Just a quick note to mention that my new book, Crude World: The Violent Twilight of Oil, will be published in September. The early reviews are encouraging. Publishers Weekly says Crude World is “heartfelt and beautifully crafted.” Kirkus describes it as “breathless, ...
Author: Peter Maass
I was born and raised in Los Angeles. In 1983, after graduating from the University of California at Berkeley, I went to Brussels as a copy editor for The Wall Street Journal/Europe. I left the Journal in 1985 to write for The New York Times and The International Herald Tribune, covering NATO and the European Union. In 1987 I moved to Seoul, South Korea, where I wrote primarily for The Washington Post. After three years in Asia I moved to Budapest to cover Eastern Europe and the Balkans. I spent most of 1992 and 1993 covering the war in Bosnia for the Post.
Nedret Mujkanovic, 1961-2008
In the summer of 1992 a young Bosnian doctor was infiltrated into Srebrenica, a desperate enclave that was besieged by Serb troops. Nedret Mujkanovic served as Srebrenica’s only surgeon, working in 19th-century conditions because the enclave had little medicine or medical equipment; he often ...
“The Forever War” by Dexter Filkins
If you read the New York Times’ coverage of Iraq and Afghanistan in recent years you would have noticed the remarkable work of Dexter Filkins, one of the best war correspondents of our times. Dexter has written an amazing book about his experiences, The Forever War, and next week I’m ...
What “Generation Kill” Gets Right About Iraq
In the debate about Iraq, it has become a convention in hawkish American circles to blame the Bush administration for bad execution of a good idea (i.e. invading a large Middle Eastern nation). “Generation Kill,” a powerful new HBO miniseries, offers a reality-based counter-narrative that ...
Situation Normal: What “Generation Kill” Gets Right About Iraq
Slate
July 18, 2008
I hate Skittles. I perfected this dislike while covering the invasion of Iraq, because the gummy pills of sugar and fruit were included in the MREs fed to soldiers, Marines, and journalists who were racing to Baghdad in 2003. On the continuum of foods I can’t stand, they are ...
Who’s Africa’s Worst Dictator?
If you’re thinking “Robert Mugabe,” you may be wrong. How about Teodoro Obiang? I wrote a short piece about him for Slate.
Who’s Africa’s Worst Leader?
Slate
June 24, 2008
A pop quiz: Who is the worst dictator in Africa?
a) Robert Mugabe
b) Robert Mugabe
c) Robert Mugabe
d) None of the above
The answer seems obvious. Thanks to extensive coverage in the news media and abundant criticism by Western governments, everyone knows that Zimbabwe’s leader ...
Fuel Fixers
The New York Times Magazine
December 22, 2007
James Giffen likes to share the wealth. His generosity to friends is said to have included $180,000 for jewelry, $30,000 for fur coats, a luxury speedboat, two snowmobiles and lots of cash. Overall, according to prosecutors in New York, Giffen gave more ...
Berkeley Lectures
In November I will be a Regents Lecturer at UC Berkeley, which means, among other things, that I will give several talks. Come one, come all!
Oct. 29: “The Amazon v. Big Oil: In Ecuador, Chevron Faces Judgment Day.” 4-5:15 pm. 101 Morgan Hall.
Nov. 1: “From Saddam to Muqtada: A Writer’s ...
“Bosnia’s Ground Zero” in Vanity Fair
Back in 1996, Vanity Fair published a lengthy excerpt from my book, “Love Thy Neighbor.” I never received an electronic copy of the excerpt, so it wasn’t posted on this site (or anywhere on the web). In the past few months I received a number of enquiries about the excerpt, because ...