Customer Reviews

Hell Is Over: Voices of the Kurds after Saddam, An Oral History

5 star:		(24)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In the United States, war is almost always an abstraction, a mere state of mind that we conjure in the absence of the real horror of battlefields, bombed cities, or occupied lands. And in the case of "The War on Terror" and the US/Coalition military action in Iraq, we have difficulty even conjuring the truth of conflict as it is not only a half a world away but also taking place in a historical and political landscape about which we are largely ignorant.

Hell is Over: Voices of the Kurds After Saddam by Mike Tucker is a piece of vibrant primary source reporting to cure our ignorance and abstraction. Other than a short introduction and conclusion and vivid character sketches, this book consists solely of testimony from Iraqi Kurds regarding their life under Saddam Hussein, their multi-generational struggle for political freedom, their shoulder-to-shoulder support of American troops in Iraq, and the hope of their culture for freedom and justice after Saddam. The stories -- all quite short and without exception gripping -- form a small history lesson not only on an important part of the history of the Middle East but also on the mentality of the current insurgent forces in Iraq.

Mike Tucker has written about his experiences accompanying American and Asian troops in perilous guerrilla raids in a number of wars, but in this book he has the wisdom is sit back and listen. The "interviews" are (mostly) translated and then written out for the reader as uninterrupted monologue. They are gripping both because each one is distinct (Mr. Tucker having chosen an array of fascinating to characters to interview: war heroes, artists, feminist leaders, lawyers, even teenagers) and because the overall story they tell is coherent. The Kurds have been fighting the Ba'athists for years and have suffered unspeakable oppression and near genocide. But their courage and persistence made them an essential Coalition ally during our military operations. The Kurds -- the largest ethnic group in world without their own nation -- are a unique resource for the US, with intimate knowledge of the cultures, languages, landscapes and personalities Iraq. And the story they tell plainly illuminates why the current US effort is both righteous in ousting Saddam and failing as a daily counter-insurgency effort.

For me, the book succeeds not for political reasons but personal ones. The politics is a stand-off: the US's decision to go to Iraq is lauded by thankful Kurds even as they worry about the US betrayals of the Kurds in 1975 and 1991; then Mr. Tucker takes President Bush to task for failing to use Kurdish intelligence and wisdom to aggressively destroy Ba'athist insurgency. The personal stories, however, remind us that every dictatorship is a social tragedy and that every people dream of freedom and justice. The voices of the Kurds in Mike Tucker's book could be our voices or the voices of our neighbors. Depending on your view of the world, perhaps they are.

"Never again". Those were the two words on the minds of most Americans after the horrors of the Holocaust were seen. Yet this country, seeing the spectacle of Vietnam and suffering decades of permeating socialism, has lost the ability or the desire to stop a tyranny of that sort from occuring again. Thus this book was possible.

Call me a "neocon", but I believe, with public knowledge of the occurances described in this book and the commitment of that public to the notion that peace must not sacrifice freedom, we can prevent these happenings from repitition.

Never again.

No one can read these accounts of Kurdish genocide without being moved to compassion for a heroic people struggling against evil oppression.
Unlike many writers and journalists writing from Iraq, Tucker connects emotionally with each person he has interviewed, inviting an intimate glimpse of each person's experience.
It is difficult reading, at times, due to the horror of the crimes, but I recommend it wholeheartedly, especially for those seeking a better understanding of Iraq.
Kurdi zin duah, indeed.

Five Stars, and if I could give it five
thousand stars, I would. Fascinating book
by Mike Tucker. I agree totally with Jake,
Natalie and Maria. Please read their reviews,
they really see right to the heart of
this compelling oral history. Thank you, Natalie,
for spotlighting Shawn Macomber's review
on the web. It is, indeed, stunning. And
Tucker deserves high praise, yes indeed.
We never would've had the chance to hear,
right from Iraqi Kurds, of what they
suffered under Saddam's terrifying regime,
if Tucker had not made his epic journey.
And he stayed in Iraq with our
fighting men, with our elite US
paratroopers and US Army Special
Forces. Amazing. Like Maria,
I could not put this book down.
And Hemingway is back, for sure!
Tucker's style owes much to Hemingway,
but Tucker's own poetic,lyrical voice
comes shining through. My husband has
Mr. Tucker's work from behind Burmese
Army lines, THE LONG PATROL, and
I must say bravo to Mr. Tucker,
for risking his life in Burma
and Iraq to investigate war crimes.
I cannot recommend too strongly
the need for Americans, especially,
to read HELL IS OVER and listen
to the Kurds talk of how they fought
against Saddam's Ba athist dictatorship
for so many years, in what the rest
of the world deemed a lost cause.
But lost causes are the ones most
worth fighting for, I say.
And HELL IS OVER fights for
the Kurds, in the way of Hemingway
and so many authors of moral courage
throughout history. It is definitely
timely, with newspapers reporting today,
December 16th, on Chemical Ali's
scheduled war crimes trial.
For a gripping, moving, and enlightening
look at how it was to fight and survive
Saddam's terror, get this book and read
it now. Buy it for your friends, buy
it for your loved ones, and buy it
for our troopers going in harm's way
in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Outstanding work by Mike Tucker
and Maria got it right:
Hemingway is back and right when we need him.

