The Prince of the Marshes: And Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq

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The Prince of the Marshes: And Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq

3.93 of 5 stars 3.93 · rating details · 914 ratings · 156 reviews

In August 2003, at the age of thirty, Rory Stewart took a taxi from Jordan to Baghdad. A Farsi-speaking British diplomat, he was soon appointed deputy governor of Amarah and then Nasiriyah, provinces in the remote, impoverished marsh regions of southern Iraq. He spent the next eleven months negotiating hostage releases, holding elections, and splicing together some semblan...more

Paperback, 432 pages

Published April 1st 2007 by Mariner Books (first published 2005)

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Aug 29, 2008 Harry Rutherford rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: non-fiction, autobiography

Occupational Hazards is Stewart's account of trying to administer Maysan province in southern Iraq. He's obviously an interesting character; to quote his author bio: 'After a brief period in the British army, he studied at Balliol College, Oxford, and then joined the Foreign Office, serving in Indonesia and Montenegro, Yugoslavia. From 2000 to 2002 he walked six thousand miles across Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal. In 2003, he was posted to Iraq as CPA Deputy Governate Coordinator...more Occupational Hazards is Stewart's account of trying to administer Maysan province in southern Iraq. He's obviously an interesting character; to quote his author bio: 'After a brief period in the British army, he studied at Balliol College, Oxford, and then joined the Foreign Office, serving in Indonesia and Montenegro, Yugoslavia. From 2000 to 2002 he walked six thousand miles across Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India and Nepal. In 2003, he was posted to Iraq as CPA Deputy Governate Coordinator of the provinces of Maysan and later Dhi Qar.'

He explains that, after being away from the Foreign Office for some time, he approached them and asked to be sent to Iraq. He never quite says why; he clearly finds the work fascinating and loves the Middle East and central Asia (he has now returned to working on regeneration in Afghanistan, at the Turquoise Mountain Foundation); even so, there can't have been many people whose immediate reaction to the invasion of Iraq was to send off a CV and ask for a job. His reward was to be given the job as supreme civilian authority in Maysan.

The book is an account of his time trying to do that job; trying to set up some kind of administration, get reconstruction projects started, and prepare the province for handover to Iraqis. And the overwhelming impression is of chaos. The kind of broad brush stuff we're all now familiar with — Sunni vs. Shia, moderates vs. extremists — is just the tip of the iceberg. Apparently 54 new political parties appeared in Maysan in the immediate aftermath of the invasion. There were conflicts between different tribes; there seem to have been endless different clerics, all with their own supporters; the educated urban Iraqis looked down on the rural population. Stewart had to try to achieve some kind of balance of their competing claims while also favouring the kind of moderate, secular government that the CPA aspired to producing. He also had to deal with the central administration in Baghdad, which was disorganised, ideological and unhelpful; and with the local British Army commanders, who he theoretically outranked, but who had their own priorities and were not under his direct command.

He writes well, and the book is in turns depressing, funny and, mostly, interesting. I don't think I'm giving away the ending when I say that, despite some successes, he didn't manage to establish a model secular democracy in his chunk of Iraq. On the other hand, if you read the book hoping to understand why the occupation hasn't been more successful, it doesn't provide any simple answers. He recognises the reasonableness of many of the criticisms aimed at the administration: the failure to prevent the looting immediately after the invasion, the disbanding of the Iraqi army, the lack of planning generally. But his own feeling is that actually, even if all those thing had been done right, it still would not have been enough to create a peaceful, stable, democratic Iraq; that we overestimate our own powers if we think we can shape a country that way. And that we could never have planned for all the complexities anyway.(less)

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Mar 20, 2010 Carol rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-read-booklist

Steeped in politics in post war Iraq. It was interesting how provisional government was suppose to be set up. I don't think it is that way now. I think it has reverted to pre-invasion mentality and security. It all looked good on paper,but old dogs do not like new tricks. Iraq will always have tribal and religious differences. Do we really think we can change the structure of their every day lives. I think not. And should we even try to, again I think not. They will have to come to that decision...more

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Nov 03, 2012 Laurence rated it 5 of 5 stars

Not a lot of books on recent Mideast history out there. I believe, because of the ongoing strife, that it's hard to write a compelling account and not have it come off as an anti-war screed.

