In Search of Iraq: Baghdad to Babylon

From 1998 until the chaotic aftermath of the American-led invasion, news reporter Richard Downes witnessed firsthand the changes that overwhelmed the Iraqi people. In Search of Iraq goes far deeper into the society than the daily news, filtered for Western readers. Small events of Ordinary life and whispered conversations are as telling as the grand political statements. With a keen focus on the customs, religion, culture and historical diversity of all the Communities in the region, Downes reveals the impact of war, as well as the value of friendships that blossom in a country torn to shreds. What emerges is a stunning memorial to a disintegrating nation isolated through international sanctions.

Nominated in 2007 for Best Book of the Year in Ireland, this important American edition brings unique insight to life after the invasion, a situation that puts Kurdistan in jeopardy. Iraq's northern province has been largely free of the violence and chaos that marked the rest of the country. Now lost in a sea of contradictions, the Kurds provide the president and foreign minister and yet they have little intention of supporting the Iraqi state. Beneath the outward appearance of calm, the Kurds of northern Iraq are on a knife's edge.