Benghazi!

A New History of the Fiasco that Pushed America and its World to the Brink

By: Ethan Chorin

Narrated by: Jim Meskimen

In recognition of the 10th anniversary of the attack in Benghazi, a noted Libya expert and eyewitness to the attack provides a startling reconsideration of one of the defining controversies of our era.

Ten years after an attack on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, cries of "Benghazi!" still echo across America. But instead of a landmark event to be taken seriously, it has become a punchline, an empty word, or a code for controversy and political theatre. In this thrilling retelling, Ethan Chorin reveals Benghazi as a watershed moment in American history, one that helped create the world America lives in today: polarized, fearful, and dangerously unstable.

Here, Benghazi is not a story contained in 13 hours, but a decades-long history beginning with the rise of Muammar Gaddafi, stretching through 9/11, the War on Terror, and the Arab Spring, and reaching into the present day, as the impact of the attack and ensuing controversy remain visible in America and around the world. Chorin draws on his own bone-chilling experience during the Benghazi attack, his expertise as a former diplomat and scholar of Libyan history, and new interviews with Libyan insiders, eyewitnesses, and key players like Hillary Clinton and Ben Rhodes. With this ambitious, engaging narrative, Chorin makes clear why Benghazi still matters so much ten years later—and why we can’t afford to continue overlooking and misunderstanding it.

Excellent view of Benghazi and U.S. relationship

I was looking for an understanding of Benghazi and received it w/an interest to learn more.

Essential reading about more than just Benghazi.

Libya is a confusing, politically toxic mess to most onlookers. Yet, the chaos was not unforeseeable. Chorin's book examines this foreign policy failure from the inside in a way that nobody else has to date.

Unlike those who can only write on the subject from third-party research - or worse yet, are only interested in parochial US political point-scoring - Chorin reflects on his first-hand experience of the tragic events of September 11th 2012 to thoughtfully derive essential lessons about what went wrong and why.

The book is personal and gripping, but also analytical, fair-minded and sober in its reflections on that awful night. As someone with a personal connection to Libya, I have not read anything like it in the English language. If you are interested in Libya since 2011, or in American foreign policy more broadly, this is essential reading.

Mildly interesting

I picked up this book after realizing I had very little knowledge of the Benghazi attack and hoped it would explain its importance. This book did that. Unfortunately, I did find it a little tough to follow at times, given the heavy use of acronyms and names that were difficult for me to remember. I appreciate the author’s concerns and criticisms of the way things work in today’s political landscape. Better said, the way things don’t work. Moreover, I unflinchingly applaud Chris Stevens for his pursuit of humanity and peace.