The Age of the Warrior: Selected Essays by Robert Fisk

Robert Fisk has reported from the Middle East for thirty-two years and covered eleven major wars. Britains most celebrated foreign correspondent, he is allowed unique freedom to speak out against what he sees as the fraud and injustices of a world in which consent has become automatic. In a journalistic age in which even the mildest criticism of authority is considered subversive, Fisks reporting is more vital than ever. In The Age of the Warrior, Fisks eloquent and far-ranging articles on international politics have been brought together in a single volume for the first time. He takes us from the London bombings to the streets of Lebanon, from war-torn Iraq to the squalor of Gaza, offering courageous eyewitness accounts of our bloodstained past and present. A collection of remarkable breadth and power from one of the most popular, provocative, and indefatigable journalists, The Age of the Warrior is indispensable reading for our complex, battle-scarred world. CONTENTS......Page 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS......Page 12 PREFACE......Page 14 1. A firestorm coming......Page 20 Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war......Page 21 Flirting with the enemy......Page 33 'Thank you, Mr Clinton, for the kind words'......Page 39 Brace yourself for Part Two of the War for Civilisation......Page 44 The pit of desperation......Page 48 The lies leaders tell when they want to go to war......Page 53 'You are not welcome'......Page 57 Be very afraid: Bush Productions is preparing to go into action......Page 61 'Our guys may kick them around a little ...'......Page 65 The wind from the East......Page 70 2. Publish and be damned? Or stay silent?......Page 74 So let me denounce genocide from the dock......Page 75 You're talking nonsense, Mr Ambassador......Page 79 Armenia's 1,500,001st genocide victim......Page 83 Sneaking a book out in silence......Page 85 'A conflict of interest'......Page 89 Bravery, tears and broken dreams......Page 93 A holocaust denier in the White House......Page 97 3. Words, words, words .........Page 102 Hack blasts local rags......Page 103 We should have listened to Bin Laden......Page 115 The jargon disease......Page 120 Poisonous academics and their claptrap of exclusion......Page 124 Soft words – hard questions......Page 128 The pen, the telex, the phone and the despised e-mail......Page 132 The forgotten art of handwriting......Page 136 'Believe it or not!'......Page 140 Murder is murder is murder .........Page 144 Ah, Mary, you poor diddums......Page 148 'A very edgy situation'......Page 152 'Abu Henry': what diplomats can get up to......Page 156 A lesson from the Holocaust......Page 160 4. Cinema begins to mirror the world......Page 164 Applause from the Muslims of Beirut......Page 166 Saladin's eyes......Page 170 My challenge for Steven Spielberg......Page 174 Da Vinci shit......Page 178 We've all been veiled from the truth......Page 182 When art is incapable of matching life......Page 186 A policeman's lot is not a happy one......Page 190 Take a beautiful woman to the cinema......Page 194 A river through time......Page 198 5. The greatest crisis since the last greatest crisis......Page 204 A long and honourable tradition of smearing the dead......Page 205 Tricky stuff, evil......Page 210 'Middle East hope!' – 'Europe in crisis!'......Page 214 A poet on the run in Fortress Europe......Page 218 6. When I was a child ... I understood as a child......Page 222 Another of Arthur's damned farthings......Page 223 First mate Edward Fisk......Page 227 'Come on, Sutton!'......Page 231 Cold war nights......Page 235 'All this talk of special trains ...'......Page 239 Fear of flying......Page 243 7. The old mandates......Page 246 God damn that democracy......Page 247 Gold-plated taps......Page 251 The man who will never apologise......Page 255 The 'lady' in seat 1K......Page 258 Whatever you do, don't mention the war......Page 261 'The best defender on earth of Lebanon's sovereignty'......Page 266 Alphonse Bechir's spectacles......Page 270 The cat who ate missile wire for breakfast......Page 273 The torturer who lived near the theatre......Page 276 The temple of truth......Page 280 We are all Rifaats now......Page 284 The ministry of fear......Page 288 'We have all made our wills'......Page 292 'Duty unto death' and the United Nations......Page 295 8. The cult of cruelty......Page 300 The age of the warrior......Page 301 Torture's out – abuse is in......Page 305 'The truth, the truth!'