Night of Power
The Betrayal of the Middle East
Published on 22. May 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
672 pages
978-0-00-725549-8 (ISBN)
Description
'ROBERT FISK HAS BEEN REPORTING FROM THE MIDDLE EAST WITH INCOMPARABLE DEPTH AND UNDERSTANDING...AND EXTRAORDINARY COURAGE' NOAM CHOMSKY
In this final work from renowned journalist Robert Fisk, he picks up reporting on the Middle East where his internationally bestselling The Great War of Civilisation left off.
From the Arab uprisings and the Syrian civil war to Israel's conflicts with Palestine and Lebanon, Fisk condemns the West's ongoing hypocrisy and interference while revealing the horrific truth of life on the ground. Unafraid to criticise authority and unpick complex truths, hecreates a compelling narrative of passionate and engaging journalism, historical analysis and eyewitness reporting.
With a Postscript by Nelofer Pazira-Fisk and a foreword by Patrick Cockburn, Night of Power delivers an essential and prophetic account of the last twenty years, which exposes the inescapable consequences of colonial oppression and violence in the Middle East.
'This is a masterly work by a unique and gifted "historian of the present", who was unafraid to criticise authority while revealing the horrific realities of life and death on the ground' Conor O'Clery, Irish Times
'Every sentence of Robert Fisk radiates his loathe of wars and the inevitable dehumanization they produce, which makes his (sadly) last book an everlasting warning, beyond its value as a meticulous historical recount and analysis of today's events' Amira Hass, journalist, Haaretz
'Fisk's reporting is clear-eyed and unflinching, a model for what journalists should aspire to practice in their ever more important and widely threatened craft' Anthony Arnove, editor, Iraq Under Siege and author, Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal
'I was at the funeral of a friend of mine, in Kilternan cemetery ... I came across Robert Fisk's grave. Someone has to bear witness to the unspeakable, and he did it, whatever the cost to himself' Neil Jordan, film director and writer
In this final work from renowned journalist Robert Fisk, he picks up reporting on the Middle East where his internationally bestselling The Great War of Civilisation left off.
From the Arab uprisings and the Syrian civil war to Israel's conflicts with Palestine and Lebanon, Fisk condemns the West's ongoing hypocrisy and interference while revealing the horrific truth of life on the ground. Unafraid to criticise authority and unpick complex truths, hecreates a compelling narrative of passionate and engaging journalism, historical analysis and eyewitness reporting.
With a Postscript by Nelofer Pazira-Fisk and a foreword by Patrick Cockburn, Night of Power delivers an essential and prophetic account of the last twenty years, which exposes the inescapable consequences of colonial oppression and violence in the Middle East.
'This is a masterly work by a unique and gifted "historian of the present", who was unafraid to criticise authority while revealing the horrific realities of life and death on the ground' Conor O'Clery, Irish Times
'Every sentence of Robert Fisk radiates his loathe of wars and the inevitable dehumanization they produce, which makes his (sadly) last book an everlasting warning, beyond its value as a meticulous historical recount and analysis of today's events' Amira Hass, journalist, Haaretz
'Fisk's reporting is clear-eyed and unflinching, a model for what journalists should aspire to practice in their ever more important and widely threatened craft' Anthony Arnove, editor, Iraq Under Siege and author, Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal
'I was at the funeral of a friend of mine, in Kilternan cemetery ... I came across Robert Fisk's grave. Someone has to bear witness to the unspeakable, and he did it, whatever the cost to himself' Neil Jordan, film director and writer
Reviews / Votes
'The overall effect of Fisk's present-tense historical writing-he holds a doctorate in history and is able to make deep connections between present and past-is to underscore the dangers of making too many assumptions about a much-assumed-about region ... An incisive view of the Middle East that won't please the Pentagon or veterans of the Bush and Blair administrations' Kirkus starred review'Fisk's sobering view of the Middle East bites with truth ... A disturbing and distressing book but tragically undeniable too' Irish Examiner
'In his attentive, careful, detailed, historically grounded reporting - and in this remarkable posthumous book, which deserves to be widely read - the voices of people demanding freedom are given space, recognition, and dignity. This is an exemplary and deeply human work of both journalism and history' Anthony Arnove, author of Iraq: The Logic of Withdrawal
'Today as conflicts again rage in multiple countries in the Middle East, we need Robert Fisk's insight more than ever. A good deal of it can be found in the pages of this, his final book. His voice has been sorely missed in the pages of our newspapers and magazines, but even more so, in our world' Norman Stockwell, publisher of The Progressive
'Fisk's ability to evoke the Middle East's multifaceted history, delve into the details of its multiple conflicts, and expose the moral depravity and hypocrisy of Western policy towards the region has had few equals ... This posthumous volume explains why Fisk's next column was so eagerly awaited by so many, and why its absence is missed in these grim times' Mouin Rabbani, co-editor of Jadaliyya
'Legendary journalist Robert Fisk's Night of Power is essential reading to understand the full extent of the crime that was the Iraq war' Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President, Quincy Institute
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
HarperCollins Publishers
Product notice
Unsewn / adhesive bound
Paperback (UK-B)
Dimensions
Height: 198 mm
Width: 129 mm
Thickness: 44 mm
Weight
450 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-00-725549-8 (9780007255498)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
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Person
Robert Fisk was a bestselling author and journalist. He spent forty-four years in the Middle East and his work spanned nearly five decades, covering conflicts in the Arab world, former Yugoslavia and Northern Ireland. He was The Independent's Middle East correspondent, and his book The Great War for Civilisation was published internationally to great critical acclaim. He is also the author of Pity the Nation and The Age of the Warrior.
Nelofer Pazira-Fisk is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. While based in Beirut she worked closely with her late husband Robert Fisk, reporting and filming from the frontlines in the region, in addition to her own work in Afghanistan. An advocate of women's rights, Nelofer is a former president of PEN Canada. She is the author of A Bed of Red Flowers.
Nelofer Pazira-Fisk is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. While based in Beirut she worked closely with her late husband Robert Fisk, reporting and filming from the frontlines in the region, in addition to her own work in Afghanistan. An advocate of women's rights, Nelofer is a former president of PEN Canada. She is the author of A Bed of Red Flowers.