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Baghdad Solitaire
In Iraq after the fall of Saddam Hussein, love and friendship are as uncertain as the shifting battle lines of the civil war. Lee McGuinness, a trauma surgeon on a humanitarian mission, is also on a personal quest: to find her companion-in-arms, Martin Carrigan, who has disappeared under mysterious circumstances. Has he been kidnapped for ransom? Or is he a traitor to his country, running arms to the insurgents? In search of someone - and something - to believe in, Lee must navigate a wilderness of mirrors in which greed, lies, and brutality are found among allies and enemies alike. In the tradition of Graham Greene and Robert Stone, Leslie Cockburn has written a haunting novel of intrigue and romance set in a deadly world of deception.
380 pages, Paperback
First published September 16, 2013
About the author
Leslie Cockburn
9 books13 followersLeslie Cockburn has a Master’s from the School of Oriental and African Studies, London University. While in London she began working for NBC News. Among her early reports was an interview with Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi.
In 1978, Cockburn moved to CBS. Her 1984 report, ‘The Dirty War’, revealed the Contras' horrifying record of routine atrocities against the civilian population.
Following the overthrow of the Duvalier regime in Haiti in 1986, Cockburn’s ‘Haiti’s Nightmare’ (1987) led to an outcry in Congress and the suspension of all US military aid to Haiti.
In 1987, Cockburn began producing and reporting documentaries for PBS Frontline, in collaboration with her husband, Andrew Cockburn. This included ‘From the Killing Fields’ for ABC News.
During the 1991 Gulf War, Cockburn reported from Israel on the Iraqi Scud attacks against Tel Aviv. Her 1991 PBS Frontline documentary, ‘The War We Left Behind’, exposed the disastrous impact of economic sanctions on ordinary Iraqis.
In 1997, Cockburn conceived and co-produced The Peacemaker, starring George Clooney and Nicole Kidman, a thriller about a terrorist attack on New York City with a stolen nuclear weapon.
In 1998, Cockburn served as Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. After teaching for a semester, she returned to full-time journalism, producing a number of pieces for 60 Minutes, including ‘America’s Worst Nightmare’ (2000), a 60 Minutes report on political instability in a nuclear-armed Pakistan and the growing power of fundamentalist groups linked to the Taliban.
In 2009, Cockburn directed and co-produced her first feature documentary for theatrical release. ‘American Casino’ relates the story of the origins, progress and consequences of the subprime mortgage disaster that led to the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression. The film premiered at New York's Tribeca Film Festival in April 2009.
‘Baghdad Solitaire’ is her first novel.
In 1978, Cockburn moved to CBS. Her 1984 report, ‘The Dirty War’, revealed the Contras' horrifying record of routine atrocities against the civilian population.
Following the overthrow of the Duvalier regime in Haiti in 1986, Cockburn’s ‘Haiti’s Nightmare’ (1987) led to an outcry in Congress and the suspension of all US military aid to Haiti.
In 1987, Cockburn began producing and reporting documentaries for PBS Frontline, in collaboration with her husband, Andrew Cockburn. This included ‘From the Killing Fields’ for ABC News.
During the 1991 Gulf War, Cockburn reported from Israel on the Iraqi Scud attacks against Tel Aviv. Her 1991 PBS Frontline documentary, ‘The War We Left Behind’, exposed the disastrous impact of economic sanctions on ordinary Iraqis.
In 1997, Cockburn conceived and co-produced The Peacemaker, starring George Clooney and Nicole Kidman, a thriller about a terrorist attack on New York City with a stolen nuclear weapon.
In 1998, Cockburn served as Ferris Professor of Journalism at Princeton University. After teaching for a semester, she returned to full-time journalism, producing a number of pieces for 60 Minutes, including ‘America’s Worst Nightmare’ (2000), a 60 Minutes report on political instability in a nuclear-armed Pakistan and the growing power of fundamentalist groups linked to the Taliban.
In 2009, Cockburn directed and co-produced her first feature documentary for theatrical release. ‘American Casino’ relates the story of the origins, progress and consequences of the subprime mortgage disaster that led to the greatest financial crisis since the Great Depression. The film premiered at New York's Tribeca Film Festival in April 2009.
‘Baghdad Solitaire’ is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
August 25, 2013
Review ebook provided by netgalley.com
When I began reading this, I mulled over the fact that such a veteran journalist, documentary maker and film producer as Leslie Cockburn would turn to fiction. In the Acknowledgements, after the almost unbearably sad ending of this superb novel, she concedes: “This is a work of fiction.” And then adds: “But there are times, I would argue, when fiction delivers the greater truth.”
