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Inside Gitmo: The True Story Behind the Myths of Guantanamo Bay Hardcover – January 27, 2009

by Gordon Cucullu (Author)

41 customer reviews

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The U.S. military detention center at Guantánamo Bay—known to the public as Gitmo—has been called the American Gulag, a scene of medieval horrors where innocent farmers and goat herders swept up in Afghanistan and Iraq have been sequestered, tortured, and abused for years on end without access to legal counsel or basic medical services.

Gordon Cucullu, a retired army colonel, was so appalled by these reports that he decided to see for himself. In a series of visits he inspected every corner of the camp and interviewed dozens of personnel, from guards and interrogators to cooks and nurses. The result—coming just as the Obama administration wants to close the facility—is a riveting description of daily life for both prisoners and guards. Cucullu describes the six camps reserved for different levels of compliance, details the treatment of prisoners, and examines their experiences in detail, including the techniques used to interrogate them, the food they eat, their medical care, how they communicate with one another, and the many ingenious ways they contrive to assault and injure their guards.

While some prisoners were indeed treated harshly in the early days, when the hastily built camp was flooded with battlefield captures and fears ran high of another 9/11-style attack, Cucullu finds that these excesses were quickly corrected. Current treatment and oversight routines exceed the standards of any maximum-security prison in the world.

Despite what the public has heard, these are not innocent goatherds but dedicated jihadists whose overriding goal—as they themselves candidly say—is to kill Americans. Should they now be released to return to the fight, perhaps on American soil? Read this book and decide for yourself.

Inside Gitmo: The True Story Behind the Myths of Guantanamo Bay

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Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gordon Cucullu is a retired army colonel and the author of Separated at Birth: How North Korea Became the Evil Twin. He lives in St. Augustine, Florida.

Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Harper; 1St Edition edition (January 27, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 006176230X
ISBN-13: 978-0061762307
Product Dimensions: 6 x 1 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
Average Customer Review: 41 customer reviews
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,239,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #1173 in Books > History > Military > Iraq War
- #1211 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > Specific Topics > Political Freedom
- #2545 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Politics & Government > International & World Politics > Security

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Customer reviews

3.6 out of 5 stars

5 star		56%
4 star		12%
3 star		7%
2 star		10%
1 star		15%

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Top customer reviews

Read it if you want both sides of the story; skip it if you aren't willing to be challenged.

ByWadeon June 14, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

This book is a worthwhile read for anyone with an interest in detainee operations at Guantánamo Bay that goes beyond a bumper sticker. The author provides a lot of information in a short space. He has a very conversational style, dividing the history both chronologically and topically, which causes him to occasionally repeats stories.

I'd like to specifically address the accusation of bias, which is a common criticism of this book. Yes, the author has a bias, and it's clearly stated. I disagree with the Amazon reader who rated the book 1 star merely because the author is a veteran. That's like saying that a doctor shouldn't be allowed to write a history of medicine.

However, I still recommend this book to potential readers. The bias isn't as bad as the 1-star raters accuse it of being. First, the book was published in 2009 (some of the information is dated), but makes predictions that have proven true. Six years later, Gitmo is still open for business, for reasons the author explores.

Second, while the author is quick to defend the enlisted guards who are routinely assaulted by detainees, and also the officers who've had their careers ruined when their names became attached to Guantánamo, he does not shy away from criticism. In a style more consistent with military than for-profit news companies, he identifies deficiences, explains what causes them, and offers recommendations to improve. Some readers want to dwell on bad news, but there are plenty of other books and exposés that offer this. Mr. Cucullu simply doesn't have the time to stop and dwell on each negative headline as he takes us from 2002 to 2008.

Third, if the critics had read to the end, they would have been surprised to see the author's admission that Gitmo may need to be closed. Though perhaps not for reasons that some critics would put forth, it's still there, and presents a challenge to those who accuse him of strong bias. Mr. Cucullu also dares to ask what to do if Gitmo is closed, but those questions don't fit neatly on a bumper sticker.

In short: if you really want to know about detainee operations at Guantánamo Bay, read multiple books. Read one by a lawyer that unquestioningly presents a detainee's version of the war, read one by a journalist who needs to sell sensational headlines, and read one by a soldier or sailor who spent a year getting poop thrown at her by combatants. Then read this book to sort out the confusing and wildly different accounts of Gitmo.

22 comments 2 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

A different perspective

ByJ. Northcutton June 5, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

Written by a veteran who was interested in knowing the truth about why Guantanamo was being run as he read in the news. To no surprise, the media was less than factual. Yes, there were some bad seeds overseeing this place in the past but its not anything close to prison and is completely transparent in the operation. Also speaks of the courts involvement in closing the facility.
Wonder why it cost so much to operate? Read this and you'll see who's hands are tied!

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Satisfied customer

ByAmazon Customeron March 29, 2016

Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase

The book arrived in perfect shape with a very quick shipping time. I am enjoying the content of the book so far. Very intriquing.

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

GITMO

ByJames B. Parsonson September 14, 2013

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

This book, although dated by now, is an excellent and factual review of the real conditions and operations at Guantanamo Bay Detention Center. Anyone who is interested in the real truth, can learn a lot from this book.

0Comment 3 people found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Great book to understand Gitmo

ByHuey P. O'nealon February 25, 2015

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

Great book. Give very good information on Gitmo and the people held there. This should be read by everyone to understand why Gitmo should remain open and the intelligence obtained from detainee .

0Comment One person found this helpful. Was this review helpful to you?YesNo

Gitmo

Byduane denlingeron March 10, 2013

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

As an ex-sailor, I had been to Gitmo several times but never really had a chance to get round the entire base. Its a bigger place than I thought. Interesting to read about.

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Worth the read

ByLISA A KETRICKon July 12, 2014

Format: Kindle EditionVerified Purchase

I thought this was an interesting view of what goes on in Gitmo.

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A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE

Bygsameon January 15, 2011

Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase

An excellent look at GITMO and how the detainees are treated and the despicable ways the detainees treat the military guards. Except for the fact that the worst of the worst are there, if one were to be imprisoned, GITMO would be the ideal place because no one imprisoned gets the white glove treatment in US prisons like the detainees. I think every critic should have to stay a month as a guard and then we would see what they had to say about GITMO. The one thing I disagree with is giving the detainees a 4200 calorie diet daily unless there are health reasons to do so. I feel bad for our military in the way the detainees treat them and also applaud our fine men and women for their professionalism and dedication in making GITMO the facility it really is despite the zealots and left-wing media who verbally trash it. Shame on some of the US attorneys for their despicable behavior against the US in handling the cases of the detainees for monetary profit. Goes to show that some people will do anything for a price even if it jeopardizes their freedoms and comforts. Make no mistake, you would be decapitated in an instance if you were no longer valuable to their cause.