Writing Worth Reading
Writing Worth Reading
Image by theciviccommons via Flickr
A selection of recent despatches by Anthony Shadid (1968-2012), one of the best reporters working in the Middle East in the past 10 years
Anthony Shadid was one of the best reporters working in the Arab world, and a two-time Pulitzer winner. His despatches over the past year from Libya and Syria have been essential reading for anyone interested in the region
Vignettes from reporting life of former NYT Middle East correspondent. Including the day he was shot by an Israeli sniper. And the most chilling interview he conducted, with an Iraqi who'd had to kill his own son
Excerpt from Shadid's forthcoming memoir in which he reflects on his family's roots in rural Lebanon, and the long-abandoned house that he determined to rebuild
One of the despatches from Iraq that helped Shadid win his first Pulitzer. A moving, beautifully written piece that combines political analysis with intuitive understanding of the people he's writing about
Detailed and gripping account of life with Syrian resistance. From firing onions at security forces, they've gone past point of no return. "If we don’t get rid of him, they’re going to come back at us with everything they have"
Hafez al-Assad was a ruthless cynic who ruled Syria with fear and violence. Son Bashar thought he could lighten up, get popular, and hold on to power that way. Wrong. Once you've built a wall of dread, you can't dismantle it
Harrowing account from four NYT journalists held by Gaddafi's forces. All had experience in war zones, one had been kidnapped in Afghanistan, another in Iraq. None thought they would live through the first night in Libyan custody
Look at Egyptian town built upon political patronage and the largesse that came with having a parliamentarian close to Mubarak. Recent events changed a lot, but it will take a lot more to change the mindset of ordinary Egyptians
A revolution founders. Libya is being carved up by hundreds of rival militias. There's a veneer of normality in the capital, but it's an impotent, ineffectual government. No rule of law, economic development, human rights
The inconvenient Arab uprising. For the US, at least, which keeps its Fifth Fleet in the island Gulf state and has been conspicuously quiet about brutal suppression of anti-government protests
Profile of "Papa Tayyip" Erdogan, Turkey's populist and popular PM, soon to enter second decade in office. "Part Friday preacher, part neighborhood rabble-rouser, he styles himself as an underdog even as he holds unquestioned power"
Dubai never had the money, Saudi Arabia lacked the ambition. Tiny Qatar, now exploiting vast natural gas reserves, has both. Its capital, Doha, has been transformed from Gulf backwater. But it's a fragmented, self-conscious place
"If the demonstrations that culminated in February were an uprising against President Hosni Mubarak, the revolt today is against his legacy. 'This is the real revolution,' said a first-aid volunteer in Tahrir Square
Is there an identity in the Middle East beyond religion? "The fate of Arab Christians today will help define the unresolved struggle within the Arab world about its identity — how fair, just and equal its societies turn out to be"
Shadid won his second Pulitzer in 2010, for his reporting for the Post from Iraq. This page contains links to those articles for which he was recognised, written in 2009 as US forces left and Iraqis struggled to shape their future
The war is over. The Americans are leaving. What next for Iraqis?
Governments want Hamas weaker, public wants it stronger
Americans wind down, local strongmen step up