It takes a Marine to save the Kurds.
Tucker shows why Marine infantry
have hung tough and showed "uncommon
valor" throughout the history of our
country. HELL IS OVER is truly epic
and historic work. The Kurds in this
book inspired me, as other reviewers
have similarly remarked. Macomber's
review, on-line, gives just and
necessary praise to this landmark
work. From a brother Marine infantry
veteran, Semper Fi. Maria's remarks,
and others, on Hemingway and Tucker,
are accurate. Hemingway is back and
right when we need him. Damn glad you
made it out of that situation in
Burma, brother, for THE LONG PATROL.
HELL IS OVER will be under the
Christmas trees of my friends and
family, no question. Outstanding book.
Long live Chesty Puller. Semper Fi, bro.

A powerful, engaging read. Not for the faint of heart. I really enjoyed this book, it does what a great book must: tell a story yet untold. The Kurds finally get their chance, in their own words, to speak frankly and passionately of how they struggled against Saddam's dictatorship for so many years. Here are the guerrilla fighters who lived on melted snow and cold rice in the mountains and defied Saddam's jackboot. Here are the women,like Jula Hajee, who organized for Kurdish women's rights! Mike Tucker
really listened closely to these brave and beautiful people. A great book, and stands with his other great book from the Iraq War, AMONG WARRIORS IN IRAQ. Magnficent! 5 million stars! Viva Tucker! Tucker is the Hemingway of our generation. Bravo!

In the tradition of Edwar R. Murrow's "This...is London" broadcasts, Mick Tucker has written an inspiring book that reveals the story of a heroic people confronting a monstrous tyranny bent on their annilation. Unlike Morrow, Mike lets those people, the Kurds, speak for themselves though. The result is a book that reveals Kurds as a people remarkably free of decadence and ambiguity. Self indulgence, frivolity, irony...All that has been ablated away by atrocity and war. What remains is the courage of Hector, the defiance of Churchill, and determination of David. Mike lets the Kurds tell a story where the only spin is that put on a bullet meant for their enemy, and the "exit plan" is victory. Mike keeps his thoughts and feelings right out in the open, so the reader does not need to wonder what he is trying to say. He admires the Kurds... And for good reason. There is much to admire.
The book tasks us. It shouts a crystal clear question. If you honor freedom, justice and truth, should you sit on your hands and let evil destroy those things? For anyone who can't find the answer, they should read this book.

A unique, fascinating inside look, from
Kurds of all walks of life, on how they
suffered, struggled, and survived under
Saddam Hussein's regime. It is raw, gripping--
vital oral history. No other writer in our
time grasped the fact that the Kurds,
in the immediate aftermath of Saddam's regime,
would finally have the chance to speak
freely and without fear of their lives,
their dreams, their destinies. My wife
loved the book even more, as she put it,
"I had no idea what Kurdish women had
went through, really, and to hear from
them, directly, was enlightening."
I cannot praise this book enough--an
invaluable thing about Tucker's work,
additionally, is his analysis of
Kurdish culture and Kurdish military
intelligence, vis a vis America's
war on terror. He had unparalleled access
to the people who really fight and
win wars--guerrilla fighters in the ranks,
junior officers, and commanders--and
his view of how America needs to
co-ordinate much more strongly with
the Kurds to win in Iraq and in the
Middle East comes from his time in
the field--this is field-won analysis,
hands down, and it is very engaging.
At the end of the day, the people really
make this book rock: Kurds of all ages,
men and women, young artists, musicians
and womens' rights activists. The
reflections of Kurdish artists on
Van Gogh and Picasso are marvelous,
inspiring, and rich and warm. The
Kurds speak with humor, conviction, passion,
anger, and pride of their loves and
losses. Tucker has written a book that
is both moving and insightful and informative.
Additionally, the war crimes reported on
within HELL IS OVER are now on the
public record for Saddam Hussein's
upcoming war crimes trial. This book
is both timely and timeless, and
living proof that, as Senator Bob
Kerrey might say, courage is a living
thing. Thanks to Mr. Tucker's courage,
we are blessed to hear the courage,
the hopes, the fears, and the dreams
of the Kurds within this book.
Well-done, Mr. Tucker. Well-done.

