"[A] well-written history of the barrier . . . The most detailed account of the barrier to date. Backmann places the barrier smack in the middle of the controversy over Israeli confiscation of Palestinian lands: He makes a compelling case that Israel set out to expand West Bank Jewish settlements on the Israeli side at the expense of thousands of acres of Palestinian territory."—Linda Gradstein, The Washington Post

"Elliot reports on the 'double life' of the Persians he meets, who unanimously denounce the ruling mullahs. One insists that you're nobody in Iran if you haven't been imprisoned; another rolls his eyes at the author's obsessive trawling of mosques, protesting, 'People will think I'm with a fanatic.' The book is replete with historical arcana . . . ruminations on the 'turbulent calligraphies' of Islamic architecture, and labyrinthine footnotes . . . Elliot is a travel writer of the old school: untethered to an itinerary, eager to be led astray, and as ardent an observer of the experience of traveling as of his destination."—The New Yorker

"Against the tradition of combat memoirs, [Finkel] chooses to keep himself out of the action, so that The Good Soldiers sometimes reads more like a novel than a reporter’s journal, with Finkel as the omniscient narrator . . . The Good Soldiers is more than a splendid account of men in combat. It will stand as the classic book about an extremely challenging war."—Daniel Ford, Durham, New Hampshire, Michigan War Studies Review

"Gerth author of China Made: Consumer Culture and the Creation of the Nation, does much to redress the imbalance and to point out the potential influence of Chinese consumerism, not only on China but on the rest of the world. The book is both informative and entertaining. Although supported by input from published sources, the text is largely the result of insightful observations of the author, who lived, studied, and traveled extensively in China. The book draws parallels between expanding consumerism in China and corresponding developments in other countries such as the US. However, Gerth is careful in identifying unique aspects of China's embrace of domestic consumption. The book contains extensive source notes, readings, and Web sites for further investigation. The writing style is reader friendly and can be appreciated by a broad spectrum of readers who have even a passing interest in understanding the growing importance of China as a world power. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels."—W. C. Struning, emeritus, Seton Hall University, Choice