Rory Stewart was the Scots deputy governor of a marsh Arab province in southern Iraq, for about a year shortly after the 2003 invasion. Stewart, educated and well-bred, is the main character in this gripping story of the attempt by the Coalition Provisional Authority to build a liberal democracy in Mesopotami...more Not a lot of books on recent Mideast history out there. I believe, because of the ongoing strife, that it's hard to write a compelling account and not have it come off as an anti-war screed.

Rory Stewart was the Scots deputy governor of a marsh Arab province in southern Iraq, for about a year shortly after the 2003 invasion. Stewart, educated and well-bred, is the main character in this gripping story of the attempt by the Coalition Provisional Authority to build a liberal democracy in Mesopotamia.

Stewart writes (and governed) with a pro-Colonial mindset. His humor, compassion, and right-mindedness however make it clear that it is not someone in a sentimental fog who is at work here, wishing for the Empire here again; but someone representative of many in the West who wish to bring liberal democracy to what they perceive as a backward nation.

Stewart was the boots on the ground for coalition civil affairs, and his writing of reaching out to the many sheikhs and factions is riveting. One of the most striking aspects of the book is the depiction of the ultra-refined Muslim code of etiquette and conduct, in language, behavior, and intellectual discourse; which Stewart needed to have a mastery of in order to carry out his mission. You can't help but root for Stewart as he slowly gains the respect of recalcitrant warlords and Iranian operatives.

The book also conveys the machinations and sentiment behind the Iraqi insurgency. Towards the end of the book Stewart describes his experience withstanding a prolonged attack on the coalition compound.

Also illuminating was Stewart's account of a trip to the Baghdad Green Zone to meet with Bremer, Petraeus, and other senior occupation leaders. We hear of his exploits with a Bosnian staffer wearing a mini-skirt in the Green Zone disco, and a careful appraisal of the attitudes of Westerner and Arab alike, wherever the story takes the reader.

Not a difficult read, but it helps if you're a policy wonk, or have at least some interest in politics. (less)

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Dec 15, 2010 Owen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Prince of the Marshes. Rory Stewart is a certified crazy person. He proved this by walking across Asia, including Afghanistan. The Places In Between put his crazy in book form, and should be read by anyone going to Afghanistan (though why you would be going there for any reason other than a deployment is beyond me). Anyway, after writing The Places in Between, around 2003, he got bored. So he applied for a job in the British government, to work in Iraq. No one got back to him. So he took initiat...more Prince of the Marshes. Rory Stewart is a certified crazy person. He proved this by walking across Asia, including Afghanistan. The Places In Between put his crazy in book form, and should be read by anyone going to Afghanistan (though why you would be going there for any reason other than a deployment is beyond me). Anyway, after writing The Places in Between, around 2003, he got bored. So he applied for a job in the British government, to work in Iraq. No one got back to him. So he took initiative. This is where the crazy part comes in. A sane person goes down to the office and does whatever British/Scottish upper crust folks do- try to meet someone, buy them a beer or a cup of tea or what have you. Rory Stewart, being a crazy person, hopped on a plane to Amman, then took a cab to Baghdad. Yes, you read that right. In mid-2003, Rory Stewart took a cab from Amman Jordan to Baghdad. The only surprise is that he didn't walk. I guess he was in a bit of a hurry. Or he figured he'd already walked it.

Anyway, once he showed up in Baghdad, he was given the job of provincial governor, presumably because he showed up in Baghdad. Because Stewart is a crazy person with an obvious affinity to crazy places, the book is filled with non-sequitors and a series of ludicrous happenings in a place where the only security (the Brits) could not speak the language. The audio book is read by Stewart himself and I think that really adds to the experience- you get to hear what upper-crust Scot crazy sounds like.

