Michael Totten Explained

Michael Totten
Birth Place:Salem, Oregon, U.S.
Occupation:Writer
Alma Mater:University of Oregon (English literature)
Module:
Subject:Middle Eastern conflicts, fiction
Period:2000s and 2010s
Embed:yes

Michael James Totten (born September 1970) is an American writer who has reported from the Middle East, Africa, the Balkans, Cuba, Vietnam, and the Caucasus. His non-fiction work appears in various publications, websites, and on his blog. Totten's first book, The Road to Fatima Gate was published by Encounter Books in 2011. In his blog posts, he describes himself as an "independent journalist", and regularly comments on Middle Eastern conflicts.

Early life and education

thumb|Totten as a high school senior in the late 1980s

Totten is of English[1] descent and was born in Salem, Oregon in September, 1970.[2] His father is a Republican and a military veteran.[3] Totten's grandfather was a World War II veteran.[4]

Career

Totten's work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times,[5] the New York Daily News,[6] Commentary,[7] and others.

In July 2007, Totten traveled to Baghdad to embed with several U.S. Army units before transitioning to Anbar province and embedding with U.S. Marines.[8] In late 2007 he embedded with U.S. Marines in Fallujah, and he embedded again with the U.S. Army in Baghdad in late 2008.

Totten won the 2007 Weblog Award for Best Middle East or Africa Blog,[9] he won it again in 2008, and was named "Blogger of the Year" in 2006 by The Week magazine for his dispatches from the Middle East.

Ideology

In comments on his own website from 2008 Totten described himself as a "weird combination of liberal, libertarian, and neocon" and a politically centrist.[10] He believed that the critics of the war in Iraq who noted the lack of progress from 2004 to 2006 were correct while the Bush administration was wrong. He supported the 2007 'surge' strategy.[11]

Totten was briefly a Libertarian during the 1990s but became a Democrat afterwards, though he has previously said that he was never fully content with being a Democrat and has considered returning to the Libertarians.[12]

Funding

Totten describes himself as an "independent journalist." Most of his trips—to Iraq, Lebanon, Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Libya, Bosnia, Kosovo, Georgia, and several other places—are paid for out of his own pocket, although he has also accepted funding from the government of Azerbaijan, the American Jewish Committee and the Lebanese pro-western March 14 alliance for trips to Azerbaijan, Israel, and Lebanon, respectively.[13] [14]

Personal life

In the early 2000s, Totten married Shelly Lynn Stephenson in Multnomah County, Oregon.[15] [16] [17] He is an atheist former christian.[18] [19] They lived together in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Portland, Oregon until they moved in late 2020 or early 2021.[20]

Books

Totten's first book, The Road to Fatima Gate: The Beirut Spring, the Rise of Hezbollah, and the Iranian War Against Israel (Encounter Books, April 2011,), reports his experiences in the Middle East, primarily those in Lebanon.

Belmont Estate Books is a label Totten has used to self-publish several additional books:

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Al Qaeda Hits London. Michael J.. Totten. I have never been to England, but it's where my family and my name are from.. July 2005. MichaelTotten.com. June 16, 2017.
  2. Web site: Archive. https://web.archive.org/web/20100807042158/http://normangeras.blogspot.com/2003_09_28_archive.html. dead. August 7, 2010. September 28, 2003. Normblog. Michael J. Totten was born in Salem, Oregon in 1970. He studied English literature at the University of Oregon, and his interests have since expanded to include writing, history, politics, and travel.. BlogSpot.
  3. Web site: Totten. Michael J.. The Truth About American Sniper. I was raised with the anti-military prejudice common in my community, despite having a military veteran and Republican for a father.. December 23, 2015. City Journal.
  4. Web site: Schizophrenic Liberalism. October 14, 2003. Dispatches. World Affairs Journal. Totten. Michael J.. December 7, 2017. usurped. https://web.archive.org/web/20171208020112/http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/michael-j-totten/schizophrenic-liberalism. December 8, 2017.
  5. https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/30/books/review/Totten-t.html Book review
  6. http://www.nydailynews.com/opinions/2007/08/29/2007-08-29_frontline_lessons_from_the_iraq_surge.html "Frontline Lessons from the Iraq Surge"
  7. https://web.archive.org/web/20071118061903/http://www.commentarymagazine.com/blogs/index.php/totten/825 "The Worst since 9/11"
  8. http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/001482.html "Iraq Trip Confirmed"
  9. , Kevin Aylward, November 9, 2007
  10. Web site: Totten . Michael . Quick Poll . Michael J. Totten's Middle East Journal . 24 July 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080109081655/https://michaeltotten.com/archives/2008/01/quick-poll.php . 9 January 2008 . 5 January 2008. see comment timestamped "January 7, 2008 1:25 AM"
  11. http://www.city-journal.org/2008/bc0516mt.html The Real Iraq
  12. Web site: The Libertarian Temptation. https://web.archive.org/web/20130521003856/http://worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/michael-j-totten/libertarian-temptation. usurped. May 21, 2013. Totten. Michael J.. World Affairs Journal.
  13. http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/2009/01/on-my-way-to-is.php "On my way to Israel"
  14. http://www.michaeltotten.com/archives/2008/08/the-explosive-c.php The Explosive Caucasus
  15. Web site: Oregon, Marriage Indexes, 1906-2009. August 29, 2017. 2009.
  16. Web site: My Last Domestic Politics Post of the Election Season. https://web.archive.org/web/20151027001805/http://worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/michael-j-totten/my-last-domestic-politics-post-election-season. usurped. October 27, 2015. World Affairs Journal. Totten. Michael J.. November 2, 2006. August 29, 2017. Dispatches.
  17. Web site: A Photo Tour of Tunisia . July 24, 2004 . Totten . Michael J. . May 26, 2017 . usurped . https://archive.today/20170527000857/http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/michael-j-totten/photo-tour-tunisia . May 27, 2017 .
  18. Web site: Jerks. https://web.archive.org/web/20150404150103/http://worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/michael-j-totten/jerks. usurped. April 4, 2015.
  19. Web site: Fighting Dirty. https://web.archive.org/web/20151027194039/http://worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/michael-j-totten/fighting-dirty. usurped. October 27, 2015. I'm not a Christian anymore, but I know if I were I would think it a desecration.. April 6, 2004. American Peace Society. World Affairs Journal. Totten. Michael J.. October 27, 2015.
  20. Web site: Against Suburbia. https://web.archive.org/web/20170829204827/http://www.worldaffairsjournal.org/blog/michael-j-totten/against-suburbia. usurped. August 29, 2017. World Affairs Journal. Totten. Michael J.z.

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