The Prince of the Marshes

By: Rory Stewart

Narrated by: Rory Stewart

Told from Stewart's distinctly Western perspective, The Prince of the Marshes chronicles his time acting as the deputy governor of two southern Iraqi provinces.

Critic reviews

"[This] book should be required reading for every political commentator." ( Publishers Weekly)

Essential reading on Iraqi occupation

A real, heartbreaking, and humorous narration of the complicated nature of occupations and development work alike . Rory’s historical knowledge blended with contemporary experience is unique . A wonderful addition to literature, to historical accounts of an important mimet , and to real stories about difficult undertakings in nation building . I think it benefits from being read in the author’s own voice with his range of accents which help to shape the characters he introduces us to . I highly recommend .

Rory Stewart has credibility

in an age where spin and heavy bias tries to pass off as journalism, Rory Stewart presents facts and actions in a way that are not always in his interest and with an eye toward cultural understanding of various factions. he is more objective than most writers and I really appreciate reading his works. I've read several now and will read and purchase others. Thanks Rory for your service and for seeing humanity where it is often hard to see.

A View From The Real Iraq

The pundits and the politicians have talked the Iraq situation into the ground. Everybody seems to know what the solution is and proclaims their conclusions boldly. Unfortunately, the chattering class is not deeply schooled in the history and culture of the country and most have never even been there. Rory Stuart probably didn't know much more than the pundits when he parachuted into the country and attempted to build something resembling a civil society in one southern province. But Rory Stuart is a quick study with an eye for the details that really matter. His story reveals a deeply complex and sophisticated society with political norms almost entirely foreign from our own.

No matter where you sit on the political spectrum, this book will challenge your assumptions on Iraq. It should be required reading for anybody who has a role in formulating U.S. policy there.

Recommended.

Essential Listening

Rory's narration of his time in Iraq is a brilliant piece of first person of history. My only complaint is that the "chapters" of the audiobook bear no correspondence to the chapters of the book.