Saddam: His Rise and Fall

I could not put this book down! It is very detailed and really shows the real Saddam to the reader. Can be very disturbing.

This book is hard to read because you don't want to believe someone like Saddam has been left go this long - I must admit that before I read this book I thought we shouldn't go to war but once I started reading all I wanted was for us to rid the world of such a person - I have told everyone I know and some that I didn't how awful Saddam is and how they need to read this book - I think they should hand it out to everyone - No one would be against the war if they knew the truth - Thank you Con Coughlin for setting me straight and I hope that many others read your book and also learn the truth.

In this book, the author portrays Saddam Hussein as a murderer, despot, international terrorist, and developer of biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. To develop these claims, the author uses interviews that he has conducted with the many Iraqis who have defected to other countries. After reading this book, it seems simply astounding that we even have to debate whether or not to remove this tyrant. The author makes a convincing case that Saddam must be removed. It is clear from reading this book that Saddam has murdered countless numbers of his own people, and would not hesitate to spread his misery elsewhere. Highly readable and recommended, as well as very timely!

This book is not a "fun" read it is the detailed biography of a sadomasochistic sociopathic killer who will do anything to gain power and maintain it. Before reading this book, I did not really understand Baathism, or Saddam, or what was really going on. I thought that we wanted the oil, or that George Bush wanted to distract us. After reading this history of one of the most revolting dictators of the last century it is clear he needs to go. Baathism is essentially Naziism. Saddam modeled his tactics on Hitler, Stalin, and Ted Bundy. Saddam is a ruthless sociopathic killer who kills anyone who disagrees with him, argues with him, does a good job and might compete with him, or knows anyone who might cause him a problem. He even kills women who fails to satisfy him sexually. Con Coughlin details his life story and the ruthless pursuit of the obtainment of the Iraq presidency and control of it by Saddam Hussein. This biography is essential to anyone who wants to understand the forces that we face in the next few years. We would be doing the Iraquis a tremendous favour by sending this man to the Hague.

This is an interesting, timely, informative, helpful work, Like much of the life of Iraq's leader, the exact date and year of Saddam Hussein's birth is arguably unknown. Not surprisingly, a lot of what is known about him is equally vague, subject to revision or argument. Yet the story is worth telling and well worth reading. There is much to be learned. Coughlin cites ancient conflicts, e.g., Persian versus Arabic differences, and shows how Western addiction to and Arab control over oil created the rise of the region as strategic resource. Before that time, there was not much of interest in the region, other than to colonial powers. Given the reticence of those most knowledgeable of Hussein to speak freely (if they care to live), the absence of good records, and the flattering propaganda produced by his government, writing this book must have been difficult. Few sources on Saddam can be judged to be authoritative. There are very strong biases on each side. The author attempts to introduce and judge competing, even equally unreliable reports of the same event. He does not engage in excessive speculation. Hussein rose from a feudal, tribal society, where progress, loyalty and consolidating tribal power led to what we'd call inbreeding if not incest, with the marriage of close relatives and sometimes questionable paternity (including Saddam's). He is often labeled a thug; he is ruthless, unforgiving, not well educated early in his life, and sensitive to social class envy. He is a staunch anti-communist who allied himself with the Russians and murdered communist party officers while openly admiring Stalin and running a totalitarian dictatorship. He takes offense easily; he applies punishment quickly. Foreign powers can be called on account for the instability and a revenge on the West factor in the Arab world. There's the British failures to honor promises to Arabs following World War I, the French government happy to sell Arabs (and Israelis) nuclear power plants and fighter planes, and the German's willing to help Saddam develop nerve gas. Many western countries wanted to recycle the petrodollars they paid for newly expensive oil. Hussein's nationalization of Iraqi oil paid for his rise, increasing state revenues led to a spending spree in early 1980s on weapons, infrastructure, and programs for people. With this, he won the respect and admiration of his people while also engendering fear and domestic terror. As a military leader he has been a general if not abysmal failure. He miscalculated Iran's staying power under Khomeni. A disastrous war followed. And after Teheran hostage taking, where my enemy's enemy is my friend, Saddam earned American approval and support, including CIA. There is some speculation that CIA started supporting him well before he came to power. The book offers a good understanding of the region and a reasonably complete understanding of Hussein. For those seeking a justification for or even an understanding of the Amer