What do you think?
Rate this book
The Devil You Don't Know: Going Back to Iraq
"What really comes through and is startlingly refreshing are al-Jezairy’s encounters with ordinary Iraqis . . . during the American occupation. Through them come all the extraordinary Iraqi stories that have been so hard for Westerners to capture all these years." Rageh Omaar
In 1979, journalist Zuhair al-Jezairy fled Iraq and certain death after openly criticizing Saddam Hussein’s regime. Twenty-five years later he is back and cautiously celebrating the toppling of the hated Ba’ath Party.
As editor of a newspaper, he breaks the Oil for Food scandal, disclosing the names of Arabs and Westerners who were involved, and is subsequently forced to resign. He then sets up a television company and travels all over Iraq, documenting the country’s descent into sectarianism and hopeless violence, soon becoming a target himself.
Al-Jezairy’s firsthand accounts of the looting of Baghdad, the destruction of government buildings, and indiscriminate bombings present a searing, personal, and unique view of Iraq after Saddam Hussein.
Zuhair al-Jezairy lives in Iraq, where he manages the country’s first independent news agency, Voice of Iraq. He has published nine books, including two novels, in Arabic.
John West is a journalist and a graduate in classics from Balliol College, Oxford. He has covered three wars in the Middle East as a correspondent for Reuters.
In 1979, journalist Zuhair al-Jezairy fled Iraq and certain death after openly criticizing Saddam Hussein’s regime. Twenty-five years later he is back and cautiously celebrating the toppling of the hated Ba’ath Party.
As editor of a newspaper, he breaks the Oil for Food scandal, disclosing the names of Arabs and Westerners who were involved, and is subsequently forced to resign. He then sets up a television company and travels all over Iraq, documenting the country’s descent into sectarianism and hopeless violence, soon becoming a target himself.
Al-Jezairy’s firsthand accounts of the looting of Baghdad, the destruction of government buildings, and indiscriminate bombings present a searing, personal, and unique view of Iraq after Saddam Hussein.
Zuhair al-Jezairy lives in Iraq, where he manages the country’s first independent news agency, Voice of Iraq. He has published nine books, including two novels, in Arabic.
John West is a journalist and a graduate in classics from Balliol College, Oxford. He has covered three wars in the Middle East as a correspondent for Reuters.
- GenresMiddle East
288 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2009
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
December 12, 2011
This book wasn’t written for a western listener. It was written for Iraqis and the Arabic speaking world. While American figures strongly into the story, the West is a feature of Iraq’s near history… not the entire story.
In the West, we hear words designed for the western ear. Rarely, or never, do we hear the concerns of the Middle-East from a point of view that doesn’t consider western listeners.
I believe this has lead to war, prolonged war, and will create conflict in the future.
The book is lyrical in style. Not a poem, but a loving description with a distinct rhythm. You learn later that’s because he is a poet. But, I think he uses it to communicate the difficult as smoothly as possible.
He also carefully avoids salacious reporting or inflammatory weighting. To his credit, this allows the sensitive to get through the subject without closing off the truth. Many of which “truths” are painfully difficult to approach.
His strongest points are a personal history and diagnosing the trauma every Iraqi alive has been visited by. Specially, the effects at the personal level building up to the organizational level. This includes, but is not limited to, American injustices.
His appreciation of damage rote by traumatic words flowing into traumatic events accounts for the books style. I deeply respect him for this.
Of course, he documents a madding level of corruption in Iraq, and the international organizations there. He’s clear that American Military Officers can be bribed and willing to say where you can find them. But, that is a contributing (all be it a significant) factor in Iraqi suffering.
As an American that loves his country, Iraq is a painfully difficult subject to approach. I’ve been a fiery critic of the War before it was one. Even though I voted for him…I see Bush, along with his cronies, as a war criminals… would like them tried and hung if found guilty. Still, the scale of the suffering we are responsible for makes it easier to turn away and try to ignore.
In the West, we hear words designed for the western ear. Rarely, or never, do we hear the concerns of the Middle-East from a point of view that doesn’t consider western listeners.
I believe this has lead to war, prolonged war, and will create conflict in the future.
The book is lyrical in style. Not a poem, but a loving description with a distinct rhythm. You learn later that’s because he is a poet. But, I think he uses it to communicate the difficult as smoothly as possible.
