Occupational Hazards

By September 2003, six months after the US-led invasion of Iraq, the anarchy had begun. Rory Stewart, a young Biritish diplomat, was appointed as the Coalition Provisional Authority's deputy governor of a province of 850,000 people in the southern marshland region. There, he and his colleagues confronted gangsters, Iranian-linked politicians, tribal vendettas and a full Islamist insurgency. Rory Stewart's inside account of the attempt to re-build a nation, the errors made, the misunderstandings and insumountable difficulties encountered, reveals a unique side to Iraq, hidden from most foreign journalists and soldiers. Stewart is an award winning writer and his luminous voice provides extraordinary insight into the comedy, occasional heroism and moral risks of foreign occupation. "Beautifully written, highly evocative... a joy to read" - John Simpson. "A marvellous book... a devastating narrative" - Simon Jenkins. "Absolutely absorbing" - Ken Loach. "strikes gut and brain at once" - James Meek. "Wonderfully observed, wise, evocative" - "Observer". "Witty and perceptive" - "The Times" "an extraordinarily vivid tale with many exciting episodes" - "Guardian"."The best book by far to come out of the Iraq mess" - "Sunday Herald".