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Anonymous
Posted November 1, 2007
A Man of Good Will
This book provides a much needed counterbalance to all the negativism of the media.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted March 26, 2006
A Much Clearer Story
In light of the news reports which only report the flash and sizzle which is typically the 'bad news', This book presents the real story! The political back room agendas of the US Gov't as well as the many factions in Iraq are enlightening. This book should be required reading of anyone seeking an MBA or pursuing a career in Project Managment.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted March 14, 2006
how to cope in a war zone with many fractions
The book is very informative, I recommend it to all my friends who are interested in politics it is sort of a dairy of the author's work. Limited, as it mostly tells about his work, work days,trying to unite and the successes. It shows us how difficult it is to understand the various interests and religions in a country as diverse as Irak. How the different groups learn to interact, how much they were oppressed, how tough it is for them to make any decision as a single person, and as a group, how hot it is, and how much the nation tries to cope with its neighbors. What I next would like to read by the same author, is about daily life of the people in Irak, why they fled, how they fled, and how they return and meet the family they have not seen in a long time, what they can buy now that the family could not under Saddam, how they overcome fear and lack of medicine, food, electricity, all the basics we in the west are used to have. What all the American government and the military achieved,schooling for children, women,jobs, daily life in general and how it is achieved by all.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted January 18, 2006
The Test of Freedom
A fast read, the book runs through the complexity and chaos of dealing with the overhaul of a society from tyranny to freedom and democracy. Bremer details the surprises, struggles, victories and attacks he dealt with daily in order to lead the Iraqis to take democratic control over their country. Overcoming traditions of corruption, raw terrorist power, a Stalinist economy, and Hitler-like politics, he gives the ¿Man on the Ground¿ observations that lead to critical decisions. The book exposes important policy debates on such matters as the level of security forces and intelligence failures. It shows the inner struggles among Iraqi political forces and how Bremer used his career diplomatic skills to navigate the ship of state toward democracy and freedom. The book reads like an international spy thriller: intimate talks and private pressure, delicate balancing of competing powers, all in the setting of a larger struggle between international jihadists and the western democracy. Bremer recounts policy disputes inside the top levels of Bush Administration. He discloses the power ambitions among the Iraqi exiles who wanted to take over the country but refused to make decisions. He lays out the daily challenges of replacing the currency, restarting the schools and replacing all the textbooks, managing the budget of the failed statist economy, and welding religious, tribal, ethnic, geographic, language, and political diversity into a hopeful national identity with a working economy and getting it on the road to a functioning democracy with substantive freedom in the midst of deadly attacks from within and without the country. Through it all, Bremer shows his optimism, his knowledge of history, his dedication to the Iraqi people and to the ideals of freedom and democracy. For history buffs, this is history. For political scientists, this is the great experiment of our lifetimes. For the military, this is the civilian side of war. For lovers of freedom, this is the great adventure, the test of whether freedom is just for the West and destined to die out like cowboys, or whether it is a desire inherent in the human experience.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted July 18, 2007
A reviewer
The victims of Hurricane Katrina in America had FEMA. The Iraqis had something much worse - L. Paul Bremer III and CPA! Hubris and incompetence is a deadly combination.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful.
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Anonymous
Posted January 14, 2006
Read Like a Report
I and others have been anticipating some great things out of this book for example, I had expected a story-teller telling his story, incorporating the cultural experiences and personalities involved. The book mentioned several individuals - very important individuals, but I found it difficult connecting with the key players involved. And I too felt as if some things have been left out, as if the book was rushed.
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