The end of Prince of the Marshes was relatively predictable- I don't think I'm spoiling it for anyone when I tell you that Rory Stewart did not bring lasting peace, love and unicorns to southern Iraq. He did spend a lot of time savaging the Italians in a way I don't think an American would feel comfortable doing publicly. Europeans are still entirely allowed to be ethnocentric, at least when it comes to other European nationalities. Suffice it to say the Italians don't do well. My favorite story was after they'd been mortared for 3 straight days and nights, begging for support frist from the Italians, and, failing that, Baghdad, Rory Stewart decided he was going to go to sleep anyway, since there isn't much to do when you're being mortared and don't have a reaction force of any kind. He went to bed. He said he was awakened by someone kicking a soccer ball against his door (and used the word 'soccer' oddly enough)- Thump thumpthump. Thump thumpthump. He was really pissed and raced outside to see who it was. There was no one there so he went back to bed. He heard it again. Thump thumpthump. He raced outside again, and this time there were people in the courtyard. Everyone was looking up. Circling above them, an AC-130 was making the noise. Thump thumpthump- that was the 40mm cannon. You see, an AC-130 was a brilliant American idea. They put the biggest guns they could think of into the side of a plane, one side, which then circles over a target without air defenses and pounds the hell out of them with a howitzer, a 40mm cannon and a few other little pleasures effectively giving an old ship's broadside worth of guns. They also have all manner of imaging, so, finding guys shooting mortars in what was by then an abandoned city was a piece of cake. And while mortars are great to screw with people who aren't moving, they're not worth a damn vs a plane, so it was just a turkey shoot. Problem solved- no more mortars. One plane. Read the book, it's a good time.(less)

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Jul 27, 2010 Bluenose rated it 5 of 5 stars

Very recent history at that. If you want even a glimmer of what Iraq is all about, read this book.

I had read THE PLACES IN BETWEEN, Stewart’s account of his lone walk across Afghanistan after his service in Iraq and it was a terrific book. It put in question some of my fondly held prejudices about Afganistan, muslims and that part of the world in general. It left no doubt as to Stewart’s ball busting nerve and his deep understanding of the people and history of Afghanistan.

In this book he has c...more Very recent history at that. If you want even a glimmer of what Iraq is all about, read this book.

I had read THE PLACES IN BETWEEN, Stewart’s account of his lone walk across Afghanistan after his service in Iraq and it was a terrific book. It put in question some of my fondly held prejudices about Afganistan, muslims and that part of the world in general. It left no doubt as to Stewart’s ball busting nerve and his deep understanding of the people and history of Afghanistan.

In this book he has come to Iraq as a member of the British Foreign Office to help administer 2 Iraqi provinces for the Coalition (the invaders and now erstwhile rulers of Iraq). It’s a thankless, frustrating and sometimes dangerous job but he finds some measure of accomplishment in the effort to rebuild and reshape Iraq. It’s all pretty hopeless though. The coalition’s American leaders have given him and his cohorts an impossible task in trying to impose foreign political and social ideals on an ancient and well entrenched society that has been fucked around by foreigners for centuries - and that often sees foreigners as someone from the next village. Tough job. That he goes about it with enthusiasm, sincerity and great energy is amazing. It becomes clear why the country sort of worked under the dictator Saddam. Stewart seeks out the community leaders and finds a ragtag bunch of thieves, murderers, religious lunatics and chancers, each with a finely honed sense of their own importance. That’s what he has to work with and though it all ends in failure, you’ve got to credit him with doing his damnedest.

The chaos and seat of the pants strategy of the Coalition government is revealed in stark contrast with American accounts of the occupation which implied that there was a considered intelligence in the actions of Bremer and the Big American Minds around him. No such luck. They seem confused, desparate and isolated just as Stewart often does. When the Italian army which is supposed to protect him in Nasiriyah behaves like, well, the Italian army and leaves him high and dry, he has to abandon much of his work and watch it being destroyed by a small group of insurgents.

That’s the irony of the occupation. The violent factions (who Stewart tries, with some success, to enlist in the coalition’s ad hoc governance structure) are small and easily controlled by a relatively small professional army but there is nothing like a civil society in Iraq. Everything is faction and sub-factions within the factions and nothing holding them together now that Saddam is gone. His security apparatus held the country together through terror and favour and the Coalition never came up with anything to replace it.

Not that Stewart does any grand theorizing. This is an account of his experiences and sketches of the people he encountered and worked with and as such it is a brilliant and valuable book.

