Red Zone Baghdad

"When Colonel Marcus Fielding returned home from his tour of duty in Baghdad, a taxi driver asked him what it was like being a soldier there ... Marcus was deployed as an "embed" in the final days of the Australian presence. From his "office" in Saddam's former al-Faw Palace, Marcus finds himself more involved with nation-building than with killing "bad guys". His tour is about dealing with the vital strategic issues associated with the elections and the Coalition troop draw-down. But he also paints a vivid picture of everyday life set against a backdrop of sectarian terror: the heat and dust, attending meetings in the Red Zone, the camaraderie of the cigar club, visits to orphanages and the morale-raising visits of US "personalities." Red Zone Baghdad presents a rare glimpse into the reality of an officer's war in our time."--Back cover.