Friendly Fire: The Near-Death of the Transatlantic Alliance

Rating:
Summary: Outdated & Non-Comprehensive
Review: Ms. Pond does a great deal of research for her piece, Friendly Fire, and the depth of her knowledge shows. She is able to cite with authority much of the progression of events and media coverage of the fallout between the United States and Europe up until immediately following the swift US victory against Saddam Hussein.

However, her book unfortunately includes several issues that have since either been refuted or made irrelevant by subsequent disputes. The Plame affair, involving Ambassador Wilson, have been thoroughly debunked, while relations between the allies underwent even more convulsions in the reconstruction period of the Coalition occupation of Iraq.

It cannot be said that this incompletenes is her fault, but for someone looking for a more complete review of post-9/11 US-European relations, this offers only half of the tale. Further, as she is a correspondent in Germany, he work is heavily weighted toward the US-German relationship, almost entirely ignoring the French leadership's crusade against American "hyperpower." Still, if you are looking for an in-depth exploration of the US-German relationship from 9/11 until the victory against Saddam, this is more than sufficient, clear and well-researched.