The Prince of the title is one of the characters he encounters and has to work with though why he rates the title I have no idea.
(less)

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Jan 16, 2010 Steven Peterson rated it 4 of 5 stars

Rory Stewart's book is a useful addition to the literature on the American invasion and occupation of Iraq and the efforts by that country of establishing a functioning stable democracy. The most useful aspect of Stewart's work is that it is based on his administrative work in the Shi'ite southern part of Iraq (e.g., assistant governor in Amara in Maysan Province and an administrator later in Nasiriyah in Dhi Qar province). Many of the better works on Iraq focused more on Baghdad, the Green Zone...more Rory Stewart's book is a useful addition to the literature on the American invasion and occupation of Iraq and the efforts by that country of establishing a functioning stable democracy. The most useful aspect of Stewart's work is that it is based on his administrative work in the Shi'ite southern part of Iraq (e.g., assistant governor in Amara in Maysan Province and an administrator later in Nasiriyah in Dhi Qar province). Many of the better works on Iraq focused more on Baghdad, the Green Zone, and headquarters activities (e.g., The Assassin's Gate; Imperial Life in the Emerald City, Hubris, Blind into Baghdad, Fiasco, and State of Denial). This work shows that the situation was at least as dismal outside of the capital city at the time these books came out.

Stewart began as an assistant governor in Maysan province. His tale, wryly told, demonstrates the crazy quilt political context. The Prince of the Marshes (an autocrat from the old Marsh region of southern Iraq), Iranian loyal Shi'ites, and Sadrists (followers of Muqtada al-Sadr) competed with one another for power. In addition, Sheikhs loyal to their own tribes intruded themselves into the process. The end result: A plurality of interests and power centers, sometimes allying with one another and sometimes competing with one another.

Stewart straightforwardly describes his arrival in Maysan province and his efforts to try to develop a functioning provincial governance structure. Simple tasks like selecting police leadership often led to fierce debate across the various factions, with threats routinely made. This, in the context, as Stewart puts it (page 28) with "Iraqis suspicious of our motives, disappointed by our performance, and often contemptuous." Stewart observes that one had to create the image of having power to get things done, so he very soon had to (page 34) "claim authority and bluff people into falling in step." Stewart notes clearly that he was placed into an uncertain position and had to make decisions not fully understanding who the players were and the dynamics among them. But he had to create an air of competence and certainty in order to get things done. It is no coincidence that most of his chapters begin with an appropriate quotation from Machiavelli.

Poignant are his comments about the cluelessness from Coalition leaders in Baghdad and the difficulty of getting support for infrastructure development and the like. Also poignant are his observations about the Shi'ite south becoming more "fundamental" in applying Shi'ite doctrine to everyday life, including killing a female university student because she chose to wear jeans (page 396). The book portrays a long arc into increasing chaos and a strengthening of religious domination in people's everyday lives, as theocracy begin to develop.

An important book, once more illustrating the folly of the American, British, et al. incursion into a country without a full understanding of the situation "on the ground."

The book was written several years ago. It is fascinating to see how some parts hold up and how other parts may have been overtaken by facts on the ground since the time that the book was published.(less)

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Nov 27, 2011 Claudia rated it 3 of 5 stars

Achingly frustrating account of a British member of the International Coalition attempting to assist Iraqi self rule after Hussein's reign.

It underscored the often insurmountable problems of countries trying to aid in self rule endeavors in other countries. There were at least three (major) factions that had to be reconciled: one group with intricate ties to Iran, the religious conservative faction, and various tribes with long standing animosity to other tribes. A Herculean task on par with tr...more

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Oct 11, 2010 M rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2000-2010, development, history, journalism, memoir, iran, iraq, post-colonialism

In a way one could view this as a sequel to Stewart's The Places In Between, in which he walks across Afghanistan – but if The Places In Between was an adventure narrative (with a healthy dose of personal growth), The Prince of Marshes is a tale of bureaucratic ineptitude, of woefully under-trained people doing the best they can do in appalling circumstances. It is an impressionistic and personal book, in which, strangely, the author does not seemed fully engaged, as though his publisher had sen...more

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Jul 14, 2010 Trish rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: adventure, foreign-affairs, mideast, nonfiction, war

