First published 2015
In 2012, Jonathan Littell enters Syria through Free Syrian Army smuggling routes and reaches the ancient city of Homs. He spends three weeks documenting the uprising as government forces bomb residential areas and kill civilians. Littell records conversations with freedom fighters who explain their motivations for battle. He observes families trapped in the crossfire and follows doctors treating wounded fighters and innocent victims alike. As Syrian forces tighten their siege around the city, Littell notices early signs of religious extremist groups beginning to infiltrate and co-opt the democratic revolution. His daily observations capture both the immediate human cost of urban warfare and the political forces reshaping the conflict. These field notes later became his reporting for Le Monde newspaper and offer readers direct access to the early phase of a war that continues to destabilize the region.
Genres: war, non-fiction, 21st-century, journalism
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: first-hand-account, on-the-ground-reporting
Setting: Homs, Syria
Period: 2012
256 pages · Hardcover · Verso
Content warnings: graphic-violence, war