No comments about Terrorism, Economic Development, and Political Openness.

5 comments about Arab Voices Speak to American Hearts.

1. Having worked with Arab and Arab Americans it seems that Samar through her interviews has portrayed the most realistic representation of Arab opinions I have seen from an American author. The diveristy of Arab perspectives, and the commonalities of American and Arab feelings have been very well covered. The idea of dialogue for understanding is so simple yet we still rely on our public leaders to do the learning for us. This book is a great first step for any American to begin understanding who this culture is, that we often times choose to call the enemy.



2. How fortunate we are to have someone who is actually ABLE to go to the Middle Eastern countries and initiate candid dialogue with normal (under the circumstances) every day people. Reading this book with an open mind and heart can accomplish nothing but - GOOD - in a country so evidently full of evil, ignorance, chicanery, and greed. Would that this were required reading in every American school. Then perhaps those so blinded or tricked by corporate-based propaganda would open their eyes and see what is right in front of them. If the poor grammar, MISspelling, and illiteracy evidenced in the gutless, negative reviews herein are examples of the typical American - the world is in worse shape than I thought. Be VERY afraid. But at least our illustrious author - is NOT



3. A must-read. This book is very important for every American to read. I truly wish there was a follow-up book written since the last elections. This is a thoughtful and enlightening book.



4. This author has been wrongfully slandred and acussed of many things that were all untrue. All pods have been attacked by one individual. If we do nothing our figures will continue to plummet. We must unite, with a retalitory strike, or we will never sell anothr copy. His MO is to write reviws using the authors name and make it look like someone else. The number one POD had to be removed because of this and any one of us could be next. His slandrs have gone from prank to criminl as he thretned
   n authr with racsts remaks. I have written in code because Amazn blocks certain words from being reviwed. My name will reval the culprit, my quots will be my emal, please repli. He must be stpped or our boks will suffr.



5. this book is insightful to all americans who wish to know how arabs view the american world and culture .this will make clear all the mis-judgements americans make of the arab world.its also important for arabs to read this book because it will help them know what questions americans have about the arab people,culture,politics and religion.

5 comments about Massacre in Munich: The Manhunt for the Killers Behind the 1972 Olympics Massacre.

1. Massacre in Munich is one of the most fascinating books on the murder of the Israeli Olympians in 1972 & the following manhunt by the Mossad. Abner, the somewhat reluctant Mossad agent, gives a thrilling account of how the murderers were killed. To date, it is one of the most accurate accounts of the Mossad strinking back to protect Isreali citizens. One of he most interesting sections is the epiloge where Bar-Zohar discusses criticizms of his book. Also, the prologue by Abner is a good report of his reasons of joining the team. Basically, in the light of the fanatical Islamo-fascist terrorism today, Abner would do it all again. Finally, the attitude of the Mossad, how they treated & abused their agents is quite an eye opener.



2. After reading 65% of this book, I put it down because it was not the book that the title had led me to expect, nor was it a book that I wanted to read. It is a multi-generational history of a particular family and their involvement in Palestinian terrorism. Munich is NOT the central focus of this book.



3. This is an interesting and well written history of the Salameh family and the Black September terrorist group; however, the focus is not strictly on the 1972 Olympic murders as the title would lead one to believe. After having finished the book, I have a much better understanding of the hostilities between the Palestinians and the Israelis, and the tragedy of the Israeli Olympians is only one of many. It also makes me believe even more that the United States' "war on terror" is not a war in the traditional sense, but a way of life for generations once the terrorists choose a target.



4. I cannot disagree strongly enough with the negative reviews of this book. I just completed it and I could not put it down. It is excellent and fills in many areas I had no knowledge of. I highly, highly recommend this book.



5. This is a well written and fast paced version of events surrounding Black September and the Munich Olympic Massacre and the aftermath. Well worth a read.

5 comments about Sword of Islam : Muslim Extremism from the Arab Conquests to the Attack on America.