This fictional license is perhaps best seen in the character of Laela and the garden of al-Bahari in Baghdad. One of the greatest set pieces in the novel is, of all things, a garden party to unveil Laela’s latest sculpture, entitled Weapon of Mass Destruction, cobbled together from blown-up Humvees. The scene allows for some light comic relief as a disparate bunch of government ministers, functionaries, diplomats, spies, artists and hangers on commingle and munch on snacks and compare notes about the war.
Yes, Laela is romanticized to a certain extent, this fragile artist surviving in her house and garden, representing the guttering light of her culture and her city. But this book would have been devastatingly bleak without this glimmer of beauty. Or does the snuffing out of this beauty – Lee returns to al-Bahari at the end, only to find it a burnt-out husk – add immeasurably to the sadness?
Cockburn treads well-worn ground in her account of the Iraqi war. The narrative structure is a tried-and-tested quest and journey of discovery: a female American surgeon returns to Iraq to try and locate her colleague after he goes missing, only to discover he has been embroiled in an arms-smuggling plot that not only makes her wonder if she ever really knew him, but in which she herself soon becomes complicit.
What makes this novel so potent though is Cockburn’s eye for detail. The reader literally feels as if he or she is in the midst of the carnage and turmoil. Sights, sounds, smells, images. The writing is extremely evocative and immersive.
There is a danger of becoming too polemical with a novel like this. But Cockburn strives, and succeeds, in finding the essential humanity in a very complex situation. She does not shy away from the horror and the bloodshed, and neither does she favour one point of view over another. This is a multi-layered, highly effective account that brings the Iraqi war and its aftermath painstakingly alive. We are very much living in the pall cast by that aftermath.
I particularly enjoyed the war correspondents shown in this book, and Cockburn’s attempt to portray what drives these mad and committed individuals. Cockburn clearly has great affection for them, but neither does she have a blind eye for the limitations and ethical ambiguities of the profession.
It is sobering to be reminded of the horror and brutality of the Iraqi war, the corruption, the in-fighting between American intelligence agencies, the merciless opportunism with ‘reconstruction contracts’, the horror of Abu Ghraib. Cockburn writes: “The acceptance of criminal behavior in the name of the greater good is like a disease. Pretty soon everything is acceptable.” This is a searing, passionate indictment, but at its heart it is a very human story, brimming with redemption and the joy of life.
When I began reading this, I mulled over the fact that such a veteran journalist, documentary maker and film producer as Leslie Cockburn would turn to fiction. In the Acknowledgements, after the almost unbearably sad ending of this superb novel, she concedes: “This is a work of fiction.” And then adds: “But there are times, I would argue, when fiction delivers the greater truth.”
This fictional license is perhaps best seen in the character of Laela and the garden of al-Bahari in Baghdad. One of the greatest set pieces in the novel is, of all things, a garden party to unveil Laela’s latest sculpture, entitled Weapon of Mass Destruction, cobbled together from blown-up Humvees. The scene allows for some light comic relief as a disparate bunch of government ministers, functionaries, diplomats, spies, artists and hangers on commingle and munch on snacks and compare notes about the war.
Yes, Laela is romanticized to a certain extent, this fragile artist surviving in her house and garden, representing the guttering light of her culture and her city. But this book would have been devastatingly bleak without this glimmer of beauty. Or does the snuffing out of this beauty – Lee returns to al-Bahari at the end, only to find it a burnt-out husk – add immeasurably to the sadness?
Cockburn treads well-worn ground in her account of the Iraqi war. The narrative structure is a tried-and-tested quest and journey of discovery: a female American surgeon returns to Iraq to try and locate her colleague after he goes missing, only to discover he has been embroiled in an arms-smuggling plot that not only makes her wonder if she ever really knew him, but in which she herself soon becomes complicit.
What makes this novel so potent though is Cockburn’s eye for detail. The reader literally feels as if he or she is in the midst of the carnage and turmoil. Sights, sounds, smells, images. The writing is extremely evocative and immersive.
There is a danger of becoming too polemical with a novel like this. But Cockburn strives, and succeeds, in finding the essential humanity in a very complex situation. She does not shy away from the horror and the bloodshed, and neither does she favour one point of view over another. This is a multi-layered, highly effective account that brings the Iraqi war and its aftermath painstakingly alive. We are very much living in the pall cast by that aftermath.
