of extreme ideologies in form of Al Qaeda & ISIS, the book potrays the gruesome realities on the ground.
The book goes in-depth into several key events in the Middle East from Iraq War, Arab Spring and it's aftermath and also the historical background of the Israel-Palestine issue. The highlight of the book for me is that it's not just a narration of historical events but a look at the events through the human prism; from the deaths, the sufferings, the war crimes and the atrocities, which he pins solely on the West's policies. The book rarely holds back on questioning the hypocrisy and incompetence of the world powers for the current mess in the Middle East.
Overall, 'Night of Power' is a deeply insightful read about the events in the Middle East, uncovering several unknown and uncomfortable truths.
December 29, 2024
Appreciative of journalists who courageously give their lives to attempt to tackle news in the Middle East, Robert Fisk gave decades to the cause, with Night of Power being his final word on the subject. I didn't think I would be able to get through a 500-page tome, but found myself compelled by the writing, as Fisk shared about many of the places where I've lived in the region. I liked the history and overview of the countries covered, but as I read on, I found myself thinking: In light of events of 2024, what does all this mean?
Fisk writes about powers that are now out of power (Hezballah, Assad in Syria, Hamas), so what do we have to learn from looking back? I think many will find that as outside sources indeed have interfered and harmed the people of the Middle East, not only will they continue to do so, but the people within the countries will continue to struggle as they have for centuries prior. This is a region of divided peoples, ethnically and religiously, and they will continue to struggle to make a way for their tribes and peoples.
With or without outside influences, this is a region of strife. As a follower of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, I know that he is the only answer. In the meantime, we'll continue to have need of reporters who can make sure the world is aware of what is happening in the narrow city streets, wide-open plains and deserts, and mountains of the land we call the Middle East. Though I didn't agree with him on everything, I am thankful for men like Robert Fisk and appreciate his work.
Fisk writes about powers that are now out of power (Hezballah, Assad in Syria, Hamas), so what do we have to learn from looking back? I think many will find that as outside sources indeed have interfered and harmed the people of the Middle East, not only will they continue to do so, but the people within the countries will continue to struggle as they have for centuries prior. This is a region of divided peoples, ethnically and religiously, and they will continue to struggle to make a way for their tribes and peoples.
With or without outside influences, this is a region of strife. As a follower of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, I know that he is the only answer. In the meantime, we'll continue to have need of reporters who can make sure the world is aware of what is happening in the narrow city streets, wide-open plains and deserts, and mountains of the land we call the Middle East. Though I didn't agree with him on everything, I am thankful for men like Robert Fisk and appreciate his work.
July 29, 2025
Having read Roberts 'The great war for civilization' and 'Pity the nation', I was thrilled to see this book come out, years after Mr Fisk's death.
Initially I was not massively impressed with the book, however as the book progressed, I became more and more impressed.
Some sections of the book were particularly important given where we find ourselves today. With Benny Morrison concluding that 'the non complession of the transfer was a mistake' - referring to the formation of Israel and removal of Palestinians. Well today in 2025 we are seeing the 'completing' of what began then.
Reading about the attempts to hold Israel to account for crimes committed in previous wars was very demoralising, when you wonder who will face justice for this current war. Perhaps the most important quote is found on pg 229. When referring to alternate solutions to the problem, Robert says some would favour ' transfer of Palestinians to Jordan'... ' in other words, expulsion. ethnic cleansing. But this could not happen we are told. The world would never allow such a crime against humanity to be repeated today. Really?". Unfortunately Roberts 'really' question was very well placed, given the current state of affairs.
I wish Robert was alive now to read his analsysis of Israels ongoing genocide, I wonder if it would give him any happiness to see today the UK state its plane to officially recognise Palestine in September. A great book by a great man.
Initially I was not massively impressed with the book, however as the book progressed, I became more and more impressed.
Some sections of the book were particularly important given where we find ourselves today. With Benny Morrison concluding that 'the non complession of the transfer was a mistake' - referring to the formation of Israel and removal of Palestinians. Well today in 2025 we are seeing the 'completing' of what began then.
