Product Description

From inside a surreal bubble of pure Americana known as the Green Zone, the US-led Coalition Provisional Authority attempted to rule Iraq following the fall of Saddam Hussein's regime. Drawing on interviews and internal documents, Rajiv Chandrasekaran tells the memorable story of this ill-prepared attempt to build American democracy in a war-torn Middle Eastern country, detailing not only the risky disbanding of the Iraqi army and the ludicrous attempt to train the new police force, but absurdities such as the aide who based Baghdad's new traffic laws on those of the state of Maryland, downloaded from the net, and the twenty-four-year-old who had never worked in finance put in charge of revitalising Baghdad's stock exchange. "Imperial Life in the Emerald City" is American reportage at its best.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #29236 in Books
• Published on: 2008-03-03
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Review
'Black comedy, set in the graveyard of the neo-conservative dream. Superb' John le Carre 'The best account I have read of why the American occupation of Iraq has gone so drastically wrong ... An exceptional piece of work, well researched, well written and well judged ... I cannot remember a book that does more to enhance our understanding of the country than this one' Said K. Aburish, Spectator 'It's an extraordinary work of journalism that provides one of the most powerful cases yet made against the disastrous adventure in Iraq. Like a documentary Catch-22, this gripping book shows how the Bush administration's abject failure to plan for the period after the invasion gave rise to a toxic mixture of tragedy and farce' Hari Kunzru, Guardian Books of the Year 2007 'Graham Greene would have loved Imperial Life in the Emerald City, a painfully funny account of the blundering American occupation of Iraq. It confirms everything he wrote in The Quiet American' Philip French, Guardian Books of the Year 2007

Simon Jenkins, Sunday Times
`Chandrasekaran...watched the policy bottom-up from within and
beyond the Green Zone. The result is jaw-dropping.'

Metro
`If anyone still has doubts about what went wrong in Iraq, and
some of the reasons why, this beautifully observed book sets you straight.'

Customer Reviews

A superbly researched and lucid account
Superbly researched and lucid account of the US attempts to impose a new order in post-invasion Iraq. Records the unreal life led by the Americans in the Green Zone compared to the unfolding chaos in the rest of the country. He also tells of how the main criterion when recruiting staff was allegiance to the Republican Party rather than any past relevant experience. Also very revealing on how differing US agencies were at odds with one another and were trying to impose differing agendas. Breathtaking amounts of dollars were paid to contractors who then failed to carry out their agreed work while other people with specific needs to aid the reconstruction were denied any real funding.

A hard hitting account of the blunders, venality and cynicism of the occupiers but at the same time Chandrasekaran acknowledges the undoubted good motives of many of those involved in this continuing tragedy of a broken country.

Deserves a very wide readership - unfortunately the people who should read this book probably won't bother....

An illuminating look at the US attempts to rebuild in Iraq
Ravi Chandrasekaran's superb book provides a behind-the-scenes look at the attempts to rebuild Iraq following the US invasion and the collapse of Saddam's regime. It brilliantly exposes the inept handling of the situation such as the arrogance that drove many decisions, failing to include ordinary Iraqi's in matters, the handing of senior roles to Reupblican supporters, limiting the involvement of those with reconstruction experience and the Pentagon's attempts to lock out the State Department. This is an essential read for anyone interested in Iraq and the Middle East.

Brilliant account of the American occupation
Exceptionally clear account of the structure of the occupation explaining American aims and misunderstandings, interspersed with riveting descriptions of everyday events. This could have been dull but is on the contrary compulsively readable. The author, who spent over two years in Iraq and lived outside the Green Zone, is both knowledgeable and a highly gifted story teller. It is clear that his interviewees trusted him and spoke with unusual frankness. Everyone should read this.