Bookshelf

The following are books which recently took a cozy spot in my bookshelf. I allowed my humble self, with all due respect for the authors, to review some of them. Click on any of the categories to go on.

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Saddam’s Secrets

by General Georges Sada (2006)

Ladislas' review (2011): General Sada started from the bottom in the Iraqi Air Force and through hard work and labour reached the rank of multiple star general. He was, and still is, recognized as one of Iraq’s greatest pilots, having had numerous successes and being the most qualified in terms of training on Russian aircrafts. As a General in Saddam’s airforce, he was repeatedly retired and rehired as the main Gentleman at times despised his honesty, and at other times dearly needed it. His accounts of the internal workings of the Baath Party and of president-for-life Hussein’s psychology were quite enlightning. Interestingly, he also claims that the famous WMDs Mr Bush was looking for did in fact exist. They were supposedly shipped to the Baathist Syrian regime before the second Gulf War.
All of this sounds great. However, and this is a big however, the general is too pro-American and pro-Israel to have any credibility taking the context into account. He also happened to collaborate suspiciously too closely with American Evangelicals, who are known for their very dogmatic and slimplistic approach to foreign affairs. He cannot spend a single page without mentioning how God helped him and how the coalition coming to rid Iraq of Saddam was God’s will and that it really needed to be done (really?). This is a fine comment, but he provides the reader with only anecdotes but no formal sources whatsoever.

The man is to be highly respected, but his closeness to the US government, strong links to American Evangelicals, and perpetual praise of President Bush’s decision to invade, rounded with the lack of sources, make this book a work of propaganda and interesting story telling rather than an objective analysis of the situation. Not recommended.

An Unpopular War - From Afkak to Bosbefok

 by JH Thompson (2006)

Ladislas' review (2010): This is the story of what most white South African males had to go through in the 70s and 80s. Fresh from high school, they were legally forced to take part in the 2-year National Service. This was not a French-type national service of good food and little activity in sleepy German or Guyana towns. Intense physical training, political brainwashing, followed by real-war action in Angola and “crowd control” in townships. This recent history has managed to be forgotten, if not erased, from the collective mind and this recollection is a reminder of both the good times and immense suffering this generation had to endure.

What makes this book stand from the rest is its structure. It is composed of testimonies, some anonimous, by veterans. Save the preface, at no point does the author say anything. All is done through the selection of exerpts amongst hundreds, if not thousands, of hours of testimonies. Hence, this never had the ambition of literary awards. The goal of the author was to let veterans share what they went through on a day to day basis. If the reader is able to handle the poor language, he/she will be able to admit that the objective was achieved.

The State of Africa – A history of Fifty Years of Independence

by Martin Meredith (2005)

Ladislas' review (2009): Seven hundred pages of history, interesting side-notes, speeches, and opinions reveal the complete tragedy that is Africa. From infinite promises at independence in the 1960s, gruesome civil wars, the struggle for democracy, Islamic fundamentalism in North Africa and Sudan, the AIDS crisis, to the hopelessness of such places as Mogadishu and the hope surrounding the newborn Rainbow Nation, this book covers it all. On a personal basis, the most enlightening was the detailed description of France's direct responsibility in the Rwandan Genocide. 

The author has a talent for summing up complex situations whilst still giving enough detail to activate emotions in the reader. Endless accounts of massive human rights' abuses result in this book not being adequate for sensible hearts. Stories of cannibalism, cruel tribal rituals, torture, and genocide abound. It is rather well researched though at times subjective. But then again, few literature exists on most of the subjects. Overall, this work is a nice effort, entertaining though disturbing. In the end, a general sense of despair for the black continent with remain in the reader's mind.

The Boer War

by Thomas Pakenham (1979)

Ladislas' review (2009): The Boer War from A to Z. The war seen from both the Boer and the British perspectives. Detailed accounts of not only the battles, but also of the political games, and social consequences. Having read many history books, I must admit that this one is on top of the crowd. Close to  every paragraph is referenced. References include previous research, testimonies, letters, speeches, army reports, etc.

With the amount of references, one could expect an academic work comprised of mostly hard facts, free from any emotions. Wrong. Mr. Pakenham managed to poetically mix research and novel-like writing; a truly rare feat in academic circles. Being a newbie in Boer War history, I came out of the read with extra knowledge and a sense of disgust towards the British Empire of the time and owners of mines who lobbied for this needless war for their own interests, whilst creating the first concentration camps in which tens of thousands of Boer women and children, and African natives, died; proof that gold and diamonds have been controlled by the same clique of cold-blooded killers, manipulators, and expansionists from the start.

This book manages to reach a level at which it is beyond simple research; I would use the expression “artistic masterpiece” to describe it. It is history itself.

The Ravens – Pilots of the Secret War of Laos

by Christopher Robbins (1988)

Ladislas' review (2009): During the Vietnam War, another front emerged in Laos. The North Vietnamese were using Laos for their Ho Chi Minh Trail and the US tried to stop this huge supply chain. This war was completely undercover and was a CIA lead operation. US pilots, “volunteers” stripped of all ID and US Army uniforms, were brought into Laos and subsequently called “The Ravens” for their lack of discipline and never-ending courage.

