Babylon Burning: A Graphic History of the Making of the Modern Middle East

by Toufic El Rassi

The United States has a long and troubling history of military and political intervention in the Middle East. This involvement has led to terrible consequences for the people of the region. Much of the area's conflict and instability has origins in this past - a past little-discussed in the West. Baghdad Burning documents some of the key events of US and western intervention in the Middle East and other parts of the world. Through the medium of the graphic novel, this often esoteric history is made more accessible to a wider number of people. Using words and pictures, the author exposes the misuse and abuse of power. This book is a challenge to American foreign policy and those who promote its expansionist history and agenda.

Genres: History, Comics, Nonfiction, Middle East, War

160 pages, Paperback

Published May 15, 2019

About the author

Toufic El Rassi is a painter, graphic novelist, and historian. He is an instructor in the Painting Department at The Art Institute of Chicago where he currently teaches comics. He is the author of Arab in America and the the upcoming Baghdad Burning.

Reviews

[Greg · Rating 5 out of 5]

Straightforward, unabashed, critical, thought-provoking.

[Scott Martin · Rating 2 out of 5]

The thing about free speech is that everyone can and should have the ability to express their views. That does not mean that their views are any more palatable or valid then the next person. Thus, we come to Babylon Burning, a graphic novel representing one man’s view on the situation in the Middle East. In particular, he focuses on the negative reaction to American policy in the region. That America has played a big role, and not always for the good of the region is not in dispute. However, is America the big, bad villain that dominates all in the region? Not entirely. There are plenty of dark, unsavory characters that dictated the path of the region, but the author seems to explicitly single out America in his art and words.

Not a terrible work per se, but hardly one that should be held up as the definitive tome of US policy in the region. This is one that should be read with a large amount of context and understanding that it is but one man’s perspective. You can learn a few things in the work, but I would not cite this as a legitimate source for any political or historical analysis. The artwork fits with the style and tenor of the writing, but again, hardly the best example of historical graphic novels. Recommended mainly for those who already have a grounded understanding of the history and politics of America and the region. This is not a text for student, but a supplement only (with the previously mentioned caveats).

[Eric Piotrowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Arab in America with a passion. It's a beautiful look at personal identity and global community. As soon as I learned about El Rassi's follow up text, I ordered it and dove in. The art is excellent as in AiA, with a nice combination of recognizable images with devastating visual commentary.

The story is less fluid this time around. El Rassi has taken on a huge challenge, but the lack of consistent organization is off-putting at times. In some spots he moves chronologically, but other times he groups things thematically. Sometimes he focuses on a particular region, but three pages later he moves around the globe.

Because I was already versed in most of this history, I wasn't too confused, but I think readers using this as an introduction to the complicated nature of Middle East politics could have some trouble following the plot. More importantly, some of the juxtapositions here feel incoherent or confusingly tangential. Around p. 88, for example, we get a section on NSA surveillance and COINTELPRO and then Oliver North's Iran-Contra hijinx show up one page later.

I'm happy to ascribe these to El Rassi trying to cram a whole mess of history into a relatively slim volume, so it's not nefarious or unjust storytelling. Overall it's a solid text about some really important issues, told well by an interesting scholar.

Big thumbs up.

[Zoe · Rating 3 out of 5]

The edition I read was called "Babylon Burning", like what the current Goodreads cover depicts. I wonder now if it was an early pre-pub or limited release edition, because it could have used an editor - not just to fix the typos and text layout errors, but also on a more developmental level to ensure a more consistent narrative flow. The author jumped around from topic to topic and it was often unclear, or left up to the reader, how each historical vignette tied together into a coherent whole.

[Raven Black · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard truths told. Love it or hate it. Does cater to if already prone one way or other to reinforce that. Not for everyone. Would be a good companion to Persepolis. Tone and story different but both show the Middle East in another way. Both talk to the reader. But Babylon Burning has a more casual tone. But hits hard.

[David Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good graphic primer of the last 100 years of politics in the middle east. I have to dock it a star for poor art, but the history is solid. Most of the focus is on America's role in the region, and it also covers the CIA's shenanigans overthrowing governments in South America.