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Liked It1 of 1 members found this review helpful “Exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting) account of the Algerian War from 1954-62, with attention to the ensemble of French and Algerian actors. de Gaulle looms large especially after his return to power in 1958 as the 'savior'. |
Didn’t Like It “I'm having a hard time getting through this book. Horne makes many unsupported references to French politics and society, and the applicability of this conflict to Iraq still escapes me.” see full review » see other reviews » |
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1 of 1 members found this review helpful
“Exhaustive (and sometimes exhausting) account of the Algerian War from 1954-62, with attention to the ensemble of French and Algerian actors. de Gaulle looms large especially after his return to power in 1958 as the 'savior'.
Vishy G wrote this review Tuesday, September 9 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
How the vast 'pied noir' community complicated this colonial experience (as opposed to those of the British in Asia and Africa) was an eye opener to me. Equally revealing to me was how relatively backward French economic, social, and military infrastructure till only about 50 years ago.
With respect to its much discussed relevance to the current Iraq situation, I think it is not necessarily a comparable situation on the surface. However, it does show the importance of combining military and non-military techniques in combating insurgencies, the problems that an absent civic/political/administrative class can create, how torture (however justified) distorts our humanity, and the fundamental unsustainability of oppression of any kind.
By showing the linkages between the events in Algeria and 'metropolitan France', including the collapse of the Fourth Republic, Horne lays out the context in which de Gaulle comes back in 1958 and tries (with his own set of imperfections) to reconcile the various interests at play with his desire to "wed France to this century".”
1 of 1 members found this review helpful“Detailed and at times even thrilling account of the 1956-62 Algerian War of Independence. We see what led to and perpetuated the war, and how both sides came to the conclusion that the madness must stop. There are many different elements to the conflict that I'd known next to nothing about, especially the French generals' rebellion and the public's opposition to torture.
Peter B-P wrote this review Thursday, July 3 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
My main problem with the book, as another read said, is that it expects you to already know the definitions of many French words.”
1 of 1 members found this review helpful“A complete, and at times exhausting, account of Algeria in a turbulent time. Read this and then watch The Battle of Algiers to see Mr. Horne's analysis come to life. Also keep your French to English dictionary handy because, and this is my one quibble with the book, Mr. Horne does not frequently translate for the reader and I felt like I was missing a large part of the mood of the book by relying on my high school French.”
Vanessa B wrote this review Friday, March 7 2008. ( reply | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No“I'm having a hard time getting through this book. Horne makes many unsupported references to French politics and society, and the applicability of this conflict to Iraq still escapes me.”
Steve Melito wrote this review Tuesday, January 8 2008. ( reply | view 1 replies | permalink ) Was this review helpful? Yes | No
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