Castles’s Reviews > The Face of War > Status Update
6 likes · Like flag
Castles’s Previous Updates
Castles
is 90% done
I think that if Israel did not exist, the Arab leaders would have to invent it. It is the single imaginary enemy that unifies all their people. The Moslems of the Middle East quarrel among themselves, mistrust, assassinate, plot coups, change alliances, kill each other with ferocious energy; they can agree on nothing except their nourishing hatred for the Jews of Israel.
— Sep 04, 2026 04:48AM
Castles
is 85% done
There is something childish or lunatic in this, as if the Arab leaders thought war was a fatal game of marbles: just because you won doesn't mean you can keep my marbles, give me back my marbles right now until we get ready to play another game..
— Sep 04, 2026 02:23AM
Comments Showing 1-8 of 8 (8 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
epoqueepique
(new)
Aug 28, 2026 10:28PM
Hi Castles. Looking forward to reading your review of this book… I’ve always had the feeling Gellhorn was attracted to war zones not so much to cover the conflict but to lament the victims and blame the decision makers — which sounds a bit simplistic (and actually morally unfair) to me. I hope I got it wrong — in which case I will read the book :)
reply
|
flag
Hey époque, so far indeed she hold a somewhat simplistic views (war is bad! what do you know!), but her writing style is quite good and I suspect she's somewhere up there with the great journalists of the 20th century along with Ariana Fallaci and ryzrad kapuchinsky. I'm enjoying her style a lot!
Me too, very much appreciate Oriana Fallaci’s war reporting (and I should read her controversial book on Muslims), but much more still her (autobiographical) novel: The man (or A man?) !
oh yes, Fallaci is great, even in her angry late years. her interviews, her books... do try Ryzard Kapuchinsky though, his book on iran and his other works are really really good! one thing interesting about Gellhorn - she's been around since the spanish war which makes quite the interesting perspective. I'm enjoying it so far
I've never heard about Ryzard Kapuchinsky, and I'll give a look. Thank you for the recommendation!
you will definitely enjoy him! waiting for your take
Actually now that i have been looking for it, I recognize the yellow French cover from a very long time ago! Afraid of the author's bias in writing from the people's point of view mainly, as opposed to both the people and the Shah's political constraints (raisons d'Etat). Will read extracts.
epoqueepique wrote: "Actually now that i have been looking for it, I recognize the yellow French cover from a very long time ago! Afraid of the author's bias in writing from the people's point of view mainly, as oppos..."
oh the beauty of Ryzrad is totally not being the political side of anything, and somehow tell the truth about it all. really I do look forward to see what you think,. I hold him in a very high regard