Thieves of Baghdad (Hardcover)

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Key Phrases: aboveground storage area, irrational tenth, restoration room, New York, Iraq Museum, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Starred Review. In April 2003, Matthew Bogdanos was a long way from the courtrooms of New York City where, as an assistant D.A., he prosecuted hundreds of cases. After September 11, 2001, this Marine Corps Reserve colonel, lawyer and student of ancient civilizations, returned to uniform full-time to head counterterrorism operations in Afghanistan and later in Iraq, where Bogdanos gave himself the mission of finding antiquities that had been stolen from the Iraq National Museum during the American invasion. Beginning with an Indiana Jones-like opening that finds him in the museum's bowels, Bogdanos chronicles a journey fueled by his passion for history and frustrated by erratic record-keeping and factionalism among Iraqis, not to mention the hazards of warfare. The son of Greek immigrants who went on to achieve advanced degrees in law and classical studies, Bogdanos weaves together a detective story, adventure yarn and history lesson, committing himself to the investigation of stolen artifacts and reflecting what he deems rumor and exaggeration among the media coverage and academics who claimed irrevocable archeological tragedy. Indeed, some pieces, he discovers, were moved and protected prior to the U.S. invasion, while others were housed by Iraqis for safekeeping until after the war. Bogdanos is a remarkable blend of warrior, academic and communicator, and he cuts through politics and hyperbole to tell an engrossing story abundant with history, colored by stories of brave Iraqis and Americans, and shaded with hope for the future.
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From School Library Journal

Adult/High School–A riveting, dramatically paced tale. Returning to active military duty after 9/11 to serve in both Afghanistan and Iraq, Bogdanos was involved with counterterrorism units prior to being selected to head an unprecedented multiagency team tasked with tracking down and safeguarding stolen antiquities. His infantry training, profession as a lawyer (he earned the nickname Pit Bull in the Manhattan DAs office), and advanced degree in the classics qualified him to lead a team of trigger pullers, analysts, translators, and techies through the museums 11-acre complex of buildings and storerooms. Working with staff who lacked even an approximate inventory, his group pursued its mission within a hostile landscape embroiled in the chaos of modern warfare. There is YA appeal in the books forensic themes and crime-scene analysis, a compelling urgency to the band-of-brothers teamwork within the tightly knit task force, and much to relish in vivid passages devoted to the artistic and cultural heritage of Mesopotamia. With refreshing candor, Bogdanos appraises the difficulties of diplomacy, intelligence gathering, and dealing with the media in a combat zone, and assesses formidable obstacles to international prosecution of illicit cross-border trafficking. Quotations from Greek, Latin, and German philosophers and English literature add linguistic appeal. Sixteen pages of color photos lend depth to readers sense of the artwork and destruction at the museum and complement the strong personalities described in the narrative.–Lynn Nutwell, Fairfax City Regional Library, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA; First U.S. Edition edition (October 26, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582346453
• ISBN-13: 978-1582346458
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #356,653 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Incredible Read!!!, January 25, 2006

By	B. Gorczyk - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I found this book to be absolutely riveting. I took it on a business trip, and couldn't put it down! This book gives you and up close and detailed look at the team assembled to investigate and recover antiquities stolen from the museum in Baghdad. I found it refreshing to read an account written by the head of the team, who could capably give an accurate account. Too often, authors who "weren't there" write books based solely upon the accounts of others. That certainly isn't the case here. You won't be disappointed!

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thieves of baghdad, February 2, 2006

By	Edward H. Dalessandro (Florida) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Colonel Bogdanos is a warrior, a police officer and a historian all in one. He is the real life incarnation of Jack Ryan. "The Thieves of Baghdad" reads like a novel, however, it gives us a glimpse of the life of a true hero. If you want to know how it felt to be there, read this book. Bogdanos is what I call "Good People".
Ed d'Alessandro
NYPD Emergency Service Unit, Retired

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars truth, January 31, 2006

By	Demetrious Mccarthy "dgm919" (phoenix) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

truth is stranger that fiction, is also more compelling! This isn't something that might happen it did. All the usual catch frases apply a page turner, couldn't put it down apply, but the fact is that this is real it is history that is unfolding even now and it is our history in the making. It's not history we studied in books but saw on the news in a depth and reality that a 3 minute news story can't hope to reach