I was unprepared for this book. It surprised me utterly. I didn't know what to expect, given the author's previous book, which was his walk through Afghanistan, called The Places in Between. To say I liked that earlier book does not quite describe my reaction--I was bowled over. I gave the book as a gift to several people and looked to see what else he'd done. I bought this one and put it aside, thinking it would be nice to read someday. When I stumbled upon his participation in some interviews...more I was unprepared for this book. It surprised me utterly. I didn't know what to expect, given the author's previous book, which was his walk through Afghanistan, called The Places in Between. To say I liked that earlier book does not quite describe my reaction--I was bowled over. I gave the book as a gift to several people and looked to see what else he'd done. I bought this one and put it aside, thinking it would be nice to read someday. When I stumbled upon his participation in some interviews in which he claimed his world view changed after "his experience in Iraq," I decided I had to read this RIGHT NOW. As with The Places In Between , I listened to the audiofile and read the hard copy to clarify and review.

Stewart had been at home in Scotland planting trees after his Afghan trek when the US entered Iraq. He was an ex-infantryman and ex-foreign service officer and was well connected enough to be somewhat known. He was still young: late 20s, early 30s. He wrote to Baghdad and the Powers That Be and offered his services helping to set up the new Iraqi government. He got no response. He took a taxi from Jordan to Baghdad and offered again. His offer was accepted, and he was sent to a province in the south--ostensibly to work as an assistant and with several others on reconstruction projects. No one else showed up for awhile, so he managed on his own.

He describes situations, individuals, conditions with a poet's eye and a truly sublime sense of the ridiculous. Even the photograghs he included are choice. In describing the clash of cultures that came with the occupation, something emerged that seems as obvious as 2000 years of human history: that only Iraqis can manage their country. We can help if they ask for our help, but the issues are so ancient, if you will, and culturally-specific, that really what we must do is avoid situations where we are fighting and occupying a foreign country with the idea that we can install a government that works.

Some books turn on a light and illuminate dark corners where confusion reigns. This book did that for me, on a human scale and in a humorous way. It is one man's experience in one province, but it enlightens and enlivens all other discussions of these issues because of its particulars. I did manage to find a discussion by Stewart and radio talk show host Christopher Lydon that likewise set me to musing for long hours. In this podcast, Stewart talks of his two books and his experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan, and what this means for foreign involvement in Islamic states. It is a terribly important debate for how we move ahead in the world, and it has made me want to see more of this very human, deeply interested and interesting individual. (less)

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Mar 22, 2012 Dale rated it 5 of 5 stars

An informative book without an ax to grind from someone who was really there (who also knows how to write well!)

If the Iraq war interests you in any way, even if you are a partisan of the pro-war or anti-war persuasion, read The Prince of the Marshes: And Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq .

Rory Stewart was a member of the CPA (Coalition Provisional Authority). He functioned as governor of Amara province in Southern Iraq - a semi-swampland where the Tigris and Euphrates come together....more

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Jun 24, 2009 Raymond rated it 3 of 5 stars

When last we were with Mr. Rory Stewart he was at home in Scotland after completing his hike across Afghanistan. Now he turns up working with the British Foreign Office as deputy government coordinator of Maysan Province in Iraq (under the Coalition Provisional Authority). At the outset, Stewart actually is the guy in charge. This is not compelling reading. There is a long cast on one-dimensional characters. "Prince" is faintly tickling along the way of course, and instructive. It is a facet of...more

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May 06, 2012 Christopher rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rory Stewart tells the amazing tale of 2 regions of Iraq before the handover to Iraqi control.

What seems to be a modestly written account of his time in Iraq, this book details the incredibly convoluted politics of the regions he worked in as governor or deputy.

It brings to life the "story behind the headlines" - except there were no headlines about the violence and intense political negotiations being carried out on our behalf.

