Customer Reviews

The New Iraq

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I saw Mr. Braude on the Today Show and immediately purchased his new book, which is a true gem. "The New Iraq" is informative, lyrical, and imaginative all at once. We have so little knowledge of Iraq or its people beyond the name "Saddam Hussein" - and this book more than fills in our knowledge gap.

The opening section on "Memory" is a succinct account of Iraqi history, told through music, religion, and culture. The section includes unique coverage of Iraqi pop songs and Braude's encounter with an Iraqi spy over dinner in Tehran. The following section, "Power," envisions positive roles for ex-Ba'ath Party members ("The Party's Over" is one chapter's sharp title), the religious establishment, and the Iraqi army. "Money" offers a fascinating view of current industry, commerce, advertising, and social status in Iraq - full of data and vivid vignettes, including profiles of "Cats of the Embargo", smugglers who've hit it big under sanctions.

But my favorite section is the last one on "Truth" - how to jumpstart a free press, a fair legal system, a non-fascist education system, and even the Iraqi film industry. Don't miss an incredible account of Iraqi anime movies.

Throughout, Braude displays humor, optimism, and imagination, but also a profoundly sober realism about how genuine transformation of Iraq will likely take generations. In all, there is no book like this one, with its balanced political tone, its deft combination of business and culture, and its insight culled from unearthed nuggets of daily life in Iraq.

I hope every American soldier, diplomat, reporter -- and TV watcher -- reads this book. With it, we will be better informed and more humane partners in the rebuilding of Iraq.

There are reports that Mr. Braude pleaded guilty to looting the Iraqi artifacts. Amazon.com would better investigate this and stop distributing his volume.

timesdaily.com, 08/03/04: An expert on Iraq's postwar reconstruction has pleaded guilty to smuggling 4,000-year-old artifacts looted from the country's national museum after the U.S. invasion.

Joseph Braude, 29, pleaded guilty Tuesday, two days into his trial on charges of smuggling and making false statements to customs agents. He could be sentenced to up to 16 months in prison.

Braude studied Near Eastern languages at Yale University and Arabic and Islamic history at Princeton University before publishing "The New Iraq: Rebuilding the Country for Its People, the Middle East and the World" last year.

I highly recommend The New Iraq by Joseph Braude. The book is well-written, well-researched, fun to read, and visionary. Very few books on the Middle East dare to offer an optimistic vision of "what could be."

Mr. Braude, an Iraqi-American, gives the reader an uplifting portrait (with some caveats) of the history and culture of Iraq. In sections entitled Memory, Power, Money, and Truth, he outlines in eleven chapters how religious, civil, cultural, and economic institutions can be revived and harnessed in Iraq to help turn the country into a progressive, pluralistic beacon in the Middle East. From his riveting discussion of the rough-and-tumble business practices of Iraqis during sanctions, to his vision of an ecumenical Iraq where religions and sects co-exist, to his brilliant essay on Iraqi films and the importance of the upcoming Iraqi cultural renaissance, The New Iraq shines.

Unlike other authors of Iraq and Middle Eastern books, Braude actually speaks the languages of the region fluently and has a deep knowledge of the literature and culture of Iraq. It shows in The New Iraq. I second other readers who particularly treasure the final section of the book, "Truth," as its chapters contains some of the most interesting and passionate writing about Iraqi society around.

Braude's voice is a welcome addition to the dialogue about Iraq and the Middle East.

James Woolsey, former director of the CIA, endorses The New Iraq on the back cover as "a superb guide for the rebirth of the great civilization of Iraq by one who knows the country, its history, and its culture intimately. It's all here: how to resuscitate the judicial system, the army, the economy even the cinema. Lucid balanced and wise." I couldn't agree more.

And, on the liberal side of the spectrum, Village Voice columnist Nat Hentoff writes in praise of Joseph Braude's The New Iraq, "For all the continuing debate about the dangerous present and indeterminate future of Iraq, there has been no analysis of that nation's history and actual potential for transformation into a just society that comes close to Joseph Braude's crucially illuminating book, The New Iraq. He is a scholar, a humanist, and a realist." Hentoff's remark is right on target. Chapter after chapter, Braude dazzles readers with his humor and insight into the dynamics of Iraqi society through the stories of living, breathing Iraqis. In many ways, this is a book for our time.

Young neo-lib & neo-con (truly a Boy for All Positions) American media darling finds chatty Iraqi sources just a bit too quick with quips to be believed. Leading up to and after the Iraqi invasion of March 2003 young Mr. Braude was in the Golden Rolodex of corporate media as an Iraq Expert right up until his conviction for smuggling antiquities out of Iraq, with no entry stamp in his passport confirming how he entered the war-torn country.

