Memoirs, historical chronicles, and biographies have become my go-to genres lately, and 'Night Draws Near' is a standout gem. As a Lebanese American journalist, Shadid dives deep into the heart of the Iraq war, giving us a raw and authentic perspective from the everyday Iraqi folks. This book had me hooked from the start—a gripping and eye-opening account that pulls back the curtain on what life is really like during war.

What blew me away was Shadid's incredible access to people from all walks of life in Iraq. Their interviews, especially when you reflect on them now, are mind-blowingly accurate in predicting how the conflict would unfold over the years after the invasion.

Shadid doesn't hold back in showing the devastating impact of years of bloodshed, violence, dictatorship, and years of sanctions on regular people's lives. It's a heart-wrenching narrative that contrasts the vibrant history of Baghdad with its current state of ruin. The destruction caused by the occupation is just mind-boggling, and it's hard to fathom how a place so culturally rich has been left in shambles.

I can't stress enough how enlightening and eye-opening 'Night Draws Near' has been for me. It's expanded my understanding of Iraq and the broader Middle East in ways I never imagined. If you're looking for a thought-provoking and captivating read, this book is an absolute treasure.

I'm usually wary of accounts of Western journalists claiming to 'reveal' the 'real' Middle East, but this book is completely different. It's among the best books I've read about the contemporary Middle East, definitely the best book I've read on Iraq, hands down. Knowledgeable but not to the point of pontification, Shadid, a CASA Arabic graduate and a Lebanese American, does what it (ironically) seems like so few people have honestly done: actually asks the Iraqi people how they feel about the state of affairs in their country. The response is candid and telling and, in some cases, wise, chilling and ultimately human. What emerges is a complex picture of the invasion, Saddam, and the role of the US, replete with ambiguities and individual views. Really, if you want to understand Iraq and how Iraqis actually feel, this book will help you to understand, and help you to see how impossible it really is to generalize about 'what Iraqis want.' I read this book while living in Syria, and I actually had several conversations with Iraqis that echoed some of what Shadid was saying; I also saw some of the elements of Iraqi culture that Shadid details reflected in Syrian culture and society. At times this book became so sad and depressing that I had to walk away for a time, but really, as a citizen of the US reading a book abut a war initiated by my own country, did I really expect anything else?

This book is an opportunity to explore the complex perspectives and opinions of Iraqis and their perceptions of the U.S. It's a great reminder that these issues are complex with various shades of grey and no easy answers.

An important and captivating look at the lives of common people in Iraq, a group so cruelly neglected by the media and altogether left out of the American story of the war, Shadid's book is essential reading for anyone who pays his/her taxes.

When Night Draws near is an account of personal stories of Iraqis before, during and after the American invasion. Shadid's writing is beautiful and he weaves these accounts through the history of the war and provides a unique perspective versus other books that cover broad factual accounts. It's a tough book to read as these stories are not happy ones and underscores again and again a point that I think we all know in retrospect: While getting rid of Saddam was a good thing, invading a country and dismantling its government without a really plan for what comes next is a super terrible idea. I think Shadid could have been more selective in the stories that he tells for a more concise book that delivers the same points, but then again, maybe his objective was to draw out the despair for the reader as a small reflection of the state of Iraq.

Autor tej książki - Amerykanin libańskiego pochodzenia - rozumie i do pewnego stopnia jest związany z obiema stronami konfliktu, i jest to najlepsza rzecz jaka się mogła tej książce przydarzyć. Mało tu pisania o polityce w makroskali, a dużo społeczeństwa i ludzkich dramatów w mikroskali, dzięki czemu można sobie poskładać ogólny obraz z wielu, nieraz sprzecznych, elementów.

This is a phenomenal book, written by a man who cared to give a voice to the views of ordinary Iraqis. In retrospect we see how stupid and immoral the U.S. war on Iraq was, but had our policy makers actually listened to Iraqis instead of speaking for them with vague promises of "freedom" and "a better life," perhaps we would not have destroyed this Texas-sized nation, or gone down the road to invade another half-dozen others, or corrupted our own liberties, or bankrupted our nation by multi-trillion dollar wars.

This book won only the L.A. Times Book Prize, but it should have won the Pulitzer.

Gorgeous prose really brings Iraqis to life. This should be required reading.

I am very glad that I read this book. It gives a sensitive view of the people -- individual people and families -- that were victimized by the ravages of what followed the reign of Sadam Hossein. The author does not offer opinions. He does not take sides. He talks about the people that he came to know during his stay in Iraq. His driver and guide, a family of a mother and 4 daughters who are barely surviving day to day, people who were rich, people who were poor, Shiites, Sunnis.........I recommend this book to everyone.

Wpływ inwazji amerykańskiej na życie zwykłych Irakijczyków

This is a long read - if you attempt it I suggest skipping the Prologue and go right to "The American Invasion."

The author has remarkable access to a wide swath of Iraqui intelligencia, religious leaders, and the general public. The selection is biased as it does not include access to the American leadership in Iraq or American Military. This does not detract from the thrust of the narrative, which is powerful, but it begs the question of why the Americans were so tone-deaf to the Iraquis.

The author's digressions into the history of the country and its religious divisions were compelling though the Kurds are not mentioned all that much.

Paul Bremer, though mentioned frequently, gets a pass on his blunders.

I cannot bring myself to read this book. Makes me a bad person, but it is what it is.