I particularly enjoyed the war correspondents shown in this book, and Cockburn’s attempt to portray what drives these mad and committed individuals. Cockburn clearly has great affection for them, but neither does she have a blind eye for the limitations and ethical ambiguities of the profession.
It is sobering to be reminded of the horror and brutality of the Iraqi war, the corruption, the in-fighting between American intelligence agencies, the merciless opportunism with ‘reconstruction contracts’, the horror of Abu Ghraib. Cockburn writes: “The acceptance of criminal behavior in the name of the greater good is like a disease. Pretty soon everything is acceptable.” This is a searing, passionate indictment, but at its heart it is a very human story, brimming with redemption and the joy of life.
August 8, 2015
I received a galley copy of this book from NetGalley to review.
This book brought back memories of my experiences with situations in Iraq. Ms Cockburn's descriptions of sights, clothing, smells, food, the people took me right back there. While written as a work of fiction, much of it was indeed true. There was a lot of corruption by US officials, including US military. Dr McGuiness, the main character, isn't always sure who is the good guy and who is the bad guy, among both the Americans and the Iraqis. There are characters of both nationalities who risk their lives to expose the truth. It is a suspenseful book with plenty of action. Among all the fighting and horror, there is the character of Laela who well represents the fragile beauty of the people. I didn't give five stars because I really would have liked other characters to have been more developed. I loved Hassan and he was well written. But I thought there could have been more on Sadoon and his family. Perhaps more from Dr Husseini. But overall, it is a very good read exposing some parts of the war people don't know about and revealing the personalities of the Iraqi people. Well done!
This book brought back memories of my experiences with situations in Iraq. Ms Cockburn's descriptions of sights, clothing, smells, food, the people took me right back there. While written as a work of fiction, much of it was indeed true. There was a lot of corruption by US officials, including US military. Dr McGuiness, the main character, isn't always sure who is the good guy and who is the bad guy, among both the Americans and the Iraqis. There are characters of both nationalities who risk their lives to expose the truth. It is a suspenseful book with plenty of action. Among all the fighting and horror, there is the character of Laela who well represents the fragile beauty of the people. I didn't give five stars because I really would have liked other characters to have been more developed. I loved Hassan and he was well written. But I thought there could have been more on Sadoon and his family. Perhaps more from Dr Husseini. But overall, it is a very good read exposing some parts of the war people don't know about and revealing the personalities of the Iraqi people. Well done!
January 5, 2026
This book is a beautiful masterpiece; it is a thriller of the caliber of Henry Porter’s novels, written from the point of view of someone who experienced these atrocities (and some of these little victories) first hand… and her skill at writing fiction means that you feel these as if you’re there. It is an exciting look at war, a wistful look at an exotic civilization that America helped to destroy (disdaining that as collateral damage)… it is also a story of camaraderie, of lust, and love, and of grief.
In addition (or maybe because) it makes the point, better than any other book I’ve read, that the corruption and deception in America’s military - industrial - foreign policy complex undermines our civilization (perhaps bringing on the catastrophe cascading now in 2025 - 2026).
I think this is one of my most favorite novels of a lifetime. A hero’s journey. Leslie Cockburn is a Homer of feminine grace.
In addition (or maybe because) it makes the point, better than any other book I’ve read, that the corruption and deception in America’s military - industrial - foreign policy complex undermines our civilization (perhaps bringing on the catastrophe cascading now in 2025 - 2026).
I think this is one of my most favorite novels of a lifetime. A hero’s journey. Leslie Cockburn is a Homer of feminine grace.
December 30, 2017
Exceptional detail and a plot that mirrors the reality of the corruption of the American occupation.
Leslie Cockburn’s time spent in Iraq as a journalist and documentarian provides the background, knowledge and emotion for a novel that I had to put down and stop reading because of the memories it brought up from my time in Iraq as part of the civilian administration of the occupation. This is one of the first books, and only novel, I recommend for people who want to understand Iraq in 03-05. I am very happy to hear this is being developed as a screen play.
Leslie Cockburn’s time spent in Iraq as a journalist and documentarian provides the background, knowledge and emotion for a novel that I had to put down and stop reading because of the memories it brought up from my time in Iraq as part of the civilian administration of the occupation. This is one of the first books, and only novel, I recommend for people who want to understand Iraq in 03-05. I am very happy to hear this is being developed as a screen play.
