In this powerful and passionate critique of the 'war on terror' in Afghanistan and its extensions into Palestine and Iraq, Derek Gregory traces the long history of British and American involvements in the Middle East and shows how colonial power continues to cast long shadows over our own present. Argues the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11 activated a series of political and cultural responses that were profoundly colonial in nature. The first analysis of the “war on terror” to connect events in Afghanistan, Palestine, and Iraq. Traces the connections between geopolitics and the lives of ordinary people. Richly illustrated and packed with empirical detail.
Gregory's powerful and sobering critique of U.S. policy in Afghanistan, Israel/Palestine, and Iraq is a brutally accurate and important analysis. For any American reader molded by the jingoistic mainstream media of the U.S., The Colonial Present undoubtedly comes as a harsh reality shock. Gregory slices right through the righteous façade of policy makers who claim to go to war in the Middle East for the sake of freedom and democracy. More importantly, he exposes the unjust policies of colonialism that have..
Gregory does a great job of connecting geographical concepts to recent conflicts in the Middle East, and while it is academically geared, The Colonial Present is very accessible for the average reader. While I don't necessarily agree with his argument on Israel, he is very convincing. A must read for anyone interested in the Middle East or geography; really every American should read this.