He also carefully avoids salacious reporting or inflammatory weighting. To his credit, this allows the sensitive to get through the subject without closing off the truth. Many of which “truths” are painfully difficult to approach.
His strongest points are a personal history and diagnosing the trauma every Iraqi alive has been visited by. Specially, the effects at the personal level building up to the organizational level. This includes, but is not limited to, American injustices.
His appreciation of damage rote by traumatic words flowing into traumatic events accounts for the books style. I deeply respect him for this.
Of course, he documents a madding level of corruption in Iraq, and the international organizations there. He’s clear that American Military Officers can be bribed and willing to say where you can find them. But, that is a contributing (all be it a significant) factor in Iraqi suffering.
As an American that loves his country, Iraq is a painfully difficult subject to approach. I’ve been a fiery critic of the War before it was one. Even though I voted for him…I see Bush, along with his cronies, as a war criminals… would like them tried and hung if found guilty. Still, the scale of the suffering we are responsible for makes it easier to turn away and try to ignore.
March 8, 2020
The author left Iraq for fear of his life when Suddam Hussian was in power. Years later (25) after the fall of Suddam. He appears to be honest as to his feelings and accounters.. He gives first-hand accounts of the looting of Baghdad, the destruction of government buildings, and indiscriminate bombings .
October 10, 2022
Only those who have not experienced war may romanticise it. Otherwise, war is characterised by violence, starvation, devastation, humiliation, and pain.
A stunning writing style, impartial, and remarkable human perspective during senseless bloodshed.
I strongly recommend everyone to read this book.
A stunning writing style, impartial, and remarkable human perspective during senseless bloodshed.
I strongly recommend everyone to read this book.
December 15, 2024
This book made my heart yearn for a homeland that I may never be able to set foot in.
November 24, 2015
It is rare that an autobiographical piece can mix poetry and realism, sentiment and pragmatics, quite as well as al-Jezairy does here. Rarer still that a narrator has the self-awareness to portray the way the disease of his environment works on his own head, his helplessness in the midst of it all. Every time he begins to narrate his dreams and aspirations, every time he makes some little accomplishment he confesses just as quickly its insufficiency in the chaos and how it goes up in flames.
al-Jezairy is by no means ENTIRELY neutral in his account of the Iraq Invasion; obviously he favors a strong, secular national identity for all Iraqis and he does not hesitate to exercise judgment on the varied groups tearing Iraq apart from the inside. His portrayal of middle class urbanites as bastions of sanity compared to deprived persons from the fringes may be a bit colored. Yet, it is precisely the fact that he dares take a stance that makes his empathy for all Iraqis so meaningful. His narrative isn't one of despair where everything goes. It portrays the torment of clinging to the desire to hear and heal everyone while sitting in Hell. An impossible situation. While al-Jezairy probably overestimates how pure the humanist perspective is and underestimates the sometimes pitying attitude he can have, he retains the ability to listen and to be taught even by the experiences of those he disagrees with.
Between the positive narrative alluded to above and the really detailed portrait al-Jezairy paints of day-to-day life and its precedence over the political in Iraq, this book is well worth the read.
al-Jezairy is by no means ENTIRELY neutral in his account of the Iraq Invasion; obviously he favors a strong, secular national identity for all Iraqis and he does not hesitate to exercise judgment on the varied groups tearing Iraq apart from the inside. His portrayal of middle class urbanites as bastions of sanity compared to deprived persons from the fringes may be a bit colored. Yet, it is precisely the fact that he dares take a stance that makes his empathy for all Iraqis so meaningful. His narrative isn't one of despair where everything goes. It portrays the torment of clinging to the desire to hear and heal everyone while sitting in Hell. An impossible situation. While al-Jezairy probably overestimates how pure the humanist perspective is and underestimates the sometimes pitying attitude he can have, he retains the ability to listen and to be taught even by the experiences of those he disagrees with.
Between the positive narrative alluded to above and the really detailed portrait al-Jezairy paints of day-to-day life and its precedence over the political in Iraq, this book is well worth the read.
March 7, 2015
This is a great insight as to what we did when we invaded Iraq. The confusion, dis regard for the locals, lack of security and having every village idiot sent from the US to run the country…………both military and civilian alike
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews