"And Then All Hell Broke Loose -- Two Decades in the Middle East" by Richard Engel

[Auggie]

Last edited Mon Feb 22, 2016, 11:05 AM - Edit history (1)

Engle was NBC's chief foreign correspondent in the Middle East. This book is a first-hand memoir of what he witnessed over two decades of reporting from Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Palestine, etc. -- framed by excellent historical context of the area dating back to the Ottoman Empire.

Riveting.

[Canadian Interloper]

1. Haven't read it yet, but looking forward to

Engel is one of the few "no-bullshit" reporters left.

[Auggie]

2. I'm about to read it for the second time ...

there's a lot to absorb. It's a good primer on the area dating from the Ottoman Empire (in addition to his first-hand accounts).

[LuckyLib]

3. He's also a fluent Arabic speaker (among other languages I suspect) and gets

that language and cultural differences are huge in national and Middle East politics.