Spinning on the Axis of Evil: America's War Against Iraq (Paperback)

~ (Author) "The air raid sirens had sounded just after dusk and the Yugoslav anti-aircraft gunners were sending up streams of tracer fire into the sky above..." (more)
Key Phrases: weapons dossier, peshmerga fighters, coalition troops, Saddam Hussein, George Bush, America's War Against Iraq (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

... paints a chilling picture of today's Iraq (and provides) a series of brilliantly graphic observations and rollicking anecdotes... -- Bruce Garvey, Ottawa Citizen, October 25, 2003

Highly readable… Anyone interested in a "different" view of the war and Iraq will be rewarded by Taylor’s account. -- Peter Worthington, Toronto Sun, October 26, 2003

Product Description

In order to justify its war against Iraq, George Bush’s administration needed to first frighten the American public into believing that Saddam Hussein posed a "clear and present danger." In addition to "sexing up" intelligence dossiers regarding Saddam’s alleged weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), it was also necessary to somewhat distort and simplify Iraq’s complex ethnic, political, social and religious structures.

Unfortunately, it seemed as though U.S. military officials actually started to believe their own propaganda, and were genuinely shocked when the Iraqi people did not welcome them as liberators. In contrast to the American naïveté, the post-Saddam anarchy, violence and inter-ethnic combat that have occurred were all accurately predicted by the Iraqi people. Although fearful of Saddam’s regime, most Iraqis had even greater concerns over what would ensue should his Baath Party ever be toppled.

"Spinning on the Axis of Evil" is based on Scott Taylor’s personal experiences and observations gathered during 14 separate trips into Iraq – before and after the toppling of Saddam’s regime. This book provides a rare insight into the plight of the Iraqi people who, in a single generation, suffered through three devastating wars and 13 years of crippling sanctions. From clandestine talks with Saddam’s top intelligence officials to dinner table chats with ordinary citizens, Taylor reveals what it was like to be inside Iraq during the dramatic countdown to Bush’s declaration of war.

Put into historical context and with a rare inside view of Saddam’s regime, "Spinning on the Axis of Evil" provides a unique perspective on President Bush’s intervention in Iraq.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 232 pages
• Publisher: Esprit de Corps Books (October 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1895896223
• ISBN-13: 978-1895896220
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,666,073 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A rare dose of truth!, November 10, 2003

By	Kevin Cole (Toronto Ontario) - See all my reviews

Written as a first person narrative, Spinning on the Axis of Evil takes readers inside Iraq before, during and after George Bush's ill-conceived military intervention. The best part about Taylor's unique writing style is that he approaches complex social-political issues from a layperson's "ground-up" perspective, -rather than some academic egghead preaching from a professorial pulpit. One learns about Iraq's diverse tribal, religious and linguistic divisions while Taylor and his alcoholic Iraqi driver bumble their way around the countryside on the eve of war and in anarchy which followed. Spinning certainly provides a rare and previously unseen look into the world of Saddam Hussein's Iraq (including a colour photograph of Uday Hussein's prostitutes sunbathing naked at the Al Rasheed hotel!). Although Taylor was a frequent "guest" of the Iraqi regime, he was also expelled twice for his writings, and even accused of being a spy for the Mossad. A must read for anyone who questioned the rationale behind Bush's blunder into Iraq.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Courageous, Candid, Canadian: Taylor in Iraq, March 4, 2004

By A Customer

Spinning on the Axis of Evil documents the trips Canada's top war reporter has made to Iraq since 2000. Each time, the author spent days traveling the cities and countryside, often winding up in considerable physical danger, just to find out what people were saying, doing, and thinking. Unlike the usual "embedded" Iraq war reportage-lite, Taylor's in-depth focus results in a unique and unforgettable narrative that adds considerably to our understanding of America's most destructive intervention since Vietnam.

Soldier-turned-writer Scott Taylor first won the enmity of the Canadian military brass for exposing corruption in the ranks, and then scrambled through various Balkan war zones, winding up in all the wrong places at just the right time. And, while continuing to publish a Canadian military magazine (Esprit de Corps), he made television appearances as an analyst for Situation Report and CNN. Far from being the typical retired quarterback-commentator, Taylor stepped up his travels - and especially, to Iraq.

Taylor's methodical practice of recording the situation on the ground before, during, and after a conflict makes him stand out in this age of parachute journalists blinded by "the fog of war," as Geraldo once put it. Having spent years researching, visiting and making contacts, Taylor knew in advance how to operate in Iraq. Most importantly, Taylor was not cowed into writing the kind of laudatory review that the US government and its neoconservative warmongers demanded...

The rest of this review, as well as interviews with the author, Scott Taylor, can be found here: www.balkanalysis.com

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Counter Spinning the "BS" about Iraq!, November 13, 2003

By	Valerie Hansen (Ottawa, Ontario) - See all my reviews

Finally a book that shows us the other side of George Bush's propaganda war against Iraq! Taylor's pre-war visits to Iraq to report on the crippling effects of the 12 year embargo may help to explain to Americans why their troops were not greeted as liberators when the toppled Saddam. Highly readable, this book is a great adventure yarn as well as a tremendous source of truth about the plight of Iraqi people. Excellent!