Customer Reviews

The Spiders of Allah: Travels of an Unbeliever on the Frontline of Holy War

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

James Hider has written a terrific book about the Middle East and the the Iraq War currently being fought. It is a ironic and sometimes very funny. Being an outsider can be a very interesting way of living a life and experiencing a situation. James begins with the Jewish settlements and the settles beliefs and motivations. He travels back in history at times to provide background and muse on the present. The experiences in the Iraq War is well documented. Hider is British so he feels himself to be an outsider to the Americans fighting the war also. The culture of Iraq and the aftermath of Saddam is covered as well as the day to day life in a war zone. At the end, he provides a provacative thesis on who the Palestinians really are. I loved every minute of this book and would highly recommend it.

James Hider provides an unusually candid and vividly detailed memoir while working as a war correspondent for the London Times in Iraq from 2003 to 2006. There he witnessed personally and up close this surreal lawless country which has runamok. The political drama of clashing religious factions, the tragedy of suicide bombers and the aftermath, and the confusing mess with which the American, British and Australian troops dealt with is all presented to the reader. The author is an avowed athiest and being also British, his viewpoint provides some dark humor and occasional amusement even during times when his own life was at risk. He so clearly points out, even Hollywood could not have invented some of the bizarre circumstances which arose and that he witnessed while covering crucial aspects of this war. The pain and sorrow of the families whose loved ones lives were lost due to senseless bombings and street fighting is palpable and real. Families suffered tremendously while they struggled to survive against all odds. The author gives an insider view of how ordinairy people coped. He provides insights into the views of various religious factions and Iraqi rebels who fought for control over their own neighborhoods after Saddam Hussein fell from power and was executed for the crimes he committed against his own people. Both the Shia and Sunnis fought to the death for power and control. The author provides unique insights into how war correspondents and newspaper reporters obtained their leads and found material for their stories.

James Hider also writes about the Palestinian and Israeli conflicts when he was stationed in Israel and where he happened to be on September 11, 2001. He interviewed Palestinian fighters and saw how young boys belonged to a group similar to boy scouts the only major difference was they eventually trained to become suicide bombers. The author quotes a Brooklynite Jewish Israeli resident who stated on that fateful day sentiment to the effect that he was glad the USA got attacked because now they understood better what Israel faced on a regular basis. Suffice to say, this book provides a variety of viewpoints from both sides of each conflict. The author writes in a stream of consciousness style which is appropriate for the subject. His writing style is erudite, detailed and descriptive. Just a warning for the faint of heart: the author does not hold back on the blood and gore, so be prepared for this reality. This book is most highly recommended. Erika Borsos [pepper flower]

This book is not what is spelled out in the product description. That description had me believing, and looking forward to reading, a book that tied together the struggles in Israel, Palestine and the rest of the Middle East. In fact, the description even says that the book takes a tour of these places and that it then circles back to Jerusalem. In reality this book is 90% about living in Iraq during the aftermath of the war. Yes, there is a stint in Israel and Palestine at the beginning -- an extremely cursory overview of the conflict there -- and he does go back to Jerusalem at the end of the book for a full 15-page interview with one man with an interesting theory about the relationship between the Palestinians and Israelis (which is irrelevant to the current conflict). But mostly this is disjointed war stories.

And the rich humor that is lauded in the description and professional reviews? There are a handful of ironic observations and some notes about curious customs, but hardly any of it reads like intentional humor. Any humor is very, very dark. In the whole book only one part made me chuckle.

The book begins with Mr. Hider living in Israel and recounts some observations of various Jewish religious sects. He then manages to get an interview with a leader of a suicide bombing group in Palestine. He visits an illegal Jewish settlement and reports on the fanaticism of the inhabitants. These are two equally disturbing perspectives. He gives a lot of history, which is told in a jumbled way with some present day anecdotes thrown in, but the connection to modern day issues often seems strained. Mr. Hider focuses on the fanatics and the negative. I would have liked a more balanced story that more explicitly elucidated the merits of the opinions on each side of the issue. For example, sure, certain Palestinians are homicidal extremists, but they've got some valid arguments against Israeli policies, some of which are equally as harsh. He focusses on the effects rather than paying attention to the causes, and connections are implied at best.