Reading about the attempts to hold Israel to account for crimes committed in previous wars was very demoralising, when you wonder who will face justice for this current war. Perhaps the most important quote is found on pg 229. When referring to alternate solutions to the problem, Robert says some would favour ' transfer of Palestinians to Jordan'... ' in other words, expulsion. ethnic cleansing. But this could not happen we are told. The world would never allow such a crime against humanity to be repeated today. Really?". Unfortunately Roberts 'really' question was very well placed, given the current state of affairs.
I wish Robert was alive now to read his analsysis of Israels ongoing genocide, I wonder if it would give him any happiness to see today the UK state its plane to officially recognise Palestine in September. A great book by a great man.
June 18, 2025
"But all wars come to an end. And that’s where history restarts." With this quote from her late partner, journalist Robert Fisk, Nelofer Pazira-Fisk closes the monumental work "Night of Power"—a fitting end to a book that left me deeply shaken. One can only hope that his words may one day come true, especially in the Middle East, a region where peace seems almost inconceivable—thanks in no small part to decades of interventionist policies and warmongering by Western powers, particularly the United States.
And yet, after finishing this enormous tome, I find it hard to hold on to any hope that peace might be on the horizon. I’m no historian—I can’t claim to fully grasp what fragile structures still hold the Middle East together—but Fisk’s meticulous research, his firsthand experience, and his deeply reasoned, often uncomfortable conclusions are as compelling as they are disheartening.
As a reader, I would have welcomed a more condensed version of the book. I don’t need the hundredth account of torture or massacre to be convinced of the horrors and injustices. Still, I understand that Fisk aims for a nearly forensic documentation of events—a relentless accumulation of evidence. It’s this rigorous approach that makes the book a journalistic tour de force, but also, at times, almost unbearable to continue reading.
And yet, after finishing this enormous tome, I find it hard to hold on to any hope that peace might be on the horizon. I’m no historian—I can’t claim to fully grasp what fragile structures still hold the Middle East together—but Fisk’s meticulous research, his firsthand experience, and his deeply reasoned, often uncomfortable conclusions are as compelling as they are disheartening.
As a reader, I would have welcomed a more condensed version of the book. I don’t need the hundredth account of torture or massacre to be convinced of the horrors and injustices. Still, I understand that Fisk aims for a nearly forensic documentation of events—a relentless accumulation of evidence. It’s this rigorous approach that makes the book a journalistic tour de force, but also, at times, almost unbearable to continue reading.
June 30, 2025
“In war, the first casualty is truth” Aeschylus
“Night of Power: The Betrayal of the Middle East” is a powerful book that takes you through multiple examples of the cost of international interference in Middle Eastern states. Touching on Syria, Lebanon, Libya and Egypt, among others, Fisk has attempted to present both sides of the argument - a rarity in this day and age where the bias of the press is almost always pro-west and pro-Israeli (ie Zionist) and to attempt anything else is to risk censure and claims of being pro-terror.
This is not a book for the faint of heart since the subject matter is depressing and shocking by turns but it is informative and a read that I would recommend to anyone who wishes to be fully armed with facts rather than the more socially acceptable propaganda.
It is nothing less than a clarion call for people to realise that there is no right and wrong side to the Middle Eastern conflicts since the actions ON BOTH SIDES are equally reprehensible but it is time to call out those who hide their hypocrisy.
I cannot summarise this book any better than Fisk’s widow in the postscript:
“‘Night of Power: The Betrayal of the Middle East’ is both his plea for an end to Western interference and an account of human suffering due to the folly of war and propped up dictators. The media’s inadequate representation of the people in the Middle East is an extension of the same mindset that once colonised those lands.”