1. Poorly researched, poorly written, full of inconsistencies and factual errors. Omissions and commissions are rampant. This is a scary state of affairs. If this was the source for the government evaluation of any historical/political conditions, hopefully it was not the only source. The author managed to confuse historical events and geographical facts in addition to his dismal attempts to use one thread to connect Nazis in South America with Bin Laden. He can not get a handle on what was in 1948, a United Nation's declaration of the partition, "Ashura" which was indicated at the time for accent of Mohammed to havens and Ali's death up to a conflicting dates for the death of king Hussein of Jordan. In addition, the book suffers from a marked lack of proper editing, many incorrect spellings (not due to translation)of Arabic words, and a mix-up that makes the reader think that there was more than one author, who did not use the same references. The only bright spot in Murphy's 367 pages is the last 10 pages, which spell out a futuristic flexible vision that is lacking throughout the whole book and Appendix II (which is co-authored by R. Don Green).
   
   Examples of the deficiencies in this book: many contradictory ideas in addressing one topic. There is also a lot of repetition and cutting and pasting. The excuse of poor translation and the use of a quotation from "Lawrence of Arabia" is a poor excuse for improper editing or revising of the text. This excuse still does not explain incorrect dates, and geographical mix up. Specific examples for the help needed:a. deficiencies in the translation/accurate editing: say "Tanzim" not "Tamzin". Do not add Al (The) to a noun (Fatah, Hizbollah, Mecca, Quarrish) it is like saying The New York. "Hawatmeh" and not "Hawatmen" p167. Mujahideen and not "Muhahideen al-Khalq" p158. Say Intifada neither "Infitidas" of Yassir Arafat nor "intifida"
   b. examples of historical mistakes: Prophet Mohammed did not ascend to heavens on "Ashura" (the tenth day of the first lunar month). Ashura is not the occasion of the death of Ali p165. "before his tragic death in 2000, King Hussein of Jordan.." p198. In Jordan, the death of King Hussein on February 7, 1999 brought crown prince..." p199. "The 1948 united Nations decision which set up the state of Israel also established the kingdom of Transjordan, now Jordan (Transjordan was established in 1920s). "Any chemist can cook anthrax" p 217.
   A selected quotation:
   "While the war of religion tore apart West Europe, and the Christian European which craze caused the deaths of unknown thousands... In a very real way, the Ottoman Empire represented a version of tolerant society that the West would not recognize until the Enlightenment of the 18th century and which today is endangered in the countries of the Arab World." p80



2. I must agree that there are several tangents and inconsistencies within the book. It does, however, raise some interesting intellectual theories on the origins of radical Islamic extremism. I would not use it as a primer to terrorism in the Middle East by any stretch of the word.



3. Sword of Islam Book Review
   
   
   Sword of Islam covers the topic of Muslim extremism in the Arab world. By reading the title Sword of Islam, the reader automatically notices that the author John F. Murphy Jr. is focusing on the militant side of Islam. The author tends to develop most of his points in a chronological order starting with the birth of Islam and ending with the September, 11th attacks. The author's stance is one of neutrality, meaning that he states the facts and allows the reader to develop his or her own ideas or biases.
   John F. Murphy Jr. structures this book in chronological order which one can attribute to his extensive background as a historian. Murphy is a military historian and the founder of a private research firm specializing in military history, guerilla warfare, and terrorism. Sword of Islam consists of 12 chapters which are divided up into three parts.
   The first part consists of chapters 1-3 which gives a little bit of insight on post WWII events, but its main focus is on the rise of militant Islam and the underlying factors. The second part consists of chapters 4-6 which covers Arab nationalism and the Arabs resentment towards those not of Arab descent or belonging to the Islamic religion. The last part consists of chapters 7-12 which discusses the bitter relationship between the U.S. and the Arab world.
   The major issue of this book is of course militant Islam, but by reading this one might learn what events caused the need for Arab nationalism, which led to the militant views. Murphy mentions the ninth surah of the Holy Quran which many Muslim extremists use today to verify their radical beliefs. He still argues that this verse which calls many of their followers to fight their enemies is not the primary reason for radical extremism. Murphy believes that it is a long series of events and conquests that caused the feelings of nationalism and militancy toward others. Especially the conquests of the Mongols, that rampaged through what is much of Iraq, Iran, and Afghanistan. Through these conquests he infers that the Islamic people began to have feelings of nationalism and began to follow the ideas of Genghis Khan, which was exterminating the enemy at all costs.
   The second major issue is the past and current relationship between the Arab nations and the Western world. Which Murphy explains in detail, the past events and underlying factors that led to this conflict. Events such as the forming of the Israel state and the U.S. playing a role in the Gulf War are just a few events Murphy brings up.
   Sword of Islam is a very hard book for the reader to "dive" into. Even though the content is not bad the book is filled with too many dates and insignificant, long, drawn out explanations of battles, that would not have hurt if he left them out. I do find it commendable that Murphy takes a neutral stance in writing this book, even though there were many anti-Arab feelings and propaganda during the time this book was written. All in all this is a very good book filled with a lot of information about the history of the militant side of Islam or it can be a good book if you want to relive a boring history class.