Moving on to Iraq, there is a lot of time dedicated to discussing the American military and political involvement. During this part there really is very little discussion of religion. It is all about how Iraqis are surviving in the post war anarchy. He talks about traffic jams, food shortages, looting, demolished palaces and people struggling to come to terms with the torture and murder of Saddam's regime. The stories are randomly assorted with little rhyme or reason to why they are grouped together. They read like a travelogue, with no clear point in their telling, just taking us along for the journey.

Most of his time in Iraq reads like this: one day after another of unrelated events which do not combine to form any particular thesis. Some of these events and situations are very interesting to read about, simply because they are so foreign and unimaginable. Many give a richer perspective than the home front news stories of the war, and some of the stories are different than anything I'd ever heard told: stories of how people survive amid anarchy, how they cope with random violence all around them and how they pick sides to avoid being killed (not necessarily because of ideology). So some of this writing about Iraq is genuinely interesting but it doesn't support any larger premise about religion or conflict.

Sometimes Mr. Hider's objectivity is compromised. Sometimes this is due to his unwavering atheistic viewpoint, while other times it just seems to be cultural insensitivity. For instance, at one point he acquires guard dogs for his house in Iraq, but problematically the Moslem guards that he employs are vehemently against allowing dogs in the house, thinking them unclean. His solution is a brutish order to allow the dogs in the house. Given the gravity of the situation perhaps that was the only sensible thing to do. However, I guess I would expect there to have been some acknowledgement in the text of differing beliefs and the need to compromise them.

Judgmental quips about religion being nonsensical foolishness for the feeble minded are about the only sort of dialog on the topic. He never comes right out and says "You're stupid if you believe in God," but he makes some strong implications. I looked forward to reading this book partly because the author is an atheist, which I assumed erroneously would grant him an unbiased vantage point to observe the varying religions in action. Unfortunately, his staunch anti-religious beliefs don't allow him to engage in a meaningful discussion about the merits and liabilities of specific religions and their implications for cultural interactions. I expected him to be skeptical, that is, to act more as an impartial observer instead of bludgeoning the reader with vapid anti-religious sentiments. It gets a little old after a while.

Another minor, but recurring, point to make is that he will often use idiomatic terminology or foreign words without any explanation as to what they mean. For example, he states, "In his plain white dishdasheh and matching yeshmak, he loomed..." but never bothers to explain what a dishdasheh or a yeshmak are. If they are important then explain them, otherwise omit them. Another time he says "...it was a place frequented by foreigners, it sold booze and it was what was known as a 'soft target'." I guess I haven't watched enough late night CNN, but I don't know what a soft target is. There is no further context to give any clues either. Another empty statement.

This book does not live up to it's promise to evaluate the situations in the Middle East through the lens of religion. To be fair, that is a tall order that most books would struggle to live up to. What this book is, is a travelogue of a journalist visiting places that people concerned with their personal safety have sense enough to avoid. For this reason there is some interest to the stories told in the book. They are fantastical at times. It is amazing how violence can become mundane. But the disjointed nature of the tales is distracting. In a single chapter the story will jump from 2003 to 2005 and then the next chapter will start back in 2003. The discourse on religion is minimal and not very insightful. The biggest problem with the book is that it is not about the Middle East -- it is about Iraq. There is hardly any content about Israel or Palestine and nothing more than a mention of other key middle eastern countries. This book provides some details of Iraqi life from the unusual perspective of a foreign journalist who actively seeks out the most dangerous areas to report from. If you want a deeper or more spiritual viewpoint then you should look elsewhere.

