Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's War

New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2005. First Edition. Third Printing. very good, very good. 424, maps, selected bibliography, index, pencil erasure residue on front endpaper. Anthony Shadid, a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter for the Washington Post, tells firsthand of his encounters with Iraqi citizens, reporting their views of the American occupation. It is clear, in Mr. Shadid's view, that the U.S. 's initial stunning military victory was followed by a post-invasion failure. He balances his views with a recognition that many Iraqis are grateful that Saddam is out of power, and he expresses guarded optimism over signs of progress such as the elections and the progress toward a constitution. However, the Americans, he says, clearly were without a plan, and this has had devastating consequences for the Iraqis as well as for the American troops stationed there.