Synopses & Reviews
When Emma Sky, an intrepid young British woman, volunteered to help rebuild Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein, she had little idea what she was letting herself in for: a tour that would last over a decade, longer than that of any senior military of political official. As the only adviser to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Kirkuk and the closest confidante to U.S. General Odierno, Sky was valued for her controversial voice and outsiderand#8217;s point of viewand#151;during the most painful stages of the war, she was one of the few to develop friendships and relationships with both Iraqis and Americans alike.
In the West, violence in Iraq is typically explained away as the symptom of psychopathic terrorists, blurring and arbitrary colonial borders, and ancient hatreds between Sunni and Shia. But the violence stems from weak governance and corrupt elites, empowered by the U.S.-led coalition, who use sectarianism to mobilize support and fail to deliver service to the meet the needs of the countryand#8217;s citizens. Women and men, Iraqis and Americans, soldiers and civilians, the ordinary and yet extraordinary, Western cultures and Eastern all collide in Iraq. Since the beginning of the invasion in 2003, Sky has been a tireless witness to American efforts to impose democracy on a country traumatized by decades of war and sanctions, newly liberated from the most brutal of regimes; the Iraqi who became insurgents and the insurgencies that morphed into civil war; the 2007 surge and then the drawdown of U.S. troops; the pitfalls and limitation of foreign powers; and the takeover by the Islamic State.
A consummate insider, called the and#147;modern-day Gertrude Belland#8221; by the London Times, Sky provides insight into the ordered world of the US military, the complexities, diversity and evolution of Iraqi society during in the last ten years of uninterrupted conflict and the struggle to find stability in post-Saddam Iraq. With sharp detail, tremendous empathy and devotion to all those who servedand#151;The Unraveling is an intimate portrait of Americans who killed and cared, of friendships, humanity, the quest for peace and the failure of United States strategy.
Review
and#147;One might call the events Sky describes as a comedy of errors, except that there's nothing comedic about it. A tragedy of errors, then, crisply recounted by one who was there.and#8221; -
Kirkus Reviewsand#147;Skyand#8217;s narrative is a valuable addition to recent history, even though she can only provide part of the larger puzzle that is Iraq. What she experienced is relevant, and her story and perspective contribute to the ongoing effort to understand and explain the tragic aftermath of the much-criticized Iraq War.and#8221; -Booklist
and#147;BAGHDADand#151;RARELY does the hulking commander of American forces in Iraq meet with Iraqis or go to a news conference without a slight, dark-haired woman standing just a little to one sideand#151;as if to give him space, but almost always in his line of sight and within earshot.
The woman is Emma Sky, and she is an unlikely figure in the milieu of the generally strait-laced American military. She is British, 41, a civilian and a onetime opponent of the war, but nevertheless a political adviser [to], as well as confidante on many policy matters to the American commander, Gen. Ray Odierno.
She is often compared to Gertrude Bell, a celebrated early-twentieth-century British adventurer who was an architect of modern Iraq. That may be an overstatement, but Ms. Sky is nevertheless, like Ms. Bell, a woman to be reckoned with.and#8221; and#151;Alissa Rubin, New York Times Magazine
Review
and#147;To counter Iran in Iraq and prevent the alienation that created ISIS would have requiredand#133;perhaps, a thousand Emma Skys. But there was only one of those.and#8221; -
Christopher Dickey, New York Times Book Review"A radiant and beautifully written account, at turns funny and sad, of [Skyand#8217;s] service in Iraq." -Wall Street Journal
"Sky's book...is the essential text on how everything fell apart." -Dexter Filkins, NewYorker.com
"A scholar and a strategist, Skyand#8217;s political perception alone makes worthwhile reading, including a preface that is as succinct a synopsis of Iraq today as you will find: ISIS, or Daand#8217;ash, 'is the hideous product of a sacralised determinism born out of secular failure.'and#8221; -Military Times
and#147;The Unravelling reads almost like a novel: a detailed and darkly humorous account that tries to understand everyone involved, Iraqis and Americans, on their own terms. Skyand#8217;s character sketches are as tolerant as they are critical, and her argumentative, chirpy and intelligent personality is thoroughly engagingand#133;. The Unravelling is an indispensable tool for understanding the background to this failure." -The Guardian
