They say if the walls of the world's slaughterhouses were made of glass, we'd all be vegetarians. And certainly anyone who reads The Guantanamo Lawyers will recoil in horror at this al Qaeda public relations bonanza and cancer on American values.

As the title suggests, the focus of the book is on the American lawyers who have fought on behalf of the Guantanamo detainees (a strange euphemism for men who have been imprisoned indefinitely without evidence, charge, trial, or conviction). In this respect it's an excellent companion to Andy Worthington's equally excellent The Guantanamo Files, which focuses on the prisoners.

The book is not the least bit dry. It's a first-person telling by true American patriots whose horror at the condition and treatment of their clients, elation at hard-fought successes, and frustration with Kakfaesque setbacks are palpable in every paragraph. Read it and ask yourself this: did America become the nation we are despite our values, or because of them? And if the latter, what will become of us if we don't right this terrible wrong?

This book is an excellent collection of brief statements (a few pages each) by lawyers and others such as interpreters who have been involved in the litigation process at Guantanamo. It is not an in depth analysis, but rather a series of reflections on various aspects of the process. It helps define the problems of United States with respect to the Guantanamo Detainees and the Judicial process divised to determine whether there is any guilt for the particular detainee. It helps flesh out the details of how they were captured, how much (or how little) the government initially did to determine the significance of the detainees, and how the prosecution, such as it was, was attempted and modified. The statements are clear and well written. There clearly is a unifying perspective that the process was faulty. However, the diversity of the people writing the statements strengthens the conclusion that the process was flawed. There are corporate lawyers, lawyers from small private firms, and even military lawyers, including one who headed a tribunal.
The book documents serious flaws in the process (if your are someone who still believes that the United States still should have a committment to rule of law and justice for all). It also demonstrates the patriotism and commitment to American Ideals of the numerous lawyers and others who donated their time for minimal if any compensation. As such, it also demonstrates the strength of the United States to correct its errors. Unfortunately, too few people currently are as committed to these ideals as the people in this book. A number of people who are otherwise educated and up to date on current events are largely unaware of the events and issues detailed in this book. Reading this book should enlarge one's understanding of the situation, and perhaps lead to a greater commitment to these ideals.

Yes, we have all heard about the abuse of detainees in Guantanamo. As reported by third parties, the details of abuse and torture are horrific, yet fail to convey the emotional impact of these events on human beings. In The Guantanamo Lawyers, we hear through their attorneys the actual words of detainees as they describe the terror and hopelessness that comes from being imprisoned under wretched circumstances with no sense of future. Some have been driven to hunger strikes and suicide. Extraordinarily, many in our country including some of our leaders have told us that what is happening in Guantanamo is fine. They tell us that the detainees are the worst of the worst. Yet, there is much evidence in this book to the contrary. Most of the detainees, we learn, were not picked up on any battlefield. Many came into American custody as the result of being turned in by others for large bounties. Nevertheless, at the prompting of our leaders, we are told to believe that these people are so evil as to warrant no access to courts, the Geneva Conventions,or civilized treatment. The rule of law does not apply! Speaking against our use of torture, John McCain said that "we are better than this." Hopefully, readers of this book and political leaders will agree with McCain and become advocates of American values in the treatment of the detainees.

What is heartening about this book is that we also learn of patriotic American lawyers, both civilian and military, who are so offended by detainee government policy that they have spent time, energy, and great effort to bring the true story of Guantanamo to our attention and to represent the detainees. Military lawyers have even resigned in protest. They represent the better angels of ourselves and the true warriors for American values. Their story is an important reminder of how we, as Americans, respect the rule of law and the humanity of all people even as we are frightened by awful events of 9/11 and other violence against our citizens.

I urge you to read this book.

This book really brings to life the whole picture of what happened (and is still happening?) at Guantanamo. The dedication of the lawyers who undertook this task is a tribute to what is great about our country, even in the face of these revelations about our darker side. I plan to give this book as a holiday present to people who truly care about the US.

The Guantanamo Lawyers is a compilation of first-hand accounts of the lawyers who have been fighting to defend our Constitution from the nightmare that is Guantanamo. There are some gut wrenching stories in here, depicting what life is really like at GTMO for the detainees, for the servicemen & women assigned there, and for the lawyers trying to do their jobs against every obstacle thrown in their way. The human moments are the most memorable - it's much easier to understand why a lawyer would put their life and practice on hold and fight this uphill battle when you can connect to the universal humanity at stake. There is no doubt that some dangerous people are at GTMO, but after reading this book, you'll understand that there are completely innocent people jailed there as well, and these brave lawyers are fighting for the rule of law. If you are a lawyer, a student of law, or just an American who cares about freedom and justice, read this book.