4. On this website, John F. Murphy, Jr., categorically denies any involvement with the CIA assigned to him by my prior review of this book, which incidentally was a favorable one. However, on the Website for Prometheus Books, the publisher of Sword of Islam, located at the following website:
   
   www.prometheusbooks.com/catalog/book_1189.html
   
   anyone including you can locate the following biographical sketch of John F. Murphy, Jr. the author of Sword of Islam:
   
   "John F. Murphy Jr. is a military historian and the founder and President of The Grenadier Company, a private research firm specializing in military history, international relations, guerilla warfare, and terrorism. He has authored two confidential reports for the CIA, has been a lecturer in European and American History at St. Joseph University and Drexel University in Philadelphia, and is a guest columnist and reporter for the Philadelphia Daily News. He is currently writing a two-volume history of the early American frontier for the University of Missouri Press."
   
   Thus, Murphy's own publisher advertises on his own website that "he has authored two confidential reports for the CIA" and that he runs a private firm "specializing in military history, international relations, guerilla warfare and terrorism" [sic].
   
   The connection between the author and professional intelligence gathering is altogether evident from his own publishing company's website. His own publisher admits and advertises that Murphy has been a contract employee of the CIA, writing at least two reports for them. I make no independent judgment of the truth or falsity of that information but merely repeat what his own publisher writes. Murphy's categorical denials, which he has repeated on this and many other websites, seem a little bizarre when you consider what his own publisher says on his own website about his CIA involvement.
   
   Despite Murphy's denials to the contrary, it is plain and obvious that despite his express disavowals to the contrary, he clearly is alleged by his publisher to have written (and to have gathered intelligence professionally) in the form of two confidential reports for one or more national intelligence agencies, and his other links to professional intelligence may be guessed at from the nature of his private consulting business and the fact that his viewpoints in this book are so violently pro-government and pro-CIA and anti-Muslim.
   
   In addition to the foregoing, this book was reviewed by the Weekly Intelligence Notes of the Association of Former Intelligence Officers ("AFIO") in its August 5, 2002 issue, located at:
   
   http://www.afio.com/sections/wins/2002/2002-31.html#Sword_Islam
   
   That Review stated:
   
   
   
   "SECTION IV - BOOKS AND SOURCES
   
   SWORD OF ISLAM: Muslim Extremism from the Arab conquests to the Attack on America, by John F. Murphy Jr., Prometheus Books, Amherst, NY 2002. ISBN 1-59102-010-7, with Appendices, Notes, Glossary, Index and Bibliography. This is a popular history, well researched and authentic, written clearly and well. John Murphy traces the intricate interconnections among various terrorist cells, and puts recent terrorist attacks in a historical context. The reader will find this useful in understanding the roots of Islamic extremism that has erupted periodically over the ages.
   Such subjects as the September 2, 1898 defeat of the Mahdiist army at Omdurman, Sudan, that spoiled an Islamic Messiah's efforts to 'liberate' the Moslem world from Western 'corruption' and colonial control, and the more recent violent acts by the PLO in trying to counter the Israeli occupation of Palestine, including the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics by the Moslem Black September group, as well as the author's description of bin Laden in terms of the historical context, are most interesting. Incidentally, the author, a military historian, is objective in pointing out that the other two religions bred in the deserts of the "Holy Land," Judaism and Christianity, also have produced their share of extremism and terrorism. This book is worth reading. (John Waller)
   
   [Editor Note: The author has arranged for AFIO Members to receive a 10% discount for orders placed directly with Prometheus at 1-800-421-0351, ext 214, as for Marcia Rogers]."
   
