Through Gates of Fire is Martin Bell’s third book – and by far his most important. It is not a book about the present Iraq conflict (although that is certainly an ingredient) but instead seeks to answer an altogether bigger question – what kind of world are we making for ourselves – and where is it all headed?
In his own words:
“Post-9/11, post-Iraqi war, all the world’s leaders – from Bush to Bin Laden – agree on at least one thing: the world has forever changed. Just a few short years ago, Francis Fukuyama was naively proclaiming “the end of history”. How different it all seems now: and how infinitely more dangerous. The Cold War was safer than this. In some ways, it feels more like 1914 than 2004. The new world order heralded after the end of the Soviet Empire dissolved almost at once into the new world disorder. Today, our children’s vocabulary includes fearsome new words such as Taliban, Homeland, WMD and carpet-bombing… What kind of world will they inherit? Should the prospect of a “New American Century” fill us with delight – or dread? In this book, I want to use my experience of conflict, geopolitics, the media and international relations to paint a picture of world’s new geopolitical landscape, and to expose the underlying forces that are shaping our world for generations to come. I can’t pretend that the outlook is rosy – there are already too many ill-heeded portents of disaster in the teacups – but forewarned is forearmed. This is not, however, going to be a Cassandra-like dirge for two reasons. First, much of it comes from my own direct experiences – a kind of post-biography, if such a category exists – and many of them are, I hope, at least entertaining. Secondly, the conclusions I draw are necessarily realistic, but hopeful, too. Coming to a conclusion is a bit like getting the message: there is always the possibility that it will catalyze into great change, great deeds, powerful lessons learned. And lessons, really, are what this book is all about.”
