The Unraveling

Starred review from March 16, 2015
Sky, a senior fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute, delivers a memoir that may be the best book to date on the American war in Iraq. Her thesis is that a unified stable Iraqi government was once possible, thanks to the hard work and sacrifices of many Coalition soldiers and civilians and the Iraqi people and their leaders, but that opportunity was squandered in the final months of the U.S. presence. Sky brings unique and unmatched credentials to her analysis of the war. As a British civilian, she was as close to unbiased as a senior participant could be. She was initially employed as a provincial governance leader by the Coalition Provisional Authority, and later she worked as the political advisor to Generals Odierno and Petraeus, the commanders of U.S. forces in Iraq. 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.

February 15, 2015
A grimly clinical assessment by a former high-ranking adviser of the "modern-day Crusade of ideologues and idealists" who drove the United States invasion of Iraq-to say nothing of their "ignorance, arrogance, and naivety."Not my idea, not my idea. Sky, a British civilian who volunteered to help with Iraq reconstruction and wound up serving as a deputy to theater commander Raymond Odierno, or "General O," might as well have used the mantra as a running head for the book. By her account, no one on the outside-including, to her credit, her-had an unimpeded view of what was going on, but all were sure of the rightness of their cause. George W. Bush and Tony Blair, writes Sky unsparingly, tried hard to sell their war internationally, but they could find only a few buyers. The ones who did come along for the ride, such as the Italians with their kiosks selling pasta and coffee, were disinclined to shed much of their own blood, leaving it to the Americans and Brits to do so. There were plenty of differences between even those allies: The Americans "pray more often than the Muslims do," to quote one bemused Australian, and as Sky writes engagingly, the American God to whom they prayed "was also different from the one I had grown up with"-even as American chaplains "prayed for victory over our enemies rather than peace." Peace was not in the offing, anyway, not with the Bush administration in charge. Unfortunately, once it was Barack Obama's turn, it didn't get better. "Here I was," writes the author, "sitting in on the high-level discussion of the policy decision that would perhaps determine the outcome of the Iraq war, but none of my arguments made the vice president reconsider his decision." 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.

April 1, 2015

While there have been many accounts penned about the U.S. involvement in Iraq, Sky'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 endeavors--and mostly succeeds--in providing a comprehensive view of a tenuous situation. Sky'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 author'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.--Kathleen Dupre, Edmond, OK

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 1, 2015
The Iraq War is undergoing an enormous amount of analysis by everyone from soldiers to journalists to politicians. Sky, a British civilian who worked as a representative of the Coalition Provisional Authority in Kirkuk and then as a political advisor to General Ray Odierno, makes her own contribution, a tale of abject frustration and lost opportunity that echoes the experiences of many who were part of the rebuilding efforts after the fall of Saddam Hussein. By her admission, Sky was woefully unprepared for the job, but she quickly ascertained that almost everyone else there was equally overwhelmed and confused. She developed a close relationship with her U.S. military counterpart in Kirkuk and immersed herself in history as she sought the best path forward for Iraqis and coalition forces alike. Sky'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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2015, American Library Association.)