......Page 309 Crusaders of the 'Green Zone'......Page 313 Paradise in Hell......Page 317 'Bush is a revelatory at bedtime'......Page 321 The worse it gets, the bigger the lies......Page 325 Let's have more martyrs!......Page 330 The flying carpet......Page 334 The show must go on......Page 338 'He was killed by the enemy' – but all is well in Iraq......Page 342 9. We have lost our faith and they have not......Page 346 God and the devil......Page 348 The childishness of civilisations......Page 352 Look in the mirror......Page 355 Smashing history......Page 359 So now it's 'brown-skinned'......Page 363 The 'faith' question......Page 367 Hatred on a map......Page 370 'If you bomb our cities, we will bomb yours'......Page 374 The lies of racists......Page 377 Dreamology......Page 380 10. 'A thing invulnerable'......Page 386 What the Romans would have thought of Iraq......Page 387 In memoriam......Page 391 Read Lawrence of Arabia......Page 395 A peek into the Fascist era......Page 399 Who now cries for the dead of Waterloo?......Page 403 Witnesses to genocide: a dark tale from Switzerland......Page 407 'You can tell a soldier to burn a village ...'......Page 411 Should journalists testify at war crimes trials?......Page 414 Where are the great men of today?......Page 418 11. America, America......Page 422 Free speech......Page 423 It's a draw!......Page 427 Fear and loathing on an American campus......Page 431 How Muslim middle America made me feel safer......Page 435 Will the media boys and girls catch up?......Page 439 Brazil, America and the Seven Pillars of Wisdom......Page 443 From Cairo to Valdosta......Page 447 Trying to get into America......Page 451 12. Unanswered questions......Page 456 Is the problem weather? Or is it war?......Page 457 Fear climate change, not our enemies......Page 460 Just who creates reality?......Page 464 A letter from Mrs Irvine......Page 468 Who killed Benazir?......Page 472 The strange case of Gunner Wills......Page 476 13. The last enemy......Page 480 In the Colosseum, thoughts turn to death......Page 482 Dead heroes and living memories......Page 486 The ship that stands upright at the bottom of the Sea......Page 490 'Thanks, Bruce'......Page 494 Those who went before us......Page 498 Farewell, Ane-Karine......Page 502 They told Andrea that Chris had not suffered......Page 506 POSTSCRIPT: The dilution of memory......Page 510 A street named Pétain and the woman he sent to Auschwitz......Page 511 'I am the girl of Irène Némirovsky'......Page 515 A......Page 518 B......Page 520 C......Page 522 D......Page 524 F......Page 525 G......Page 526 H......Page 527 I......Page 528 J......Page 529 K......Page 530 L......Page 531 M......Page 532 N......Page 533 P......Page 534 R......Page 535 S......Page 536 U......Page 539 W......Page 540 Z......Page 541 CONTENTS 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 12 PREFACE 14 1. A firestorm coming 20 Cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war 21 Flirting with the enemy 33 'Thank you, Mr Clinton, for the kind words' 39 Brace yourself for Part Two of the War for Civilisation 44 The pit of desperation 48 The lies leaders tell when they want to go to war 53 'You are not welcome' 57 Be very afraid: Bush Productions is preparing to go into action 61 'Our guys may kick them around a little ...' 65 The wind from the East 70 2. Publish and be damned? Or stay silent? 74 So let me denounce genocide from the dock 75 You're talking nonsense, Mr Ambassador 79 Armenia's 1,500,001st genocide victim 83 Sneaking a book out in silence 85 'A conflict of interest' 89 Bravery, tears and broken dreams 93 A holocaust denier in the White House 97 3. Words, words, words ... 102 Hack blasts local rags 103 We should have listened to Bin Laden 115 The jargon disease 120 Poisonous academics and their claptrap of exclusion 124 Soft words – hard questions 128 The pen, the telex, the phone and the despised e-mail 132 The forgotten art of handwriting 136 'Believe it or not!' 140 Murder is murder is murder ... 