BOOKS & MORE: The Good Man of Rojava

Imagine there is a war… and someone goes there. That's the story of the German Christian Haller, who was moved by the war in the Middle East - specifically the struggle of the Kurds in Syria - and who left everything behind to join the "Lions of Rojava", an international group of volunteers. British ex-soldier and journalist Emile Ghessen called it the "Robin Hood Complex" - HERE is his interview on SPARTANAT about it.

We can't say much about Christian Haller's background and his motivation to disappear into someone else's war, or verify what he states in his book. However, the descriptions of his stay with the YPG are fascinating. Although they may have given him the nickname "Hero" there (which incidentally is a rather common nickname there), the everyday life in the front lines is not quite so heroic. Dealing with the struggles of everyday life, difficult comrades, and a foreign land with fronts between people who are not always entirely understandable. During his first stay in the war zone, Christian Haller worked through his idealism, including problems with German authorities afterwards. The book about Haller's Syrian war experience is very subjective and makes for an interesting read. If you want to know more about the international volunteer movement in the fight against ISIS, HERE is the video documentary "Robin Hood Complex" by Emile Ghessen on Vimeo.

“They Called Me Hero: How I, as a German, Fought Against the Islamic State in Syria“ by Christian Haller, Riva Verlag, Munich 2017, 200 pages, Euro 17.99