   Id. Mr. Murphy's disavowal of any involvement with the intelligence community is even more intriguing when one considers that the book was reviewed prominently by a magazine prominently devoted to the group "former intelligence officers". Now I draw no conclusions whether Mr. Murphy is one of these or not, but why would his book be reviewed in such a magazine unless he was a member of this community, a community of former intelligence officers? It seems a strange place to have an academic book reviewed under other circumstances. No other book was reviewed in the issue under consideration. Only Murphy's book was reviewed. But don't take my word for it; examine the evidence for yourself and then you decide if Murphy is telling the truth, or if the facts speak more plainly for themselves.
   
   In light of the clear evidence of the facts, I would kindly ask for an apology from Mr. Murphy, who clearly is somewhat wrong here. My review, to repeat, was POSITIVE of this book. Why Mr. Murphy seems to go to great lengths to deny his past work with the intelligence community, when simple computer searches amply reveal his connections, is curious.
   
   Moreover, if Mr. Murphy has no special government experience, then why is his point of view in this book special??? It would seem that the experience of writing for the CIA two intelligence reports would add, not subtract, to Mr. Murphy's qualifications as an author, as is amply noted in Prometheus Books' website.
   
   Murphy should admit what he did and when he did it. End of story. His disavowals are silly and misleading, and unfair to me and others who have even cursorily looked at this.
   
   
   --Arthur Kyriazis, book reviewer



5. I bought this book thinking that it would broaden my exposure to this important topic, but I couldn't even finish it. In my opinion, it was very poorly written. The topics jumped around frequently, and even the "transitions" didn't even flow. I didn't learn anything from this book, and saw what I thought were many inconsistencies in the information being presented. An example is whether or not the author was going to make up his mind that Russia and China were state sponsors of terrorism, or targets of terrorism. It would have been fine to present that as part of a complex argument in a world that is not black and white, but it was as if the author was passionately arguing both sides without recognizing the multifacted realpolitik involved.

No comments about New Media and the New Middle East (The Palgrave Macmillan Series in Internatioal Political Communication).

1 comments about Prophecies for the Era of Muslim Terror: A Torah Perspective on World Events.

1. While some of Rabbi Kohen's conclusions seem to be a stretch from the actual text, his analysis of the relationships between political events and natural disasters is amazing. One, two, or even three correlations may have been coincidental, but the number is far too great to be regarded as occurring by pure chance.
   
   Prophecies for the Era of Muslim Terror is thought provoking and revealing.

1 comments about Full Metal Panic! Volume 5.

1. Tessa and Chidori have been captured by the terrorist organization A-21 and are being used as pawns to get information out of Kalinin. Even if they can find a way to escape, Sosuke is missing, and might be dead, and A-21 is preparing to activate "The Behemoth", a monstrous Lambda driver mecha that makes Mithril's AS's look tiny by comparison. And its pilot is half insane because he needs drugs to pilot it. We also get some background on Tessa, something we never see in the anime version. Parts of this book have already been adapted in anime form but half of it has not, so if you liked the anime, you should check this out. The thing that I like about the manga is that Sosuke and Chidori's relationship has a lot more tenderness to it. There are moments such as them sheltering from a rainstorm and Sosuke offering her his sleeping bag and Chidori asking if she can use his lap as a pillow. There's also a lot of action here, so this would make a good read whether you're a guy or a girl.

5 comments about On Top of the World: Cantor Fitzgerald, Howard Lutnick, & 9/11: A Story of Loss & Renewal.