144 Ah, Mary, you poor diddums 148 'A very edgy situation' 152 'Abu Henry': what diplomats can get up to 156 A lesson from the Holocaust 160 4. Cinema begins to mirror the world 164 Applause from the Muslims of Beirut 166 Saladin's eyes 170 My challenge for Steven Spielberg 174 Da Vinci shit 178 We've all been veiled from the truth 182 When art is incapable of matching life 186 A policeman's lot is not a happy one 190 Take a beautiful woman to the cinema 194 A river through time 198 5. The greatest crisis since the last greatest crisis 204 A long and honourable tradition of smearing the dead 205 Tricky stuff, evil 210 'Middle East hope!' – 'Europe in crisis!' 214 A poet on the run in Fortress Europe 218 6. When I was a child ... I understood as a child 222 Another of Arthur's damned farthings 223 First mate Edward Fisk 227 'Come on, Sutton!' 231 Cold war nights 235 'All this talk of special trains ...' 239 Fear of flying 243 7. The old mandates 246 God damn that democracy 247 Gold-plated taps 251 The man who will never apologise 255 The 'lady' in seat 1K 258 Whatever you do, don't mention the war 261 'The best defender on earth of Lebanon's sovereignty' 266 Alphonse Bechir's spectacles 270 The cat who ate missile wire for breakfast 273 The torturer who lived near the theatre 276 The temple of truth 280 We are all Rifaats now 284 The ministry of fear 288 'We have all made our wills' 292 'Duty unto death' and the United Nations 295 8. The cult of cruelty 300 The age of the warrior 301 Torture's out – abuse is in 305 'The truth, the truth!' 309 Crusaders of the 'Green Zone' 313 Paradise in Hell 317 'Bush is a revelatory at bedtime' 321 The worse it gets, the bigger the lies 325 Let's have more martyrs! 330 The flying carpet 334 The show must go on 338 'He was killed by the enemy' – but all is well in Iraq 342 9. We have lost our faith and they have not 346 God and the devil 348 The childishness of civilisations 352 Look in the mirror 355 Smashing history 359 So now it's 'brown-skinned' 363 The 'faith' question 367 Hatred on a map 370 'If you bomb our cities, we will bomb yours' 374 The lies of racists 377 Dreamology 380 10. 'A thing invulnerable' 386 What the Romans would have thought of Iraq 387 In memoriam 391 Read Lawrence of Arabia 395 A peek into the Fascist era 399 Who now cries for the dead of Waterloo? 403 Witnesses to genocide: a dark tale from Switzerland 407 'You can tell a soldier to burn a village ...' 411 Should journalists testify at war crimes trials? 414 Where are the great men of today? 418 11. America, America 422 Free speech 423 It's a draw! 427 Fear and loathing on an American campus 431 How Muslim middle America made me feel safer 435 Will the media boys and girls catch up? 439 Brazil, America and the Seven Pillars of Wisdom 443 From Cairo to Valdosta 447 Trying to get into America 451 12. Unanswered questions 456 Is the problem weather? Or is it war? 457 Fear climate change, not our enemies 460 Just who creates reality? 464 A letter from Mrs Irvine 468 Who killed Benazir? 472 The strange case of Gunner Wills 476 13. The last enemy 480 In the Colosseum, thoughts turn to death 482 Dead heroes and living memories 486 The ship that stands upright at the bottom of the Sea 490 'Thanks, Bruce' 494 Those who went before us 498 Farewell, Ane-Karine 502 They told Andrea that Chris had not suffered 506 POSTSCRIPT: The dilution of memory 510 A street named Pétain and the woman he sent to Auschwitz 511 'I am the girl of Irène Némirovsky' 515 INDEX 518 A 518 B 520 C 522 D 524 E 525 F 525 G 526 H 527 I 528 J 529 K 530 L 531 M 532 N 533 O 534 P 534 Q 535 R 535 S 536 T 539 U 539 V 540 W 540 Y 541 Z 541 Robert Fisk has amassed a massive and devoted global readership with his eloquent and far-ranging articles on international politics. Now, for the first time, his brave and incisive essays have been collected in a single volume that ranges in scope from the recent war in Lebanon to the rise of Hamas; from the invasion of Kuwait to the looting of Baghdad; from America's imperial ambitions to the inescapable influence of the Treaty of Versailles. Taken together, these articles form an unparalleled account of our war-torn recent history