Dealing with everyone from the U.N. to local Iraqi mayors, Rory Stew...more

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May 13, 2009 Tim rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Governments, projects and businesses tend to fear insider accounts. That's because being on the inside means access to even the most damaging information. Yet what can be even more revealing is an insider account by someone who isn't really an insider.[return][return]That may not have been what Rory Stewart set out to accomplish with The Prince of the Marshes , the U.S. edition of his book about his time with the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) in Iraq. Yet it can plainly be viewed as such...more

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Sep 10, 2011 Daniel Hammer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction

Rory Stewart's experiences as a coalition governor in Iraq are interesting and well written. I had been unaware of the degree to which tribal affiliations compete with religious sects for control over politics in the regions. Based on my familiarity with Bosnia and Herzegovina, it seems that many of the same evolutions of interventionist thought applied in Bosnia were carried over to Iraq. To a degree, this is good to see. It is evidence of what we call 'institutional learning.' Stewart aptly il...more

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Apr 01, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arts-and-historical

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Apr 08, 2009 Kelli Way rated it 5 of 5 stars

Perhaps this book is proof that a sense of humor invariably coincides with wisdom, in however young a body. Rory Stewart manages to combine keen insights with a keen sense of the ridiculous -- very possibly the mixture that enables all intelligent people to survive this crazy planet. His experiences in Iraq should inform decision-making on every level. Sometimes each of us has the fleeting thought that we could run the world better if we only had the chance. Rory had the chance to rule millions...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Reema Al-Medaires rated it 4 of 5 stars

“And somewhere within these anxieties was guilt. We were controlling the lives of people who had not invited us in and who had not voted for us. We wanted to justify the invasion by doing some good; but we knew little about the people who surrounded us, or their culture..”

It was a good read. Not spectacular, but it gave me a decent insight about what the situation was like in Iraq upon the invasion.

After "The Places in Between" Rory Stewart, a 30 year old British diplomat, heads to Iraq in 20...more

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Aug 11, 2009 Sjo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2007

Rory Stewart follows his incredible memoir Places In Between with the re-telling of his role in the Iraq reconstruction government immediately after the Iraq invasion after 2003. Stewart by hook and crook hitches form Jordan to Iraq and somehow gets himself a gig Colonial governor of an Iraqi province though he is 34 and speaks no Arabic. His story is an incredible recounting of the dangers, and intrigue in CPA efforts to build out Iraq. Like his previous book, one can't help to conclude that ou...more

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Sep 05, 2007 Dan rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

There were many typos, oh, and Iraq is a shitty place right now. Also, the Italians are pussies.

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Nov 10, 2012 Maureen rated it 3 of 5 stars

This is one of those easy reading books about a very difficult situation. The writer is a strange mix of can-do-liberalism and old-fashioned unspoken empire building mentality.
OF course, someone who willing takes a job in Iraq right after the invasion and proceeds to help with the process of nation-building would have to be a bit strange.
Very readable book, about something unusual - a totally failed effort to bring democratic ideals to an invaded nation. Intelligent and wrong-headed at the sam...more

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Dec 25, 2008 Seth added it · review of another edition

Wow, what a great read! Stewart recounts his experience as a governing diplomat in Iraq soon after the occupation. There is little that appears to have been thought out by the "liberators". Little or no order in the community that isn't created by the warlords. Little or no trust amongst the population with those outside the hundreds of tribes. No understanding of democracy. The details are all here of what it was like on the ground after the occupation. And all is described with a first-rate jo...more

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Dec 14, 2011 itpdx rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: non-fiction, lwv-book-group

This is Rory Stewart's account of his service as a diplomat for the Coalition Provisional Authority in southern Iraq 2003-4. I found his book, The Places in Between well-written and revelatory. I struggled with this book. The Prince of the Marshes: And Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq is engagingly written with touches of self-deprecating humor and clearly tells of the challenges of "nation building" in Iraq after the coalition invasion. I think why I had a hard time dragging myself...more

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Jan 04, 2010 Joe rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Compelling account of the author’s time as a governor in the South East of Iraq during the first few years after the invasion. In this book the occupation certainly looks like a complete shambles. Ignorance, lack of preparation, ideology, greed, fanaticism and dislocation between the various coalition partners ensured disaster followed. However, Stewart is careful to point out that tweaking this aspect or making sure they’d done something differently somewhere else probably wouldn’t have made mu...more

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Jan 29, 2009 Brian rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: foreign-affairs-current-events

This is a book by that guy who wrote the book about when he walked across Afghanistan. This time around he was back at his job in the British Foreign Service acting as a provincial governor for the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq. After years of dumbed-down, over simplified media coverage of the war in Iraq, I've been really thirsty for some details to try to have an understanding of what actually is going on there. From this book, I know there's A LOT of stuff going on that we'll never...more

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Apr 18, 2008 Martin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2008books, favorites

I wish everyone would read “The Prince of the Marshes.” On the one hand it a fascinating read about a part of the world that is SO much in the news these days yet is also so utterly unknown to us (and unknowable, says Stewart). On the other, it is a clear-eyed, detailed description of the ground-level work in Iraq that DOESN’T show up on CNN.