and#147;The Unraveling: High Hopes and Missed Opportunities in Iraq is entertaining because Sky is a wry and intelligent companion. It is sad for its account of how the Obama administration squandered what Sky views as the victory that the surge had snatched from the first catastrophic years of U.S. occupation. It is enlightening for how it helps us unlearn much of what we think we know and#151; for example, that and#145;ancient hatredsand#8217; rending the Shiite, Sunni and Kurds make Iraq a hopeless case.and#8221; -Fred Hiatt, The Washington Post
and#147;Hers was a fascinating world of senior military and diplomatic figures, many of them of the highest qualityand#133;She knew all the leading Iraqi politicians, many of whom regarded her as a personal friend. She saw much of Iraq and had some hair-raising experiences. And she always kept her sense of opposition to what was being done to the country. Many people likened her to Gertrude Bell, the British political adviser who helped to create Iraq, and in some ways they were right.and#8221; -John Simpson, New Statesman
and#147;Emma Skyand#8217;s The Unraveling is the best new book Iand#8217;ve read this year. Fred Hiattand#8217;s column told me more about this very unusual woman.and#8221; -Don Graham
and#147;One might call the events Sky describes as a comedy of errors, except that there's nothing comedic about it. A tragedy of errors, then, crisply recounted by one who was there.and#8221; -Kirkus Reviews
and#147;As an insiderand#8217;s account, The Unraveling is full of descriptions of meetings, events, and key personalitiesand#151;both Iraqi and American. Of the latter, Sky is especially gifted in capturing, in just a few sentences, the quirks, flaws, and virtues of the individuals who worked in Iraq or who came through as visiting dignitaries. To her credit, sheand#8217;s bipartisan in her skeweringand#133; Given Skyand#8217;s role in Kirkuk, and later under Odierno, The Unraveling is especially useful in detailing just how complex the reconciliation process was within Iraqand#8217;s splintered society.and#8221; -Weekly Standard
and#147;and#133;A charming, insightful account of Skyand#8217;s remarkable odyssey, of her experiences among Americans and Iraqis.and#8221; -Max Hastings, Sunday Times
and#147;Americaand#8217;s commanders in Iraq combined great rank with even greater self beliefand#133;.So it says much for Ray Odierno, a US commanding general, that for three of Iraqand#8217;s bloodiest years, he chose to have a self-confessed anti-war and#147;tree-huggerand#8221; by his side.and#8221; -Colin Freeman, Telegraph
and#147;A deft, nuanced, and often funny account of her years as a civilian official in Iraq.and#8221; -The New York Review of Books
"While there have been many accounts penned about the U.S. involvement in Iraq, Skyand#8217;s (senior fellow, Yale Univ. Jackson Inst.) account supersedes others. As someone who was directly enmeshed in the efforts to help rebuild Iraq after the death of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein, Sky is able to provide intimate, and at times uncomfortable, details about what went into making Iraq a democracy. Describing situations from undergoing a firestorm on her apartment to enjoying cultural dinners and celebrations, the author endeavorsand#151;and mostly succeedsand#151;in providing a comprehensive view of a tenuous situation. Skyand#8217;s emotive writing makes it impossible to lump her in with generalizations about people who participated in the rebuilding of Iraq, and her poignant longing for her home and her own culture make her sympathetic. The authorand#8217;s at other times analytical tone will appeal to champions of empiricism, and her detailed descriptions of the vibrant and complex cultures at odds in the region will draw in enthusiasts of global culture and anthropology. It becomes undeniable that Sky was very passionate about her work in Iraq. Her book will create a similar enthusiasm in her readers. VERDICT At once informative and emotional, this book will find a wide audience of adult readers, especially those interested in global politics and current events.and#8221; -Library Journal
and#147;A memoir that may be the best book to date on the American war in Iraqand#133;Sky brings unique and unmatched credentials to her analysis of the war. and#133; Her keen intellect and dry, self-effacing wit make the book a thought-provoking, informative, and enjoyable read. With no personal or political axes to grind, Sky's analysis of events and personalities focuses on her immense expertise and access to key figures. This authoritative first-person account is a must-read for anyone who wants a deeper understanding of the complexity of the Iraq war, and the road to the current crises with the Islamic State.and#8221; -Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW
and#147;Skyand#8217;s narrative is a valuable addition to recent history, even though she can only provide part of the larger puzzle that is Iraq. What she experienced is relevant, and her story and perspective contribute to the ongoing effort to understand and explain the tragic aftermath of the much-criticized Iraq War.and#8221; -Booklist