Just as much, this is the story of the Hmong Tribehillpeople, who combated fiercely to save their hills and mountains from the savagery of Communism. 

Mr. Robbins manages to compose in a way that is both emotional and well-researched; his sources are mostly declassified US documents. Most importantly, this book is a tribute to all the courageous American and Hmong soldiers who gave up their lives trying to save a people from the horrors of Communism.

Stasiland

by Anna Funde (2002)

Ladislas' review (2009): As the investigation of the Australian journalist takes place in the Eastern Germany of the late 90s, this book brought me sheer memories of my adolescent days spent there during the very same period. Descriptions of cities like Leipzig, Potsdam, Dresden, and East Berlin from a westerner's point of view resulted in strong emotions and my strongly identifying with the author. This results in an initially objective review being rather subjective.

The main focus was to investigate the impact that the infamous internal secret services of the the German Democratic Republic, the Stasi, had on the everyday lives of millions of citizens. Rather than bluntly stating raw figures, Funde went out of her way to interrogate and question both former victims and members of The Firm. Extremely personal stories of such people make the reader fully grasp the extent of the horrors that the Communists committed against their own people. Some people are often too quick to bury their past, by accusing a former generation, and this book is a reminder to all that the Stasi destroyed hundreds of thousands of lives through torture, blocking people from jobs and education among others. The after-effects are still being felt by many who must deal on a daily basis with the psychological burden associated with past privacy violations and physical abuses.

The awards Funde has received for this artwork are well-deserved and still an understatement of the grandiosity of her investigation.

The Communist Manifesto

by Frederik Engels & Karl Marx (1848)

Ladislas' review (2008): An interesting analysis of society though the constant angry tone makes it a stressful read. The theory may have some sort of value, but as its application almost always results in wide-scale crimes against humanity, I will refrain from using this work as an inspiration.

Jihad!

by Tom Carew (2000)

Ladislas' review (2008): Though all the characters have different names in reality, this is the true story of a member of the elite British SAS in the early 1980s. Tom Carew, was sent on a mission, by both Washington, DC., and London to go fetch information on the war being waged in Afghanistan by the Soviets. Following groups of Mujahideen in their daily lives and combat operations in Central Asia, Carew went about recuperating high-tech Soviet weapons for intelligence purposes. Then, he was in charge of creating training camps inside of Pakistan to prepare wannabe Mujahedeens for their upcoming task.

The storyline itself is rather captivating and the well-described combats relay the emotions of the British soldier. Too bad he doesn't offer much insight into Pashtu culture itself, though he spent months with them. Overall, it is well written, and if one is in search of a novel-like war book, without being too picky, it may very well do the job.

The Silent Steppe - The Memoir of a Kazakh Nomad under Stalin

by Mukhamet Shayakhmetov (2006)

Ladislas' review (2008): This autobiography is a moving account of the genocide orchestrated by Stalin's forced collectivization of Central Asia which killed at least one third of the Kazakh population. Mr. Shayakhmetov explains how his family, rather well-off for local standards, was punished and dispossessed of all belongings due to their classification as enemies of the people. He then goes on describing the collective farms which the Kazakhs, a nomadic people, had to live in. This catastrophic policy led to devastating famines. The book is well written, though the author most probably embellishes some of his accomplishments, in line with the traditional story-telling values in Kazakh culture. It is a must-read for anyone intrigued by the history of this increasingly self-assured and powerful republic.

The Trouble with Africa - Why Foreign Aid Isn't Working

by Robert Calderisi (2007)

Ladislas' review (2008): Mr. Calderisi's work can be depicted as controversial. Though his book offers captivating insights into the black continent's issues, the rather personal tone makes his arguments lose weight. He offers the reader fun anecdotes of his time in Africa, but hardly any hard evidence to back his proposals. Some accounts of little known conflicts can be interesting for non-Africa-experts but the overall  poor structure of the book makes it confusing at times. He ends with 10 proposals for aid and development agencies in Africa, though starting with them to then develop throughout the book would have been a wiser choice. Overall, not bad, but not worth mentioning in any type of serious research.

L'Empire Aliene - Le Systeme du Pouvoir Russe

by Arnaud Kalika (2008)

Ladislas' review (2008): This book has as a goal to explain how the Russian system works and who actually detains the power. The author analyzes not only Mr. Putin and his entourage, but also other institutions such as big business, think tanks, the army, the various intelligence agencies, and the Orthodox church to try to grasp which ones actually influence the Kremlin. The text being very well researched, the author cannot hide his background as an analyst at a top French think tank. I would definitely recommend this book to whomever is interested in Russian politics. Its objectivety, in contrast with most Western publications on the subject which are almost always blatantly anti-Russian, makes it a sound and sane read.