Imperial Life in the Emerald City
Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone is a 2006 book by Rajiv Chandrasekaran that takes a critical look at the civilian leadership of the American reconstruction project in Iraq. Centered mainly on the actions of the Coalition Provisional Authority, within the Green Zone of Baghdad, Chandrasekaran details the events from the end of the invasion phase of the war until the official transfer of power to the Iraqis and the growing insurgency in the country.
Author | Rajiv Chandrasekaran |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Nonfiction |
Publisher | Alfred A Knopf |
Publication date | 2006 |
Media type | |
Pages | 336 pages (1st Edition Hardcover) |
ISBN | 1-4000-4487-1 |
OCLC | 64427530 |
956.7044/31 22 | |
LC Class | DS79.769 .C53 2006 |
In the prologue to the book, Chandrasekaran states that his work does not take a side for or against the United States' invasion of Iraq, simply treating it as a given, and instead focuses purely on examining how the post-invasion occupation was handled.
Awards
The book was chosen as one of the best non-fiction books of 2006/2007 by Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times[1] and the Los Angeles Times.[2] The book also won the 2007 Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction[3] and the 2006 Overseas Press Club of America award,[4] and was shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Award 2007.
Film adaptation
The nonfiction book has been adapted into a fictional thriller written by Brian Helgeland and directed by Paul Greengrass. The film stars Matt Damon, Amy Ryan, and Greg Kinnear.
References
- "The 10 Best Books of 2007". The New York Times. 2007-12-09. Retrieved 2009-01-12.
- "Book Critics' Year-End Top Ten Lists". Archived from the original on 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2007-12-26.
- "Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction 2007". Retrieved 2007-12-26.
- "2006 OPC Award Winners". Archived from the original on 2007-11-06. Retrieved 2007-12-26.
External links
- Official Site
- Online chat with the author
- Review by The New York Times
- C-SPAN Q&A interview with Chandrasekaran on Imperial Life in the Emerald City, September 24, 2006