The Spiders of Allah is a fascinating look at the conflicts in the Middle East, done by a British reporter. It is an up-close and personal look at the actions and atrocities that the U.S. press largely tends to white-wash. Hider has no such compunction, and accompanies his writing with some very acute observations about human nature, religion and the actions of those involved.

One of my favorite parts in the book (though there were several) is when the author finds out that grocers were beginning to be targeted to be killed by the Mujahedin guerrillas. Trying to figure out why produce, of all things, would be considered lawless - he asks a friend. Apparently, a decree had come out that tomatoes and cucumbers were not to be displayed together, as "tomatoes represent femininity and cucumbers....", well, you get the picture. In addition, bananas were ONLY allowed to be sold within plastic bags, in order to prevent offending anyone. As he said later, "It was astounding in its stupidity and barbarity.". As were so many actions that have taken place over there.

The only (small) issues I have with the book are that it seemed to start off a bit scrambled, like the author wasn't quite sure where he was going to be headed. Once he got going, the book picked up pace and was terrific. But again, at the end, it seemed like he wasn't sure how to tie everything together. The bits about religion in the beginning and end seemed almost forced, while those within the book were spot-on.

All-in-all, it was quite a good book. I certainly learned some things that I hadn't heard about before, found quite a bit to ruminate upon further, and found myself in awe (once again) of the things human beings will do in the name of religion.

The Spiders of Allah is a personal account of the horrors of war from the perspective of James Hider, the correspondent for the London Times during the Iraq War. Rather than write a traditional, journalistic account, Hider throws the measured tones and objectivity of a newspaperman out the window. He describes his experience pounding the pavement in a lawless, war-scarred Iraq--interviewing terrorists, covering combat while embedded with US troops, witnessing atrocities, and living under constant threat--in an evocative but quirky style that reads more like a gossip columnist in a tabloid than a war correspondent. What we get here is an unvarnished account of what Hider experienced day-to-day as a reporter in the Hobbesian aftermath of the Iraq invasion.

This sounds great and probably deserves an Amazon 5-star rating, but this is not a perfect book and there are some caveats herein. I have to say that after reading the first two chapters I almost stopped reading this book altogether. Hider is certainly eloquent, but his writing adds stylistic hyperbole to the already over-the-top madness that surrounded him in Iraq. It's just too much. The sensationalism of Hider's metaphors, gallows humor, and blogosphere style at times undermine his ability to explain the horror that occurs around him. The shock of the writing somehow dampens the awe of reality.

You can contrast Spiders of Allah with Thomas Friedman's memoir from a war-torn, lawless Lebanon, From Beirut to Jerusalem (From Beirut to Jerusalem: Revised Edition). Friedman's narrative helps the reader completely understand what it is like to work in an unpredictable, brutish, and horrific environment, but, unlike Hider, Friedman manages to maintain his composure and control. Still, Friedman is able to convey the full gamut of emotions and is able to keep the experience personal. Friedman's book remains both an authentic and authoritative account. The perception that Hider has lost control of his pen makes The Spiders of Allah somehow less compelling. The result is that Hider can shock and he can make you laugh, but he can't make you cry. Friedman can make you cry.

Readers should be forewarned that Hider has his biases. He is an atheist and leans towards the liberal in his politics. But because Hider doesn't try to cover up his biases, they become less invasive. As a reader, you don't have to constantly question the narrative. It should be noted that Hider is at his best when he is an observer and at his worst when he hypothesizes about the motivations and philosophies of those involved in the Iraq conflict. He is a great eye witness, but he is not a scholar when it comes to this region of the world. Happily, Hider mostly describes situations and doesn't often wax philosophical.

After reading this book, I did a web search and read Hider's London Times columns. They are compelling journalism and extraordinarily well written. They show the reserve and even-handedness of the professional reporter writing at the top of his game. There are some moments in the book where Hider's true skill really shoots through; for example, when he speaks about the kidnapping and murder of a fellow journalist. Sadly, Hider's book could have used more of these reserved moments.