Shouldn't Braude have apprenticed as factchecker with the NY TIMES and NEW REPUBLIC before graduating to ABC TV's Ted Koppel, Peter Jennings & PBS's Charlie Rose's Golden Rolodex of Middle East experts? For the gullible gatekeepers of "responsible journalism" (see: White House accredited) who've yet to find time to pursue the paper trail of ties between Pres. Bush's family and the House of Saud or VP Dick Cheney's multi-million dollar swollen Halliburton stock portfolio of the 1990's and the Algerian Generals who've done their share to ring up 200,000 massacred in Algeria since 1992, here is the annointed young Middle Eastern expert they've been foisting on us: [Hot off the police blotter, though one wonders how UK security & InterPol allowed his transit through Heathrow carrying priceless Iraqi historical treasures]. Even Ma Thatcher & her Saudi arms dealing son would blush in their angle of repose contemplating today's 'Enterprising' biz wiz who found way more than facts on his latest 'fact-finding' tour of war ravaged Iraq:

"U.S. author allegedly smuggled Iraqi artifacts
Joseph Braude touted as expert on Iraq situation"

NEW YORK (AP Larry McShane Aug 9, 2003) The author of a book on rebuilding Iraq was arrested at Kennedy International Airport for allegedly smuggling stolen 4,000-year-old Mesopotamian artifacts out of Baghdad, authorities said Saturday.

Joseph Braude, author of The New Iraq, was released on a $100,000 bail after a preliminary appearance Saturday in federal court.

Braude, 28, brought the priceless artifacts into the United States on June 11, U.S. Attorney Roslynn Mauskopf said. He was arrested Friday night after arriving at the airport on a flight from London, she said.

Braude bought the three cylindrical stone seals, made of marble and alabaster, for $200 US during a visit to Baghdad in June, authorities said.

"These items are not souvenirs but stolen goods that belong to the people of Iraq," said Martin Ficke, special agent in charge of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in New York City.

Looters stole many irreplaceable treasures from the Iraqi National Museum during the war, with only a fraction recovered so far.

Braude faces up to five years in prison if convicted of smuggling the artifacts. He did not immediately respond to an e-mail seeking comment.

Authorities said the artifacts were discovered during a routine customs check when Braude flew into Kennedy in June. Braude allegedly had not declared any of the seals, which were adorned with human and animal figures and marked on the bottom with the letters IM and a serial number, authorities said.

Braude insisted he had travelled to Kuwait and England but not Iraq, Mauskopf said.

A Columbia University professor called in to examine the seals determined they were of the Akkadian period, dating back to 2340-2180 BC. They were apparently swiped from the national museum, authorities said.

Officials questioned Braude at his Cambridge, Mass., home on June 18, when he admitted visiting Baghdad and purchasing the seals, Mauskopf said. He acknowledged knowing when he bought the seals they probably had been stolen from the museum, she said.

Braude's book, subtitled Rebuilding the Country for its People, the Middle East and the World, was released in March. His area of expertise landed him on the Today show and he was widely quoted about Iraq's future."

"The New Iraq" is eye-opening, informative, and enjoyable to read. In just a few hours, I made my way through a vivid portrayal of Iraqi history, culture, as well as its current situation-- economic, social, and political. I especially liked Mr. Braude's use of anecdotes and humor to add flavor to the analysis. Obviously, there is a lot more that I, as well as most Americans, need to learn about this country if we hope to help rebuild Iraq and make a positive impact in the Middle East. But Mr. Braude offers a good start, and I urge others to take advantage of it.

Joseph Braude tries - in fewer than 200 pages - to offer a compelling, absorbing, and optimistic vision of Iraq's future. I think he does quite brilliantly.

Please understand that these questions of rebuilding Iraq are far deeper and ultimately of greater consequence than your position on this war. In the end, it means little to Iraqis whether you love or hate Bush or Blair. And thankfully Mr. Braude is wise enough to realize that his personal views on the conflict, now that the war is a reality, are not of surpassing importance. What will indeed matter greatly to the destiny of Iraq, its talented, beleaguered people, and the entire Middle East is whether American society and the world mobilize and commit themselves to compassionately rebuilding a thriving New Iraq. And Braude gracefully describes what that New Iraq must look like. It must do justice to the startlingly unique culture of that great land. And it must unleash the marvelous collective talent of Iraqis - a freedom-starved, proud people who have waited - truly voiceless! - for economic and political justice to reach their shattered homeland. The New Iraq offers a vision for success in all areas of the rebuilding - from the reconstituted Iraqi military to the cinema - without losing sight of Iraq's unique cultural, religious, and economic institutions that have (miraculously) survived the Ba'ath nightmare.

Saddam Hussein offered the people of Iraq a brutal police state, a fascist ideology, innovations in fear and torture. He almost succeeded in grinding the Arab world's most multiethnic society into dust. But Saddam Hussein is the past.

In the near future, many societies from across the globe will be uniting with Iraqis in an historic state building effort of almost unprecedented scope and importance. Joseph Braude's book, in my opinion, is a terrific starting point for their humane and historic discussions. Finally, some optimism and a sense of mission! A vital counterweight to the cynicism and fatalism in the air today. I heartily endorse it.

As a fellow Iraqi-American, I thank Joseph Braude for writing his excellent book, The New Iraq. I bought my copy and read it cover-to-cover with glee and rapt attention.

Not only does Braude write well and demonstrate the fruits of deep research, but he also engages the reader with humor, vivid stories, and cultural insights that lead the reader to the heart of the Iraqi people. From the amazing stories of Tanukhi, the medieval judge and storyteller, to the resillient adventures of ingenious modern Iraqi businessmen, Braude weaves a delightful tapestry in The New Iraq.

As an Iraqi-American, Braude's love for the Iraqi people and their culture is evident. It's also evident that Braude is an appreciator of the best of America and is an ambassador who bridges the gap of understanding between Americans and Iraqis. He has degrees from Yale and Princeton in Arab and Islamic studies and has lived in Iran, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and throughout the Middle East. With the media coverage focusing so much on the details of war, the punditry of retired generals, and the mechanics of invasion, Joseph Braude's The New Iraq takes a step back to admire the past, present, and potentially bright future of the Iraqi people.

As an Iraqi, I want Americans to learn more about my people. I believe, as Joseph Braude does, that it is essential for Americans to engage the people of Iraq who have lived in Saddam's shadow for years. "This book is not about Saddam Hussein," writes author Braude. Indeed, this book is about the exciting yet underreported and repressed accomplishments of the Iraqi people - a people who have the potential to build a great country. In the introduction to his book, Braude offers a call to action for Americans and others throughout the world in the public and private sector to join in supporting the rebuilding of Iraq. Braude calls on Americans to contribute their talents and energies toward one of the Middle East's most talented peoples. As Braude argues in his introduction, rebuilding Iraq after the war will benefit not only the people of Iraq, but also the Middle East and the world. The transformation will take time, Braude warns, but the benefits are immense. I am so proud of the idealism, balanced with a practical streak, that 28-year old Braude radiates.

In rebuilding Iraq, Americans will show my brothers and sisters in the Arab world that the U.S. is serious about bringing civil society and the best of our values to the Middle East. Read Braude's The New Iraq for inspiration.

I wish to dissent with the reviewer who labeled Mr. Braude's book "superficial". There is nothing superficial about it. It provides a thoughtful plan for reconstructing Iraq, given that war is now a reality. (Note that this is not the same as an endorsement of the war.)

Accordingly, the book devotes due space to Iraq's economic reconstruction. It seems to me that part of rebuilding a nation shattered by years of strife is ensuring that its economy functions. Mr. Braude suggests-correctly, in my view-that the influx of Western capital will aid Iraq's regrowth.

But that is not the point of the book. The vast majority of the text discusses ways to bolster Iraqi civil society-not a series of ways for Westerners to get rich, as Mr. Bremmer suggests. Either we did not read the same book, or he did not read it very carefully.

Furthermore, rather ominously, Mr. Bremmer ties Mr. Braude's opinions to his citizenship. That is, Mr. Bremmer says, "Braude, an Israeli-American citizen, who is ancestrially [sic] Iraqi Jewish, claims not to have any opinion about the decision to go to war with Iraq. However...his right-leaning, even neoconservative political opinions, seem to indicate a very different underlying purpose." This statement is misleading for two reasons.

First, as I noted, discussion of post-war plans does not make any statement about war other than "it is already happening". Avoiding formulating a map for post-war Iraq is not left-wing; it is stupid, a refusal to engage in reality.

Second, Mr. Braude is not Israeli. This is clear if you have read his biography or if-as I have-you have heard him talk about his background on radio or TV. He is an American of Iraqi-Jewish descent, hardly the same thing as an Israeli. If a reviewer wishes to condemn the politics of the book, that is acceptable (although incorrect). To condemn them as the product of an "Israeli" is a manifest lie-one that, to me, carries an edge of racism.

Mr. Braude's book is clear, concise, vigorous, and honest. It provides the first optimistic account of what might be done with a damaged society. In this, it is far more forward-thinking-far more progressive-than any other book currently available. Strongly recommended for those interested in seeing a rebuilt, healthy Iraq.

want should really read this book. In the most unsuspecting chapters I found the most revealing information. The previous British attempts at "regime change" or reformation and how MUSIC played a crucial role, the true breadth and depth of fear and deceipt among the Iraqi people. The background of Ba'ath, Shi'i, Islamic, and other influences. This information in this book really raises questions regarding the method of the US's current efforts of rebuilding a well-structured Iraqi government.
The impact of the book may have been even more profound had there been an additional perspective presented by a co-author.

I heard the author on NPR and the next day picked up the book at the library. After reading it, I went out and bought a copy so that I can highlight passages and loan the book to my friends. There are so few sources from which we can learn about what life is really like for people in Iraq (and for Iraqi refugees). This book is exceptionally fun to read, laced with current jokes and ancient poetry, and based on countless interviews with Iraqi people -- who have been left out of the story we usually hear, but who are the ones who will be building the new Iraq.