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The Life of an Intrepid Traveler
After a debilitating accident, Frank Gardner, the BBC's security correspondent, has not stopped doing what he loves most: travel. A compilation of accounts from his travels to far off places, Far Horizons, is more than a diary accounting for Mr. Gardner's experiences abroad. In his latest book, the author revels in fond memories to propel himself forward in continuing to live his life as he did before.
My Master, My Friend
In a dank bug-infested prison some 50 miles from Istanbul, aspiring writer Orhan Kemal meets one of Turkey’s most famous poets, Nazim Hikmet. For Orhan, this is the meeting of his lifetime. For Nazim, this is an opportunity to shape who was to become one of Turkey’s most “foremost writers.” Orhan Kemal’s memoir, "In Jail with Nazim Hikmet," gives us insight into the lives of ordinary Turkish people during the long and painful period of nation building aggressively imposed by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, leader of the new Turkish republic. At the same time, we are drawn into prison life and the close friendships that make it bearable.
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Antidotes to Arab Malaise
The Arabs are a people whom both intrigue and confuse, by drawing attention to the most prominent experiences of the Arab people, Rogan's book The Arabs serves to clarify the paradox they often represent. For the West in particular Rogan’s work is essential in distilling lessons from the past. More than that, The Arabs is able to highlight the similarities of a complex and diverse people, demonstrating the threads that hold them together and create a common entity.
The Collapse of a Civilization
Eclipse of the Sunnis by Deborah Amos takes the reader on a whirlwind tour of post-invasion Iraq. She documents the political and cultural consequences of the Sunni community’s marginalization, both for Iraq and for the wider region. In the streets of Mosul and Baghdad we meet the victims of appalling sectarian violence. Further afield, in Damascus, Amman and Beirut, Amos illustrates the struggles and tragedies of the dispossessed Sunni community. In a book that must sound the death knell for any optimism about Iraq, the majority of Sunnis we meet have little intention of returning home. A lone Sunni filmmaker truly believes that Iraq can be rebuilt.
Once Burned, Twice Shy
The legacy of the Soviet Union’s 10-year incursion in Afghanistan and its humiliating defeat at the hands of the mujahideen lives on in the memory of many Russians today. Even post 9/11 Russia refused, and still refuses, to set foot in Afghanistan again, leaving the groundwork to the US-led coalition forces. The Carnegie Endowment report Afghanistan: A View from Moscow explains that, despite Russia’s hesitation to become involved, it does take an invested interest in the outcome of the war as Afghanistan presents several serious risks to its security and status in the region.
Inside the Green Revolution
Death to the Dictator! is a brave and moving eye witness account of last summer’s “Green Revolution” in Iran. The author takes the reader down Iran’s crowded streets and behind its notorious prison bars in a shock tactic to raise awareness of the regime’s horrific human rights abuses. Moqadam reveals the true story behind the demonstrations that brought swathes of the country to a standstill following the contested election results. This book is necessary in shedding light on a country that is strictly off-limits to a Western audience, giving Iran’s reformist movement the attention it deserves.
Engaging with Peace
How Enemies Become Friends mines the previously neglected study of peace and provides an original account of how nations can replace competition with lasting friendship. A senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former member of Clinton’s National Security Council, Kupchan is well placed to comment on matters of diplomacy. His case studies, which span centuries and continents, are convincing in demonstrating how peace is obtained and they have more similarities than one would imagine.
Forgive and Forget?
In Karstedt’s latest book, Legal Institutions and Collective Memories, the author explores the importance of the past on the prospects for reconciliation and stability, especially after traumatizing periods in history. Given the complicated, and often bellicose nature of most of the world’s history, Karstedt’s book is a timely philosophical analysis of how the past can be adequately dealt with so that communities may coexist peacefully.
From Oppression to Opportunity
In Kristof and WuDunn’s most recent book, Half the Sky, the author’s explore the different types of oppression that affect women around the world. What might at first appear to be a discouraging account of discrimination, however, is actually a book about opportunity. For these authors, empowering women is not only a solution to their own oppression; it also stands to do much for global challenges like poverty and security.
Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death
Roxana Saberi, the American-Iranian journalist that was imprisoned in Iran on allegations of espionage, has just released a book recounting her ordeal. In Between Two Worlds Saberi eloquently explores the reasons for her arrest, the emotional struggle that one encounters when losing their freedom, and the difficult quest of finding empowerment behind bars. A moving and informative read, Between Two Worlds is Saberi’s ode to the liberties that many of her compatriots left in Iran live without.
The Human Cost of Globalization
In a time shaped by globalization, women are migrating more than they have before. While the face of female immigration may be the executive on a business trip, the majority of women migrating face a much harsher reality. In Global Woman, Ehrenreich and Hochschild uncover the human costs of globalization, and explain why women are more likely to bare the burden of globalization than any other group.
Educating For Peace
Mortenson and Relin’s best seller Three Cups of Tea tells the story of how one man touched the lives of thousands of children by building schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. This story, however is more than just an inspirational tale, it provides important lessons on the possibilities of development initiatives and the challenges of implementing them the right way.