1. The reviews reproduced here are a tribute to Tom Barbash, just as Barbash wrote the book as a tribute -- and an exhoneration -- to his college buddy Howard Lutnick. Therein lies the tale. Barbash and Lutnick have artfully exploited the suffering of others -- one to write a book (and to promote a novel), the other to strike an innocent pose. It worked! Look at the reviews that blindly defend the book and charge that any criticism of it is tantamount to insensitivity toward the victims of 9/11!
   
   This is wonderful propaganda indeed, and if I were to grade it on that scale the book would get five stars. Lutnick's obsession with looking good and Barbash's equally atrocious commitment to whitewashing exploits grief as it turns anger onto others. Sickening.



2. This book is fabulous. As I read each page, the writer expressed the sorrow the people felt after this inhumane tragedy. Having worked in the bond market for 25 years, I was quite shocked when I read that if "Cantor" could not open and thus subsequentyly go under, the bond market would potentially collasped! Howard, you are a stronger man than you think. Although Mr. Lutnick lost so much on this day, he made the effort to put the company back together so that our free market economy would move on and prosper in the world. In my religion we refer to people like Howard Lutnik as "angels". Mr. Lutnik this book is so well worth the read! Many thanks for what you've done for our country, economy and your employees.



3. When it comes to the world of finance, I'm a total idiot. I also don't spend much time thinking of such things, since I've never had enough money to invest in a savings account, much less comodities. So some of what the story is about eludes me. I can't identify with the amount of dollars being discussed, or the money these people make, but they become human because of the pain they endured and the losses they suffered. Cantor Fitzgerald suffered potential fatal harm that day and the people who struggled to pull the company out of the ashes are to be commended, as well as consoled. I had difficulty putting the book down once I started reading it. It is compelling. This is one of the few 9/11 books that should make it to your reading list.



4. I actually got this book from the library, so I didn't actually buy it. But I wouldn't have felt bad about buying it, after reading it. Tom Barbash's writing makes you feel like you were right there interviewing and witnessing conversations with survivors and their families. I truely felt Howard Lutnick's loss for his brother and his other familiy at work. How mind blowing is it to know that almost 700 out of 1000 employees have died, and that you have to get your company back to what it was Sept. 10, 2 days after the attacks, so the Cantor families wouldn't be just put out in the cold. And during all of this, you still have to greave for your brother, best friend, and try to attend over 600 funerals of co-workers and friends you saw every day at work. It's a shame that the media tried to make Howard an escape goat. I've actually have a very different opinion now about Connie Chung than I did before. We always think the reporter, and especially a well known one, would give the audience all the facts instead of eskuing it to one side.
   Some reviewers have said it's a propaganda book--some propaganda book! The pain all these people went through are real. And I doubt that if that same reviewer was in Howard Lutnick's shoes, he would have done any better under the circumstances.
   In any event, the book was very eye opening and I have more of appreciation for the survivors and their feelings. I don't think I could now ask a Sept 11 survivior their story anymore. The healing has to begin somewhere, and after 5 years, I think it has begun.



5. This was a quick, very emotional read. Although it does look to put Cantor Fitzgerald in a positive light, I believe it's correct to do so after reading this book.
   
   Howard Lutnick faced loss, hearbreak, devastation, and choices that, hopefully, none of us will ever have to endure. I admire him for his courage, feel for his personal losses, and congratulate him on keeping his company (and, in turn, the families of those that were lost) together.
   
   A really good read.

1 comments about A History of Terrorism.

1. This book was first published in 1977, and has been republished with no apparent updating. The first chapter is a very short history of terrorism (19 pages). Chapter two looks at the history of the philosophy of terrorism, discussing terrorists from around the globe, through World War 2. Chapter 3 discusses the sociology of terrorism, examining the "who" and the "how." The fourth chapter focuses on the interpretations of terrorism, that is how terrorism is seen and understood, both in non-fiction (political science for the most part) and in fiction.

