Tom, your darn right Anthony Shadid was an outstanding reporter and is a tragic loss to your profession. I was very surprised upon hearing his death this morning in Syria and my worst fear was that it might be as a result of Assad’s bullets. But apparently it arose form complications from asthma.

I too am very bummed today. I spoke with Anthony Shadid after a lecture he gave a few years back at a local college. He was very kind to me. I chased someone for a year to return my copy of "Night Draws Near" that Anthony had signed with an extremely compassionate message. I gained the book back at the time of his capture in Libya last year. It is one of my prized possessions. The man's courage was as great as his heart and mind. I will miss immensely his expertise and skill at providing contemporary history

At about the time this talented pair collaborated to produce it, I was in amiable email colloquy with a USMC captain serving in Afghanistan, until the day I referred to the US invasion of that country. "We didn't invade Afghanistan," he replied promptly, and did not reply further after I had followed up with "So how did you, personally, get there, then?"

Misperceptions are common among people who disagree. Shadid-Ricks did a great job of laying out some in Iraq and other journalists, notably Dexter Filkins, have followed that blazed trail with more evidence that Iraqi and Afghan hearts and minds are a great deal less won than occupying American forces sincerely believe; and back home, some political leaders claim.

Not much surprise in that, and there's nothing particularly Arab, Pushtun or Muslim about it.

Look hard and you won't find much evidence that Americans enjoyed it when invaded by a foreign military force with a common language and common religion. The resentment and ultimate defeat of those foreign invaders nearly 200 years ago is part of the national legacy nobody has cared to think about much in the past decade. Iraqis and Afghans heartsick when invaded, and who hate and mistrust the invaders, are just like American forebears during the war of 1812.

. . . read him, or, better, hear him on radio and TV. You immediately knew you were in good hands, the hands of someone who knew so much, tried to understand, did so with humility and with a profound appreciation of how critical our understanding of this region was to us and to them. And with no political axe grinding in sight.

This was like a kick in the gut. Honestly, I can only compare the feeling to when Jerry Garcia died. 43. Hell.

My life has had two acts and Anthony Shadid cut through both, first as my boss in the last part of my career as an AP reporter in Los Angeles and second when he doing Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism from some of the places I fought as a Marine grunt in Iraq. In LA, it was clear he was too good to be chasing paparazzi rumors and anchoring celebrity coverage. I'm so glad he made it back to the field, where his talents, bravery and empathy have become his legacy. Last time we communicated was via email, when I congratulated him on the first of his Pulitzers ("You may not remember me, but I was one of your reporters years ago ..."). He, in turn, congratulated me on my career and expressed respect for the Marines and soldiers he worked with ("Of course I remember you ... long way from LA for both of us ..."). I always looked forward to see his next piece - something I can't say about every journalist. This is a talented, humble man I won't soon forget. -- RIP, Anthony.

I am very sorry about his death. Every time I read the NYTimes web site and found a piece by Mr Shadid I really enjoyed its writing.

Also I jest learned the he worked for The Washington Post but left for the times. Can any of you please tell me the reason for this change? Was there anything wrong at the POst at that time so that some high profile journalists left the paper?

Every night as we prepped for mobilization and deployment I read from "Night Draws Near" to my CO CDRs, 1SGs, and Staff. I have the dog-eared copy in my lap as I type right now.

His moving account was in no small part responsible for making it clear to my soldiers that the Iraqis are people too, just like you and I. Caught in the middle of something they really wanted no part of.

Nearly three million truck miles in Iraq over nine months with only 9 rounds fired in 5 escalation of force incidents....but no one was ever hurt, coalition or Iraqi. 60 IEDs for our predecessors became 2 IEDs for us. No one was hurt on our watch....thanks in part to Anthony. RIP.

[Note: I got this great idea when I was still a 1LT listening to (now) MG Tony Cucolo read "Balkan Ghosts" before our trip to Bosnia. Smart man, that Tony. I also reinforced the idea when I learned very few of our Congresscritters knew the origins and differences between Sunnis and Shias. My key leaders were more knowledgeable than their elected officials having learned from Shadid. Dumb people, those Congresscritters]

Night Draws Near is haunting and beautiful. I saw him from afar in the Washington Post newsroom when he came through Washington, and never had the gumption to introduce myself. I felt proud just to work in the same building.

An amazing reporter.

This idea that for Americans the British were some kind of aliens pretty much ignores the large British army and naval presence in the American colonies during the French & Indian War. Additionally, anywhere from homerenovations a third to two-thirds (depending on location and circumstances) of Americans were not so content with having a rebel army rampaging about the countryside. The brutal civil war in New Jersey is clear evidence of that..

Look hard and you won't find much evidence that Americans enjoyed it when invaded by a foreign military force with a common language and common religion. The resentment and ultimate defeat of those foreign invaders nearly 200 years ago is part of the national legacy nobody has cared houserenovations to think about much in the past decade. Iraqis and Afghans heartsick when invaded, and who hate and mistrust the invaders, are just like American forebears during the war of 1812.