The epilogue to the book – written in Kabul in 2007 – should be five pages of required reading for everyone, everywhere. I particularly enjoyed Stewart’s re...more I wish everyone would read “The Prince of the Marshes.” On the one hand it a fascinating read about a part of the world that is SO much in the news these days yet is also so utterly unknown to us (and unknowable, says Stewart). On the other, it is a clear-eyed, detailed description of the ground-level work in Iraq that DOESN’T show up on CNN.

The epilogue to the book – written in Kabul in 2007 – should be five pages of required reading for everyone, everywhere. I particularly enjoyed Stewart’s realistic assessment that people who criticize the pre-planning, the planning, and the execution of the war in Iraq “imply that the problem is that we sent the ‘B Team.’ And that somewhere else an ‘A Team’ exists, or that at least such a team might be created...” (398) The entire book lays painfully, at times comically, bare the notion that any kind of democracy could be established in Iraq. Any notion of creating a stable government in Iraq is a pitiful, absolutely insane notion. The cultures, languages, and experiences between both the US/Britain and Iraqis, as well as in many cases between the Iraqi people themselves, are so vastly different that it would be no more possible for humpback whales to run the Kentucky Derby. I don’t mean to imply anything by that other than – US and Iraq are real different. The people who live in Iraq are all very different people from different tribes, with different values, different forms of religious expression, different experiences of the past and different aspirations for the future. On a removed, rational level, one might think (I certainly have thought) that a nation like the US could go to another country, explain a better form of government, and, over time, with the proper resources, set that up. Well, this book completely and utterly destroys that notion, at least in this situation.

Stewart tells the story of his wildly convoluted dealings and efforts clearly and straightforwardly. He seems idealistic yet pragmatic in the same breath, and this balance and depth makes for fascinating reading. Stewart is PART of the “coalition of the willing.” This book is not titled “Fiasco” or “The Tragedy of Iraq” or anything. Almost the entire text of the book is relaying Stewart’s personal experiences and frustrations as a “deputy governorate coordinator”; it is a story that shows, rather than tells, how fundamentally impossible the task is, in Iraq. It is also, strangely, not a despairing book, nor does it really point any fingers. The essentially apolitical nature of the book makes it twice as interesting for me to read than some screed against the war, Bush, Cheney, Bremer, etc etc etc. We already get all that, at this point. Everybody knows. This book looks at the communities, the tribal leaders, the regular people in a remote part of the southern region of Iraq and how nightmarishly confusing and difficult it is for Stewart and his Western team to accomplish anything.

It’s depressing, and fascinating, and instructive, at the same time as it is, in some ways, the blackest of black comedies. Especially at this juncture in time in the US, I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Even if you just go to the bookstore and read the final 5 pages. Though if you are anything like me, once you read those final five pages, you’ll almost certainly buy the book and read the preceding 400. You won’t be disappointed.(less)

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Oct 15, 2007 Zach rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: People interested in Iraq

Seyyed Rory gives an amazing inside view of what it was like during his time working in Iraq. The difference between his book and other books on Iraq is that he is not trying to forward a political agenda, but simply telling his story. At times he tells of their triumphs and how some citizens were thankful for their help, and at other times he tells of their failures and the anger of Iraqis for the Coalition forces even being in Iraq.