5 stars 🤓📚
#RobertFisk #nightofpower
#booksbooksbooks #bookish #bookaddict #reading #bookstagram #booktok #bookreview #bookdragon #bookworm #lovebooks #booklovers #booknerd #bibliophile #readingcommunity #bookrecs
#NonFiction #politics #themiddleeast #History
“Night of Power: The Betrayal of the Middle East” is a powerful book that takes you through multiple examples of the cost of international interference in Middle Eastern states. Touching on Syria, Lebanon, Libya and Egypt, among others, Fisk has attempted to present both sides of the argument - a rarity in this day and age where the bias of the press is almost always pro-west and pro-Israeli (ie Zionist) and to attempt anything else is to risk censure and claims of being pro-terror.
This is not a book for the faint of heart since the subject matter is depressing and shocking by turns but it is informative and a read that I would recommend to anyone who wishes to be fully armed with facts rather than the more socially acceptable propaganda.
It is nothing less than a clarion call for people to realise that there is no right and wrong side to the Middle Eastern conflicts since the actions ON BOTH SIDES are equally reprehensible but it is time to call out those who hide their hypocrisy.
I cannot summarise this book any better than Fisk’s widow in the postscript:
“‘Night of Power: The Betrayal of the Middle East’ is both his plea for an end to Western interference and an account of human suffering due to the folly of war and propped up dictators. The media’s inadequate representation of the people in the Middle East is an extension of the same mindset that once colonised those lands.”
5 stars 🤓📚
#RobertFisk #nightofpower
#booksbooksbooks #bookish #bookaddict #reading #bookstagram #booktok #bookreview #bookdragon #bookworm #lovebooks #booklovers #booknerd #bibliophile #readingcommunity #bookrecs
#NonFiction #politics #themiddleeast #History
July 26, 2025
I found out after reading that this was unfinished at the time the author died which I think might account for why I didn't like it. This book feels like a first draft, there's no running logic to it and it often feels you are jumping between these huge disparate historical events without explanation as to how they are linked.
At times it's overwhelmingly biased, to the extent I found myself doing a fact check every few pages and frequently finding out the information was incomplete or without context. For instance if you're going to describe a group as being motivated by "pathological" hatred of a group, it might be useful to explain the political context behind that motivation particularly when it lies in the famously very straightforward civil war in Lebanon. The book's metric of who is evil, and who is inextricably bound to a certain path by circumstance regardless of outcome, bends depending on what group the perpetrator belongs to and I think this undermined my ability to buy into analysis made.
I'm sure Fisk is a great journalist and I might try reading his earlier work, but overall I was quite disappointed by this.
At times it's overwhelmingly biased, to the extent I found myself doing a fact check every few pages and frequently finding out the information was incomplete or without context. For instance if you're going to describe a group as being motivated by "pathological" hatred of a group, it might be useful to explain the political context behind that motivation particularly when it lies in the famously very straightforward civil war in Lebanon. The book's metric of who is evil, and who is inextricably bound to a certain path by circumstance regardless of outcome, bends depending on what group the perpetrator belongs to and I think this undermined my ability to buy into analysis made.
I'm sure Fisk is a great journalist and I might try reading his earlier work, but overall I was quite disappointed by this.
December 8, 2024
Night of Power: The Betrayal of the Middle East is the final work from renowned journalist Robert Fisk, following his internationally bestselling book The Great War of Civilisation. The book chronicles Fisk's rigorous journalism, historical analysis, and eyewitness reporting from the Middle East, focusing on the West's ongoing interference and uncovering complex and uncomfortable truths rarely featured in traditional news coverage. With a foreword from fellow Middle East correspondent and former colleague Patrick Cockburn, Night of Power serves as an essential and final account from one of the world's finest journalists. Fisk was a vocal critic of the Iraq War, arguing that the war was driven by American self-interest and would end badly. The book explores significant historical events and themes related to the region, including the Iraq War, the Arab Spring, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and the Syrian Civil War.
June 9, 2025
I have just finished reading this book with a tear in my eye. No longer will I read such powerful, passionate, unflinching, compelling and brave journalism. The plight of the Middle East has been at the forefront of my mind since Pity The Nation opened my eyes to the blind hypocrisy and misguided interventions by the West as a teen in Glasgow in 1990. Glasgow was enjoying it's status as European City of Culture. Fisk was relentlessly reporting first hand on the horror and destruction he was witnessing all around his Beirut home. I bought his newspapers purely and solely for his journalism. There was something otherworldly reading his accounts because he was alone in reporting such graphic, deeply human accounts of those caught up in a humanitarian nightmare, often friends, neighbours and acquaintances. His was unique, living, breathing conflict journalism which has inspired all who have followed but yet few can convey with the depth and the conviction of Robert Fisk.
