Naked in Baghdad: The Iraq War as Seen by NPR's Correspondent Anne Garrels

Garrels, Anne; Lawrence, Vint

4.08

1,088 ratings by Goodreads

9781593973582: Naked in Baghdad: The Iraq War as Seen by NPR's Correspondent Anne Garrels

ISBN 10: 1593973586 ISBN 13: 9781593973582

Publisher: Macmillan Audio, 2003

As NPR's senior foreign correspondent, Anne Garrels has covered conflicts in Chechnya, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. She is renowned for the direct, down-to-earth reportage and her independent-minded insight into what she observes. One of only sixteen un-imbedded American journalists who stayed in the now-legendary Palestine Hotel in Baghdad throughout the American invasion, Garrels was uniquely placed to describe our latest war.

At the heart of Garrels' narrative is her evolving relationship with her Iraqi driver, Tahir, who becomes her friend and confidant, often serving as her eyes and ears among the populace and taking her where no other reporter was able to penetrate; Tahir's own opinions and poignant personal story provide a trenchant counterpoint to the headline news. The diary is also punctuated by e-mail bulletins sent by Garrels' husband, Vint Lawrence, to friends around the world, providing a private view of the rough-and-tumble, often dangerous life of a foreign correspondent, along with much-needed comic relief.

The result is an enthralling, deeply personal, utterly authentic picture of this war that no one else could have written. As Chicago Sun Times critic Lloyd Sachs wrote about Garrels' work from Baghdad, "a few choice words, honestly delivered, are worth more than a thousand pictures, in your mind's eye, they carry lasting truth."

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About the Author:

Since 1988, Anne Garrels has been a distinguished foreign correspondent for National Public Radio, where she is regularly heard by more than 17 million listeners weekly. When she is not covering the world's hot spots, she lives in Connecticut with her husband, three dogs, and three cats.

From AudioFile:

Anne Garrels of National Public Radio was one of only 16 "non-embedded" foreign journalists who remained in Baghdad throughout the 2003 Iraqi War. Her diary-style story about that war is one of the few eyewitness accounts we are likely to have. It's riveting--filled with stories of the surreal Iraqi bureaucracy, noble and devious Iraqis, generous and backstabbing journalists, wrong-headed American politicos, and the fascinating labor of getting the news and getting it out to her listeners. Garrels's confident, warm voice is as suited to reading her own book as it is suited to reporting. She delivers a story full of inflection and emotion without ever becoming overwrought. Her reports are interspersed with the eloquent e-mail reports that her husband, artist Vint Lawrence, sent to friends during Garrels's absence. Lawrence reads stiffly and undoubtedly would have improved with some critiqued practice. Yet, he writes beautifully, and his reports are essential. This is an all-round terrific listen. R.E.K. � AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine-- Copyright � AudioFile, Portland, Maine

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