Quite often we see how unorganized the Coalition is. We see t...more

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Oct 12, 2007 Foster rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: history

I finally got around to reading a book about the situation in Iraq, and it was well worth it. Rory Stewart is a young Brit who spent time travelling through the mideast, and became the CPA administrator of a province in the southeastern corner of Iraq in 2003.
His account of the time he spent in Maysan and Dhi Qar is amazing, and results in the full gamut of emotions for the reader. You have equal parts admiration and pity for the author, as he tries to apply a strong set of moral principles to h...more I finally got around to reading a book about the situation in Iraq, and it was well worth it. Rory Stewart is a young Brit who spent time travelling through the mideast, and became the CPA administrator of a province in the southeastern corner of Iraq in 2003.
His account of the time he spent in Maysan and Dhi Qar is amazing, and results in the full gamut of emotions for the reader. You have equal parts admiration and pity for the author, as he tries to apply a strong set of moral principles to his dealings with the locals. James Meek, in his comment on the book jacket, accurately states "it made me laugh, it made me sad, and it made me angry."
Personally, after reading this account I place less blame on the CPA or the US administration for the current chaos in Iraq. From what Stewart writes, errors were certainly made along the way (Bremer and his ilk in particular), but these are far outweighed by the corruption and thuggery of Iraqi tribes at war with each other, religious fanatics ruling by terror, and Iranian and Syrian intelligence forces stoking sectarian divides. Let's not forget that this part of the world has been dealt with many times before. Stewart uses an amazing array of quotes to begin each chapter, and drive home his point. Here's one from Machiavelli which introduces his discussion of Nasiriyah, and relates to my point below:

"Many have imagined principalities and states that have never been seen, nor known to exist. However, ho men live is so different from how they should live that a ruler who does not do generally what is done but persists in doing what ought to be done will undermine his power rather than maintain it."

We all had a part to play in this. We demanded that a country with an authoritarian past be transformed overnight into a democracy. This was to be accomplished with humanitarian methods, and respect for minority and women's rights. This was, of course, incredibly unrealistic. The only way Iraq was to be controlled was to be brutal in our post-invasion control of the country: establishing prison camps, enforcing curfews, etc. However, this would never have been allowed to happen politically. This is how much times have changed since WWII. Now, instead, we have innocents being slaughtered daily. Which is worse, deaths because we were too careful, or deaths because we weren't careful enough?

Anyway, Stewart's book is highly recommended. I can't wait for his next one (he is currently in Kabul, Afghanistan).(less)

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Sep 18, 2007 Colleen Clark rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone interested in Iraq, fans of "The Places in Between"

Shelves: iraq

After Stewart walked across Afghanistan in January 2002 ("The Places in Between") he rejoined the British Foreign Office and volunteered to work as part of the British staff of the Coalition Provisional Authority. He was a deputy governor in Maysan and Nasariyah from October 2003 to June 2004.

Like "The Places in Between" this book also is like a modified and selected diary, so it proceeds chronologically. Stewart writes about his and his staff's efforts to engage the local Iraqi population in po...more

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Sep 08, 2012 Josiah rated it 5 of 5 stars

I think Rory Stewart's experiences in Maysan province are rich, compelling, and ultimately depressing. I hung on every word, but then, I read the book while I was also in Iraq. So it had a certain immediacy too it. That said, if you want to know what it was like for the western decision makers trying to work with their Iraqi counter parts, this will explain a lot of it.

Absolutely fascinating and well worth the read. It's even better if you can read it while on a business trip to Iraq.

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May 24, 2011 Wendy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: iraq, memoir

This book was very interesting to me since I am currently serving in Iraq, albeit several years after the events Rory described. As in his other book, I find the author's writing style a bit too declarative for me and the sentences occasionally packed with a few too many thoughts. I would prefer a few transitory sentences here and there. That said, he does include many interesting details and observations, and his conclusions in the epilogue were interesting and thought-provoking.

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About Rory Stewart

Rory Stewart was born in Hong Kong and grew up in Malaysia. He served briefly as an officer in the British Army (the Black Watch), studied history and philosophy at Balliol College, Oxford and then joined the British Diplomatic Service. He worked in the British Embassy in Indonesia and then, in the wake of the Kosovo campaign, as the British Representative in Montenegro. In 2000 he took two years...more

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“In the evening [the Iraqi interim governor of Maysan province] asked me for fifty dollars to repair his windows, which had been destroyed in a recent demonstration. Although he was the governor, his salary was only four hundred and fifty dollars a month, and Baghdad had still not agreed to give the governors an independent budget.... For the sake of a tiny sum of money - a couple thousand dollars a month from the hundred billion we had spent on the invasion - we were alienating our key partner and successor.
p. 264” — 3 people liked it

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