Naked in Baghdad

The Iraq War as Seen by National Public Radio's Correspondent

By: Anne Garrels

Narrated by: Anne Garrels

Length: 6 hrs and 58 mins

Publisher's summary

As National Public Radio's senior foreign correspondent, Anne Garrels has covered conflicts in Chechnya, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. She is renowned for direct, down-to-earth, insightful reportage, and for her independent take on what she sees. One of only sixteen unembedded American journalists who stayed in Baghdad's now-legendary Palestine Hotel throughout the American invasion of Iraq, she was at the very center of the storm. Naked in Baghdad gives us the sights, sounds, and smells of our latest war with unparalleled vividness and immediacy. Garrels's narrative starts with several trips she made to Baghdad before the war, beginning in October 2002. At its heart is her evolving relationship with her Iraqi driver/minder, Amer, 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. Amer's own strong reactions and personal dilemma provide a trenchant counterpoint to daily events. The story is also punctuated by e-mail bulletins sent by Garrels's husband, Vint Lawrence, to their friends around the world, giving a private view of the rough-and-tumble, often dangerous life of a foreign correspondent, along with some much-needed comic relief.

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

©2003 Anne Garrels (P)2003 Audio Renaissance, a division of Holtzbrinck Publishers, LLC

Critic reviews

• 2004 Audie Award Winner, Narration by Author or Authors

Enjoyable and Informative

I very much enjoyed listening to this audio. Gave you a good lesson on Bagdad and what happened over there during the pre war. I highly recommend this audio

The most moving radio journalism ever

Living in the UK for the past few years, I had not heard Anne Garrel nor NPR during the recent conflict (to correct another review - this is actually about the "second" Gulf War). It was highly informative to hear her very profressional reporting, but what makes this a "must listen" is her husband's moving, and often humorous, updates on Anne.

There is a fantastic chapter where she dutifully reports the horrors of civilian casualties in a Baghdad market place, providing insightful analysis of the contradictory reports being given to her by grieving, angry Iraqis. What her husband reveals later on, is the emotional bludgeoning an event like this has on a passive observer like a journalist. The tearful phone call he describes as receiving helps colour her actual experience for you, beyond the satellite phone report she filed with Morning Edition.

Not only did this high quality writing/reporting compel me from chapter to chapter, but it helped me better understand the continuing conflict in Iraq. I can't recommend this strongly enough.

A thoughtful and unique view on war

I enjoyed this book very much. It's not often that you get a journalist stepping out of their lofty and sometime meglomaniacle shoes to give a testament of their own experience in a warzone.
Ms. Garrels memories of Chechnya and other ravaged combat zones act's as a stepping stone to her experience in Iraq.
She give's a sometimes harrowing, sometimes humorous view of a journalist's journey to find a face and purpose on the war.
For the most part, she give's an unbiased view of the Iraqi people's suffering and what they see as trading one miserable situation for another.
It's also a pretty good take on the real journalist vs tabloid/sensationalist coverage of the war and how those who have been in the field for years reporting the truth of war, loath and despise the "10 second story" types who only show the side of war that the government wants them to show.

Overall Great Report of the Iraq War

Ann does a great job of providing a balanced report of the Iraq War, primarily how it is affecting the daily lives of the Iraqi people. One page may describe an Iraqi who is happy to be liberated & the next page may describe an Iraqi who feels they had it better under Saddam. I was impressed with the balanced reporting. I would listen to it again.

A work of art

Between the first hand accounts of her experience in Baghdad and her husbands emails on his perspective and communications, this book (or better yet "document") had my attention at every word. Ann words and style are matter of fact and her willingness to illustrate the complexities of Iraq, its people and the US invasion make it one of the most informative works on the subject I have read.

One gutsy gal

I am a soft touch for authors that read their own works. In her book Naked in Baghdad, Anne Garrels reads the parts she wrote herself, in Bagdad, as a kind of diary. Her husband, who wrote the rest from back home, after talking to her on the phone, is a good writer in his own right and the perfect supporter, but did not do any reading. Perhaps he still has a Russian accent, but I would not consider that a handicap, personally.

In any case Anne Garrels is the centerpiece, as she should be. She is the prototype of the savy, liberal, older woman of the world?a prototype in short supply. And she has guts?she lives with danger, perhaps too much, and she goes by her gut-level instincts. She doesn?t have any trouble keeping you awake.

Naked in Baghdad (unabridged)

After having listend to Ann Garrels on NPR for a long time it was very enjoyable to hear her read this book and give the background for many of the reports we had heard. Gives very interesting insights into conditions leading up to the start of the war. Interesting conditions and insight into the difficulty of operating in Bagdad.

Tender and ruthless

I loved this story. The juxtaposition of Anne and AB’s voices were perfect. I fee part of a family that spans cultures, sides, and continents. Thank you

Bag the Brenda Bulletins

A good audio book, with the exception of the irritating, terrible monotone “Brenda Bulletins” by “V”. The material in these pieces could have easily been incorporated into the author’s story, thereby eliminating what was a needless distraction to an otherwise good listen; and where did “V” get his voice training for heaven’s sake?

Fascinating

I truly enjoyed listning to Annie narrate her book. We've all heard the nightly news reports from Baghdad . . . but this book puts us IN BAGHDAD right beside the reporter. It is a wonderful insight into the everyday life of a war correspondent and the small wars they constantly fight just to report the news to us. Thank you, Annie, for letting us peek into your life.