The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East by Robert Fisk

Review by Gray Farris

The Short 

Focusing on foreign intervention in the Middle East, author Robert Fisk draws the reader into the world of those impacted domestically, showcasing both perspectives of citizens and those in power. Utilizing his own career experiences, Fisk is able to draft a more personal narrative of the deadly impacts from conflict.

The Long 

The Middle East is a complicated region that Fisk lays out from the first chapter to the closing. Destinations such as Iran, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, and Syria are brought to the reader as both a story of the past but also as modern events that Fisk is being exposed to. This story shows perspectives of both foreign intervention from the United States, Russia, and the United Kingdom, and domestic actors, such as tribal leaders, militant groups, and civilians. Fisk is exposed to range from situations as stressful as witnessing hand-to-hand combat to as calming as child’s pick-up soccer game. From the perspective of the reader, Fisk is weaving a narrative that is personal enough for engagement while providing substantive information regarding the issues of the Middle East.

To read or not to read? 

Read, but bring patience. Clocking in at over 1,000 pages of text, this book is a tough read but brings with it rewards. Taken from the perspective of a journalist who spent decades on the ground in the Middle East, this book allows a more concentrated view of the actors throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.