Chilling - Rated 
Imagine being arrested in the dead of night at your home by secret agents and being taken away without explanation, and finding yourself imprisoned for years in a grotesquely comical nightmare - this is precisely what happened to British citizen Moazzam Begg.
Begg's upbringing surprised me because it was quite atypical for the stereotypical image of a British Asian Muslim - brought up in a cultured, middle class, educated home attending a private Jewish school, there did not seem to be anything obvious in this fairly previleged environment that would lead him to seek the solace of teen gangs and religious activism, culminating in trips to Bosnia and Afghanistan. Begg doesn't hide this, and expounds in detail this era, even recalling how he was under surveillance from MI5 and met with British secret agents on a number of occasions. As Begg points out though, nothing he did was actually illegal or against the policy of the British government, who itself was supporting the Bosnians and the Mujahideen in Afghanistan. Although some of have sought to show this time as reasonable grounds for his subsequent imprisonment, those trips were humanitarian and part of a religious and spiritual journey - Begg reminds us of how many non-Muslims were out there with him, and how the Taliban were flown out to Texas and welcomed as friends prior to 9/11.
His story from Bagram Air Base to Guantanamo Bay gives an insight into the minds of the ordinary American soldiers holding the 'enemy combatants', the brutality and abuse, and the bureaucratic, often comical, procedures prevalent. What goes on in Guantanamo and Bagram has been well hidden from the public glare, so this part of the book gave a fascinating insight. It would be hard to justify it having read Begg's account. I thought Begg's recollection would have been more bitter and angry than it was, but he seemed to portray both captors and captives in a very human light, both the positive and the negative. Although at times he does engage in a little self-aggrandisement, who can blame him for that given this harrowing experience.
Much of the story revolves around the vacuum of information for inmates and the 'legal black-hole' of imprisonment at Guantanamo Bay and the status of enemy combatants. The sad part is that it was quickly clear to both the American Military and the British Government that Moazzam Begg was totally innocent, and it really exposed the injustice of a situation where our own Government and MI5, agencies like Amnesty International and the International Red Cross and the British and American human rights lawyers were either impotent or complicit, and in the case of the former, both.
An important first-hand account - Rated
This is an important book and by the end of it I felt ashamed that Britain had played a part in the injustice it relates. Within ten years I hope both the British and American establishments will condemn Guantanamo as a failure of the rule of law, but at the time of writing both continue to condone it, either actively or passively. Begg's book acts as a trumpet call for the release of remaining Guantanamo inmates, in fact you can't believe people are still held in Cuba. America should immediately release them, or charge them in a civil court, their legal limbo is an affront to both British justice and the American constitution.
Moazzam Begg's experiences and ability to recount them make his an important first-hand account. This is not history with analysis and context, this is an 'on-the-ground' account of unlawful imprisonment and that's not to belittle it. As a book, I think it could be better edited and more accessible, then more people would have read it. I didn't find it an easy read (hence a four) and I suspect that's partly why it's been neglected, which is a shame because it's important stuff.
The issue at the heart of this book, is why him? He can't explain why the security forces focused on him, did they get it wrong, or did he fit into a pattern of behaviour? I imagine tens of thousands of British Muslims return to their family homes in Pakistan annually, why was Moazzam Begg picked out from all of them? The book explains it's because of the bookshop he ran, his time in Afghanistan and the relief work he did in the Balkans. I believe his account and that's bad news for all of us, it means the actions of the British and American security forces were incompetent as well as unlawful.
Other reviews talk of Moazzam Begg omitting things from his past, I hope they're wrong. When you read a book you have to believe the writer is being true to themselves and their readers, if not they're letting us all down. You should read Moazzam Begg's account because it's important, but don't expect a brilliant book.
An important first-hand account - Rated
This is an important book and by the end of it I felt ashamed that Britain had played a part in the injustice it relates. Within ten years I hope both the British and American establishments will condemn Guantanamo as a failure of the rule of law, but at the time of writing both continue to condone it, either actively or passively. Begg's book acts as a trumpet call for the release of remaining Guantanamo inmates, in fact you can't believe people are still held in Cuba. America should immediately release them, or charge them in a civil court, their legal limbo is an affront to both British justice and the American constitution.
Moazzam Begg's experiences and ability to recount them make his an important first-hand account. This is not history with analysis and context, this is an 'on-the-ground' account of unlawful imprisonment and that's not to belittle it. As a book, I think it could be better edited and more accessible, then more people would have read it. I didn't find it an easy read (hence a four) and I suspect that's partly why it's been neglected, which is a shame because it's important stuff.
The issue at the heart of this book, is why him? He can't explain why the security forces focused on him, did they get it wrong, or did he fit into a pattern of behaviour? I imagine tens of thousands of British Muslims return to their family homes in Pakistan annually, why was Moazzam Begg picked out from all of them? The book explains it's because of the bookshop he ran, his time in Afghanistan and the relief work he did in the Balkans. I believe his account and that's bad news for all of us, it means the actions of the British and American security forces were incompetent as well as unlawful.
Other reviews talk of Moazzam Begg omitting things from his past, I hope they're wrong. When you read a book you have to believe the writer is being true to themselves and their readers, if not they're letting us all down. You should read Moazzam Begg's acount because it's important, but don't expect a brilliant book.
If there is one book you read this year, let this be the one. - Rated 
Well written, powerful true story. Could not put it down until I finished it in 3 days. Moazzam Begg's books is intense, funny at times and thought provoking. Highly recommended to any reasonable person who wants to know what happens on the other side of the fence.
Well written, trust worthy account of guantanamo bay - Rated
This is a very well written account of the live of Moazzam Begg which draws on his experience of Guantanamo bay as its main topic, but also delves into his early life. It mentions his membership of street gangs in the 1980s and reveals an interesting personality who is prepared to fight for what he belives in.
However, it is important to bear in mind that this is only one mans opinion. Moazzam says he witnesses two murders and multiple beatings in Guantanamo bay, and this provides us with a more credable report of the conditions there than the general media could possibly provide. However, we must rely on his word, which may not be entirely true.
A good read, recommended to almost anybody with an opinion on modern politics. Take it with a pinch of salt.
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