December 11, 2024
The Night of Power is a bold and unflinching examination of the Middle East and its tragic betrayals. Fisk’s work is characterized by his relentless pursuit of truth, which made him equally unpopular with Western powers and authoritarian regimes in the region. He exposes the glaring contradictions of Western policies—championing democracy while steadfastly supporting Israel and backing repressive, handpicked leaders in the Middle East.
Through vivid storytelling and incisive analysis, Fisk shines a light on the human cost of these hypocrisies. His ability to weave history, geopolitics, and the voices of ordinary people into a cohesive narrative is both heartbreaking and enlightening. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the roots of the region’s turmoil and the global forces complicit in its suffering.
Through vivid storytelling and incisive analysis, Fisk shines a light on the human cost of these hypocrisies. His ability to weave history, geopolitics, and the voices of ordinary people into a cohesive narrative is both heartbreaking and enlightening. This book is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the roots of the region’s turmoil and the global forces complicit in its suffering.
May 17, 2025
Fisk can be overbearing at times, but understandably so given the hypocrisy of US and European exceptionalism. It's easy to understand why he was so unpopular in powerful circles because, like a good journalist should, he constantly asked questions that needed to be asked and called out the hypocritical responses he routinely received. The same treatment is currently being given to anyone who dares question Bibi's policy of indiscriminate violence toward the Palestinian people. That and so many other things about the Middle East are almost enough to make one believe the less "religion" you have, the better person you are.
October 11, 2025
Love hurts
As humans we only hurt because we love, our families, our homes our nations. This book is about a world of hurt that cannot be understood by a westerner such as myself, about people decimated by war. Tribalism, religion, despotic power and complete disregard for our fellow man are features of the Middle East and the meddling disinterested impotent west. Don't read this unless you have a strong constitution and a good heart. If you are already a hater, leave it alone, it will do you no good.
As humans we only hurt because we love, our families, our homes our nations. This book is about a world of hurt that cannot be understood by a westerner such as myself, about people decimated by war. Tribalism, religion, despotic power and complete disregard for our fellow man are features of the Middle East and the meddling disinterested impotent west. Don't read this unless you have a strong constitution and a good heart. If you are already a hater, leave it alone, it will do you no good.
October 18, 2024
Courageous, well informed, fearless, a journalist like no other. Robert Fisk shone a light throughout his life. If you didn’t see that light then you are probably less well informed than you might like to be. Like all of his other books this was a masterpiece of journalism. His books read like the most gripping novels. I am not a fan of the word “Unputdownable” but in his case I make an exception. We lost this most extraordinary writer too soon. Read it, then weep.
November 28, 2024
It's a bit lacking in structure, there isn't a clear thread through the book and I think you have to have quite a lot of background knowledge to follow the narrative. But some of the chapters are great, for example about Israel/Palestine and the Syrian war. Robert's fight for the truth to be heard and his relentless search for it also shines through, a remarkable man and humanitarian he was.
November 21, 2024
In a hundred years time this book will be read as a factual historical account of the middle east and not the finessed fiction manufactured by sententious self righteous power addled despotic zealots, plotting revenge to the power of infinity. It was Gibbonian in its prose.
May 7, 2025
I am regularly told by a lot of my Arab friends that Robert Fisk is the only European or western journalist they trust to write objectively about their homelands. I cannot think of a better recommendation.
August 6, 2025
A tough to read touch with reality about Fisk's experiences, specifically more recent Arab geopolitical history post-9/11. Quite a poignant read especially considering the current climate regarding Palestine
December 4, 2024
I wish he lived long enough to write the history of the Gaza genocide and Zionism exposure and slow and bloody cancerous death.
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