   I found this book to be a real mixed bag. Overall the author takes a holistic approach, which gave me the feeling that I now understand terrorism more deeply. Unfortunately, this approach also means that I do not feel like I learned much about the evolution of terrorism. The author moves from terrorist group to terrorist group often without giving any idea of the group's context. Therefore, while this is a fascinating book, I do not consider it a good history of terrorism-it's an examination of the forest that misses the trees.

   So, overall, I give this book a highly qualified recommendation.

4 comments about Guerilla Days in Ireland.

1. This on the scene writer grimly reveals the unbelieavable atrocities the English purpetrated on the Irish people in this century. This book is a beginning to the understanding of the relations between the English and the Irish. The actions taken by armed mercenaries, English military, and English puppet police against the Irish people in their own country is appalling and brings to mind Hitler's treatment of the Jews in Europe twenty years later. A must read for all who seek an understanding to the Anglo/Irish situation.



2. The incredible career of Tom Barry and that of the West Cork Flying Column is an inspirational example of what virtually untrained volunteers fighting for their families and their country can achieve, even in the face of overwhelming odds. The British had over 12,500 men in West Cork chasing after about 310 IRA Volunteers...and never defeated them. Barry discusses many military topics and personal thoughts which the student of Irish warrior traditions will find extremely helpful. Members of many guerrilla movements around the world have read and profited from the lessons in this book including Che Guevera (whose last name was "Lynch" thanks to his Irish grandfather) and the early Jewish guerrillas in the Irgun and Lehi. Anyone interested in understanding the mindset of Irishmen bent on taking a stance and fighting for what they believe in, will be well rewarded for reading this book.



3. The first problem with the two previous reviews is that they make no distinction between Loyalist (Protestant) and Republican (Catholic) Irishmen so claiming this book to be an account of "the unbelieavable atrocities the English purpetrated on the Irish people" or "The actions taken by armed mercenaries, English military, and English puppet police against the Irish people" or even "Anyone interested in understanding the mindset of Irishmen" is clearly wrong. This is the account of the Southern, Republican Irish on the events that took place and should not be accepted as Ireland's (as a whole) views as Protestant Northern Irish are loyal to Britain, not Ireland. Reading reviews on the books about the troubles it is striking how from people's locations and surnames they seem to have no link whatsoever to Ireland yet claim this book is the definitive account without any other evidence!!! Look into the situation for yourself. Who's asking for control of more land? That answer alone should tell you who the real aggressors are. The comment that this book "brings to mind Hitler's treatment of the Jews in Europe twenty years later" is one of the most absurd things I have ever heard. You're telling me that about 10million people were exterminated!?!? To this day Irelands population isn't close on that so I STRONGLY suggest you check your obscenely inaccurate views before posting a review that incredibly 8/12 people found useful!!!???!!! It is truly disgusting how World War II gets banded about as an example whenever an injustice occurs, you are souring the memory of those who truly had probably the worst human injustice ever done to any human beings. British rule of Ireland vs. Hitler's Nazi Germany. Only a fool would try to compare them. The main aim of this review is purely for people to understand this is a Southern, Republican Irish view on British actions in Ireland (therefore not taking into account Loyalist Irish views) and I will leave it to you to decide whether this account MAY have bias.



4. For the third reviewer : you don't need to be English , Russian , German or American to understand and condemn nazi or stalinist atrocities ; similarly , you don't need to be an Irishman to realize Britain's unfair , oppressive and intolerant rule of Ireland , not yet finished by the way . There's ample historical evidence of all kinds of wrong doing by the British during their centuries-long illegal occupation of Ireland , denial of elementary basic rights to the Irish (catholics obviously)and the establishment of an unnatural separation of the North from the South that it is still unresolved .
   
   Like any other country in the world , Britain has had brilliant pages in history and also dark , shameful ones , with their handling of the Irish case probably being the worst - to day .
   
   As for the book , I'll only say this : don't miss the opportunity to learn how a small group of determined men (basically peasants)were led with brilliance to defeat a much bigger , stronger and modern army . Probably much to the dismay of some , still today .