Jake Rutland
New York City

Hemingway is back and right when we need him. Mike Tucker is our generation's Ernest Hemingway and thank God he is passionate about winning the War on Terror. HELL IS OVER is a brilliant book, a work of honor, and the voices of Kurds from all walks of life enrich this work tremendously. Thank you, Natalie, for mentioning Shawn Macomber's review of this book. I checked out his review, on the web. I had never read anything about the Kurds, before. HELL IS OVER really knocked me out; I read it in one sitting, one evening on the beach near my home in Fort Lauderdale. Mike Tucker truly honors the sacrifice and struggle, and the humanity, of the Kurds in Iraq. There is so much that is vital about this book. As other reviewers have noted, it is both timely and timeless. I strongly urge people to get the first edition now, because this is a classic of our time. Mr. Tucker's courage, as heralded by Medal of Honor winner and former US Senator Bob Kerrey, definitely made this remarkable book a reality. In closing, I found the refreshing, candid, and witty remarks of the artists and musicians a joy. The remarks on Michaelangelo and Picasso, by various Kurdish artists, were thoughtful and inspiring. I am going to look for THE LONG PATROL, and anything else Mike Tucker writes, as he is, without question, our generation's Hemingway. I found a lot of Hemingway's feeling in this book, Hemingway's unflinching look at life. Tough and poetic and raw and real. The political analysis of the war in Iraq is very fresh, too--unlike anything I've heard or read. Incisive, bold and refreshing. A tribute to the Kurds, a magnificent book, from our generation's Hemingway. Yes. Hemingway is back, and right when we need him.

Bravo, Mike Tucker! What a tribute to a bold, defiant
people, the Kurds of Iraq. landmark work, in my humble view
from the Big Easy.
I agree completely with Jake and his wife
from the Big Apple. And do check out the
US journalist Shawn Macomber's
stunning, authoritative review of HELL IS OVER.
Macomber writes for
THE AMERICAN SPECTATOR, also. His review
of HELL IS OVER is dated Nov. 22 2004.
All I can say from New Orleans is
Macomber dug it hard,and his review
of HELL IS OVER is well-worth reading.
Saddam Hussein's war crimes trial is planned for
January 2005. Mr. Tucker got this book done, got the
voices of Kurds from all walks of life, and it is
on the public record now before Saddam's war crimes
trial and I find that remarkable. His previous book,
THE LONG PATROL, also investigated war crimes, behind
Burmese Army lines. If you liked THE LONG PATROL, and
I found it fascinating, you will love HELL IS OVER.
I am a Hemingway fan and can only say that Mr. Tucker
is right there with Hemingway, for moral courage
and tough, hard-headed insight--and for beautifully
poetic writing. How fortunate Mr. Tucker was for
Senator Bob Kerrey to help him get to
Iraq, to write the letters of introduction
to the Kurdish leadership for him.
That's one of the really intriguing things about
HELL IS OVER, that separates it from all other
books coming out of the Iraq War: there is a mysterious,
almost espionage-like feel to the introduction
of this book. It rocks. Especially considering
that he did it on his own--no major media financing,
just straight-up true grit and hard, stick to it initiative.
And he really listened to the Kurds, and you can hear
so much that is precious and inspiring, in their words.
Listen to the Kurds in this book and know the beauty of
being alive and free. It is an inspiring read, a tough
and unflinching look at Saddam's brutal regime, and
a testament to the human spirit, what Faulkner talked about
when he talked about the will to prevail. All that is good
and just and noble about humanity is in the voices of
these men and women. Mr. Tucker did not fail and he did
not falter. The fact that he stayed in Iraq and linked
up with US snipers and scouts, paratroopers, light infantry,
and US Army Special Forces testifies to his courage and
his honor to the Kurds, too. Personally, I am very much
looking forward to his second book from Iraq, too:
AMONG WARRIORS IN IRAQ. And I must say, in agreement
with Jake: HELL IS OVER is a timely, incredibly timely
book that will no doubt live well beyond our time,
a timely and timeless account of men and women and
their families in Iraqi Kurdistan and what they suffered
and what they survived. I could not put it down.
Bravo, Mike Tucker. Bravo.