The Uses and Abuses of History - Margaret MacMillan

  In spite of the title, a fairly light read looking at the way history is used by politicians and radicals to further their ends.  She outlines some interesting historical myths used in recent history to justify some horrendous actions - Serbia, post-Vichy France - as well as instances where governments have refused to listen to historical experts with specialized knowledge of countries - U.S. policy in the Middle East, especially Iraq. 
  She also discusses the issues around current governments acknowledging responsibility and apologizing for actions done in the past in different times with different values.  There are two sides to this coin.
   Worth a read, but if you are a thinking consumer of the news and history, not much new here.

The Great War for Civilization - Robert Fisk

A book by a reporter who has covered every major and minor war and conflict in the Middle east for decades.  A sickening and depressing look at what went on in Iraq (twice), Algeria (twice), Palestine, Armenia, Afghanistan.  He looks at corruption in U.S. policy, European government policy, Middle-eastern government policy.  He looks at the role of the Saudis in the region.

He catalogues both high level corruption and the sad story of the effects of all of this on the little people in these societies.

Then of course, there are the accounts of the three interviews he did with Osama Bin Ladin - I believe the only journalist from the West to interview Bin Ladin, and certainly the only one to be invited by Bin Ladin to do the interview.

Having witnessed all of that, I don't understand how he can continue on and not be crushed by all the horror and injustice he has witnessed.