Book summary

Coughlin, a reporter for the London Daily Telegraph, offers this portrait of the former leader of Iraq. SADDAM draws on interviews from key figures in Iraq to outline how this man was able to control the oil-rich nation for so long and explains where he drew his support among the population of Iraq.

Media reviews

"Coughlin's account is a swift, grisly read, but it's light on analysis. Although his hostility comes through nicely, Coughlin's acuity waver - particularly with his treatment of Iraq's ties to Al Qaeda....Coughlin does a fine, creepy job of evoking the gangster ambience of 1970's Iraq, in which the nouveau riche Hussein cultivated a taste for fancy cars, expensive suits, American-style barbeque ribs, racetrack gambling, married blondes and sickly sweet Portuguese rose wine."