and#147;Emma Sky writing The Unraveling provides a unique outlook on coalition, and specifically United States operations in Iraq, by the most unlikely person to go to warand#133; While reading The Unraveling, I relived many of the events Sky describes in the book, many with remorse that we could not have done more. To those of us that lived and returned home, sometimes with the physical or mental wounds of the war, the book may help explain the war and help mend those wounds. The Unraveling demonstrates how badly a war can go when a nation does not apply all of its resources to the problem.and#8221; -David Mattingly, retired Navy Master Chief Intelligence Specialist, Medium
"Straight forward, sensible, fast moving and no BS. The author comes across as likeable, irascible, emotional, loyal, smart and firm in her convictions. Her expertise is impressive, not least because she does not show it off. She just tells you a story, and lets you judge for yourself." -Bing West
Synopsis
One of the New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2015
One of Financial Times Books of the Year, 2015
A New York Times Editors Choice
A New Statesman UK] Essential Book of the Year 2015
A Times UK] Book of the Year 2015
Shortlisted for the 2015 Samuel Johnson Prize for Nonfiction
Shortlisted for the 2016 Orwell Prize
When Emma Sky volunteered to help rebuild Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, she had little idea what she was getting in to. Her assignment was only supposed to last three months. She went on to serve there longer than any other senior military or diplomatic figure, giving her an unrivaled perspective of the entire conflict.
As the representative of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Kirkuk in 2003 and then the political advisor to US General Odierno from 20072010, Sky was valued for her knowledge of the region and her outspoken voice. She became a tireless witness to American efforts to transform a country traumatized by decades of war, sanctions, and brutal dictatorship; to insurgencies and civil war; to the planning and implementation of the surge and the subsequent drawdown of US troops; to the corrupt political elites who used sectarianism to mobilize support; and to the takeover of a third of the country by the Islamic State.
With sharp detail and tremendous empathy, Sky provides unique insights into the US military as well as the complexities, diversity, and evolution of Iraqi society. The Unraveling is an intimate insider s portrait of how and why the Iraq adventure failed and contains a unique analysis of the course of the war. Highlighting how nothing that happened in Iraq after 2003 was inevitable, Sky exposes the failures of the policies of both Republicans and Democrats, and the lessons that must be learned about the limitations of power.
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Synopsis
When Emma Sky volunteered to help rebuild Iraq after the overthrow of Saddam Hussein in 2003, she had little idea what she was getting in to. Her assignment was only supposed to last three months. She went on to serve there longer than any other senior military or diplomatic figure, giving her an unrivaled perspective of the entire conflict.
As the representative of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Kirkuk in 2003 and then the political advisor to US General Odierno from 2007and#150;2010, Sky was valued for her knowledge of the region and her outspoken voice. She became a tireless witness to American efforts to transform a country traumatized by decades of war, sanctions, and brutal dictatorship; to insurgencies and civil war; to the planning and implementation of the surge and the subsequent drawdown of US troops; to the corrupt political elites who used sectarianism to mobilize support; and to the takeover of a third of the country by the Islamic State.
With sharp detail and tremendous empathy, Sky provides unique insights into the US military as well as the complexities, diversity, and evolution of Iraqi society. The Unraveling is an intimate insiderand#8217;s portrait of how and why the Iraq adventure failed and contains a unique analysis of the course of the war. Highlighting how nothing that happened in Iraq after 2003 was inevitable, Sky exposes the failures of the policies of both Republicans and Democrats, and the lessons that must be learned about the limitations of power.
About the Author
Emma Sky is a Senior Fellow at Yale Universityand#8217;s Jackson Institute, where she lectures on Middle East politics. Previously, she was a Visiting Professor at Kingand#8217;s College, London, War Studies Department, a Fellow at Oxford, Changing Character of War Programme and a Spring 2011 Fellow at Harvard Universityand#8217;s Kennedy School of Government. She served three tours in Iraq from 2003-2010 and remains a regular visitor. She is Oxford educated and an Officer of the British Empire. She speaks French, Arabic and Hebrew.