The Allies : The United States, Britain and Europe in the Aftermath of the Iraqi War - Hardcover

Shawcross, William

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1843542579 ISBN 13: 9781843542575

Publisher: Atlantic Books, 2003

Synopsis

Very good clean copy with content sound and unmarked.

About this title

Review:

William Shawcross first came to prominence with Sideshow, a ringing condemnation of Henry Kissinger and Richard Nixon's actions in Cambodia. This time around, however, he heartily endorses the military actions of the American government as it invades Iraq and ousts the regime of Saddam Hussein. Preemptive war, says Shawcross, is not the anomalous tactic that some of George W. Bush's critics might suggest but rather a necessary strategy in dealing with dangerous despots. Shawcross treads lightly on the dispute over the existence of weapons of mass destruction and the unsettled landscape of post-Saddam Iraq while describing at length the human rights crimes committed by Saddam and his sons Uday and Qusay to make the point that that the war was justified. Germany and France are cast here as unappreciative opportunists for their opposition to Bush. Chirac, in particular, is on the receiving end of much enmity by Shawcross who never misses a chance to cite nicknames like "Super Menteur" (Super Liar) or "The Crook" to describe the French president. Oddly, given the book's title and cover photo of Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair, there is little inside information on the relationship between the two men and the British and American decision makers that hasn't been well chronicled in mainstream news outlets' coverage of the war. This shallowness extends to the rest of Allies as well. One hopes for some innovative analysis or revolutionary research but Shawcross mostly just presents his opinion: that Saddam was dangerous, the Americans were right to remove him, and that the UN and much of Europe were wrong to object. Another problem with Allies is how fluid the situation in Iraq was as the book went to press. As a result, Shawcross's analysis runs the risk of being outdated and irrelevant within a comparatively short period of time. Allies is a quick read and Shawcross is a fine writer but one wishes that he could have provided more depth to such a complicated situation. --John Moe

About the Author:

William Shawcross is an internationally renowned commentator on issues of international law and policy.His Sideshow: Kissinger, Nixon and Destruction of Cambodia is considered by many to be the definitive evisceration of U.S. policy in South East Asia. His other books includes Deliver us from Evil: Warlords and Peacekeepers in a World of Endless Conflict ('the most readable account of peacekeeping you are ever likely to get your hands on' Financial Times), The Shah's Last Ride and The Quality of Mercy: Cambodia, Holocaust and Modern Conscience.

About this edition

• Publisher: Atlantic Books
• Publication date: 2003
• ISBN 10: 1843542579
• ISBN 13: 9781843542575
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 160