A War Against Truth is as much history as it is current events, unfolding in a masterpiece of imagery, which sheds light on dark disturbing forces in eastern and western governments past and present.
Paul William Roberts, MA, having taught literature at universities on three continents, now adds another piece to the universal sculpture of words all great writers have built over time. He opens this work with the terror he experiences in the “shock and awe” bombardment of Baghdad, where he is staying with Iraqi friends and travels to a hospital where there is no electricity, no water, no medicine, no bandages, no hope. The euphemistic shock and awe is soon replaced with what it was: terrorism against a civilian population.
In a remarkably succinct manner Roberts takes us from the dawn of civilization in Babylonian Iraq, through the bizarre influences of our forefathers since the crusades upon the Middle East. Condemning the conventional media collaboration as “embedded” public relations for the Pentagon, he is comical in his self-portrayal as “embedouined,” travelling at times in Arab clothing. In fact he maintains throughout the journey and his book a sense of humour that adds tremendous relief even hope to this tragic but well-crafted narrative.
His timelines, maps and excellent footnotes all provide sources to continue to explore the true nature of this war.
Whether to learn, laugh, cry or all of them, this is the next book you should read. Expect enlightening entertainment and a demand to involve yourself in a better world.
A War Against Truth: An Intimate Account of the Invasion of Iraq, Paul William Roberts, Raincoast Books 2004 www.raincoast.com Writer Jim Holt is a founding director of the Conservative Party of Canada in the new federal riding of Newton-North Delta. He recently supported Adrienne Carr of the Green Party in her bid to win a BC Legislature bi-election seat. jimholt@dccnet.com