Nevertheless, Hider has produced a unique memoir. I have not read anything like this before about the Iraq war and this book has added another dimension to my understanding of the conflict. Hider really brings you into the war zone where you can feel the bombs bursting, hear the cries of the victims, and meet the Iraqi people. It may not be a perfect book, but in my mind it deserves a five star rating because it takes all that you know about this important subject, throws your accepted ideas off kilter, and makes you rethink your opinions of the Iraq War.

Non-fiction, this book is written by an atheist journalist who spent many months in Iraq as well as Israel. In addition to his personal experiences in the war zones (everything from being in Fallujah during the US invasion to suicide bombers blowing people to bits), he also writes about his personal views towards violence based on religious beliefs. There is also a bit of history of the peoples of Iraq and Israel thrown in , as well.

I'm agnostic with strong leanings towards atheism, and was excited to get my hands on this book. It did not disappoint. Hider's cynical views towards the conflicts and religion were interesting, and at times funny in a horrific yet honest way. The history parts of the book are enough to give you a little background, but not enough to bog you down.

Reading the synopsis of this book left me with the impression that this book was going to be the gonzo journalist's take on extremism. I was hoping the author would expose the irrationality of extremism by pointing out the absurdity and the contradictions that accompany extreme religious ideologies. Since the blurb on the back describes the book as "often very funny" I was hoping to see the author expose this absurdity with a razor sharp wit and humor. I was hoping for the atheist outsider's view of what happens when religious extremism is allowed to run amok.

The problem was this book had no charm, wit or humor. I felt as though this book was falsely advertised. This book isn't the atheist's look into the Middle East, but reads much more like a cynic's nihilistic description of gore and violence. The author offered no profound insights into the violence at all. There seemed to be no real central theme other than one violent incident followed by another. I was hoping the Epilogue would tie the work together and offer readers something more, but I found the last two chapters failed in this regard.

I will say the reason why this book gets three stars is because it is not the author's fault I thought his book was something that it wasn't it. The book is really just another journalist's description of what he/she saw in the hell that Iraq became after the US invasion. In this regard the author does a fine job detailing the horrors that have become commonplace in this war torn nation. His descriptions are graphic and vivid, and they have the affect of making the reader want to avert their eyes. My problem with this is that we have read this description a thousand times at this point. There are a plethora of books, articles, documentaries, ect that detail the horrors of the extremist violence that embroils the Middle East today.

If you are looking to read an account of the horrors of war and extremist violence then this book is as good an account as many others out there, but if you are looking for a keen analysis that lays open the dynamics that are involved in this violence then you might want to try something else. In the end the synopsis I read raised my expectations which this book failed to meet. Even if my expectations had not been so high this work would not have distinguished itself from the many others written on this subject. All in all it wasn't terrible but it wasn't great either.

James Hider's `Spiders of Allah' is a classic case of over-reach. Billed as `a gonzo journalist's atheistic look at the insanity of the Middle East', Hider inexplicably spends the majority of the book chronicling his adventures in post-invasion Iraq, an important theater of war perhaps, but hardly the front-line in militant Islam's quest to re-establish the worldwide Caliphate. Hider ignores the wider conflicts in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where the reconstituted Taliban and the Saudi-funded fundamentalist madrassas are doing incalculable damage. He also gives no insight to any of the other Middle-East hotspots, Iran, Jordan, Turkey, Syria, Egypt....all of these areas are mentioned only in passing, and only as referent points to what is going on in Iraq. I picked up this book expecting to get some insights into the fundamentalist mindset, but what I got was some pretty straightforward war reporting.

Not that there isn't value in that. I'm giving the book three stars based on the coverage of what has been a devastating and truly destructive misadventure. The long-term effects of the invasion will reverberate for years, and it may well take decades for the true outcome to be decided. Hider's book can certainly give some historical perspective of what things were like on the ground for the people of Iraq after the invasion. (Side note recommendation: John Lee Anderson's `The Fall of Baghdad' covers a lot of the same ground as does Hider's book, but in a more straightforward fashion.)

Bottom line? Decent war reporting from a front-line perspective, lousy marketing (the book is also billed as `darkly humorous', but there is no humor to be found between these covers, dear reader. The few attempts at gallows humor fall flat, as the carnage just overwhelms any attempt to be funny), nothing to indicate any sort of `gonzo' journalism as advertised. You have to wait until the final chapter before Hider ties in any sort of philosophical discussion, and it's a weak attempt at best. Surely an atheist could have come up with a more scathing and in-depth counter to the raging fundamentalism that is threatening to take down one of the worlds largest and most-established religions.

Not recommended unless you are looking for ground-level coverage of post-invasion Iraq.

This is a stranger in a strange land tale - at its best there are shades of Michael Herr's Vietnam classic, Dispatches crossed with de Tocqueville's ruminations on 19th century America. Hider, the Middle East bureau chief for the Times of London provides a solid journalistic portrait of post-Saddam Iraq.

I appreciated Mr. Hider's clear but not always dispassionate writing & his keen eye for the ridiculous or ironic detail. There were times in reading this when I laughed out loud (garnering many raised eyebrows on BART). He also has a nice sense of history & I am still shuddering to think of the amount of looting & utter destruction of archaeological sites that has occurred in this cradle of civilization.

This makes a nice companion piece to Rajiv Chandrasekaran's excellent account of life in the Green Zone, Imperial Life in the Emerald City. Throw in Generation Kill & Chasing Ghosts for the soldier's perspective & you'll be well-informed about our involvement in Iraq from multiple viewpoints. It won't make you feel any better about it all, but it'll help you put some context to your thoughts about it.

British journalist James Hider is an atheist who nevertheless finds religious belief both fascinating and repellent, like a horrible insect. While working the Palestine beat and spending time in Iraq during the US occupation he observed some of the more extreme manifestations of the Islamic faith. Mr. Hider records his adventures in "The Spiders of Allah," an intriguing and disconcerting look into the heart of religious darkness.

A bit of time is spent in the Palestinian territories, but the bulk of the proceedings take place in Iraq during and after the US invasion. Here, we follow Mr. Hider as he forges alliances and reports the news while trying to stay alive. There is much death and suffering, leavened only by friendship and gallows humor. For example, the book's title refers to an insurgent claim that large spiders sent by Allah were attacking US Marines. Mr. Hider also details his positive interactions with Iraqis who allied themselves with coalition forces and journalists despite the danger of fatal retaliation from insurgents. This was the saddest aspect of the book, with hopeful Iraqi men and women betting everything on occupiers that often as not blundered away their loyalty and lives.

Mr. Hider writes well, although sometimes he employs British cultural references that may fall flat on American ears. There's not much overt debunking of dogma and theology like, say, in a Sam Harris book. Instead, the author tells his harrowing story and lets the reader decide what conclusions to draw. Along those lines, one can see the power of international travel, with its ability to expand one's horizons, alter entrenched presuppositions, and overcome cultural indoctrination. By the book's end religious devotion doesn't come off smelling like roses, as exemplified by the intractable Sunni/Shiite conflict, insurgent brutality in Allah's name, and the rising count of dead and wounded American troops sent by a president who claimed God's guidance in the matter.

At any rate, "The Spiders of Allah" is recommended for the author's insights into the religious components of the war on terror, along with his sometimes humorous and often tragic depictions of the human element of the occupation, both Iraqi and American. As an aside, Mr. Hider knew the late author of a similar book titled "In The Red Zone," and here he reveals the circumstances of his friend's grisly fate. I recommend reading both books, and then watching Bill Maher's "Religulous" if you really want to drink from a rationalistic fire hose.