April 5, 2026
Wow, just wow
Evocative, riveting story of convoluted US military and contractor corruption during the Iraq War. Set among Sunni, Shiite, Iranian & Kurd allegiances and rivalries, and backdropped by massive petroleum pollution and its ensuing health effects, it was spaced perfectly. Given the author's background I suspect the facts are all true with only the names changed. I couldn't put it down. It would make a great movie.
Evocative, riveting story of convoluted US military and contractor corruption during the Iraq War. Set among Sunni, Shiite, Iranian & Kurd allegiances and rivalries, and backdropped by massive petroleum pollution and its ensuing health effects, it was spaced perfectly. Given the author's background I suspect the facts are all true with only the names changed. I couldn't put it down. It would make a great movie.
September 10, 2013
I got this as a Net galley book. It is not an easy or light read. I gave it five stars as a work of journalism and three stars as a novel.
I found this book timely as the US discusses war with Syria. The book makes the US involvement in Iraq seem a total disaster. Ms. Cockburn as excellent qualifications for describing life in Iraq.
However, the novel part is not up to the journalistic part. I felt I could have used a listing of cast of characters because sometimes I had a hard time remember the different Arabic names. The author assumes I knew the different styles of clothing worn in the area which I did not. Also I think the book might have benefited with a map of Iraq.
As a mystery, I felt it could have used a few more plot twists and false leads. The characters I found flat and one dimensional. In some lighter books, this does not bother me. However, given the fact that Ms. Cockrun does create a good atmosphere I found this a lack in the book. I felt the characters in the book lack a certain psychological depth and don't have enough inner tension. I feel Ms. Cockburn does not take full advantage that as a novel in contrast to nonfiction can make overt appeals to the reader's emotions.
I don't like action books so I can't evaluate the book's action scenes.
In fairness to the book, while I read many authors write similar types of novels (Graham Greene, Joseph Conrad, John Buchan and John le Carre), I tend to find these books difficult to read and require some motivation on my part to read them.
In short, I think reads might like Baghdad Solitaire if they want to read about the US involvement in Iraq, However, I would not recommend it if you are looking for a light mystery/thriller.
I found this book timely as the US discusses war with Syria. The book makes the US involvement in Iraq seem a total disaster. Ms. Cockburn as excellent qualifications for describing life in Iraq.
However, the novel part is not up to the journalistic part. I felt I could have used a listing of cast of characters because sometimes I had a hard time remember the different Arabic names. The author assumes I knew the different styles of clothing worn in the area which I did not. Also I think the book might have benefited with a map of Iraq.
As a mystery, I felt it could have used a few more plot twists and false leads. The characters I found flat and one dimensional. In some lighter books, this does not bother me. However, given the fact that Ms. Cockrun does create a good atmosphere I found this a lack in the book. I felt the characters in the book lack a certain psychological depth and don't have enough inner tension. I feel Ms. Cockburn does not take full advantage that as a novel in contrast to nonfiction can make overt appeals to the reader's emotions.
I don't like action books so I can't evaluate the book's action scenes.
In fairness to the book, while I read many authors write similar types of novels (Graham Greene, Joseph Conrad, John Buchan and John le Carre), I tend to find these books difficult to read and require some motivation on my part to read them.
In short, I think reads might like Baghdad Solitaire if they want to read about the US involvement in Iraq, However, I would not recommend it if you are looking for a light mystery/thriller.
October 18, 2020
I found this book while looking for some decent fiction set during the latest Iraq conflict. And this definitely did not disappoint. It is true that this is not an easy read, and readers would definitely benefit from having some prior knowledge of the intricacies of the situation in Iraq, the different parties involved and the cultural history of the country etc. The book is highly journalistic (to be expected from Cockburn) too, sometimes to the extent that I forgot I was reading fiction.. Which is actually exactly what I was looking for, so no qualms there. This won't be on any Pentagon reading lists. It doesn't glorify the US presence in the country. Quite the opposite, it is refreshingly candid about the acts committed by coalition forces. But at the end of the day it is a novel, and under all the journalism, facts and inside information about the conflict, all the elements of a good work of fiction are there. A story at will keep you engaged until the last page, characters that grow with you, and settings so vividly described that you will be in Iraq, engulfed by the stench of the Tigris, wondering whether or not you'd be in the blast radius if a car bomb went off on your street.
November 10, 2013
This is the first novel that I have read coming out of the Iraq war, and it paints a vivid picture of the deceit and corruption on all sides in this messy unfortunate engagement. How to survive in a situation where everyone is suspect no matter whose "side" they are on, is the backdrop in which this story takes place. It is grim, but worth reading if you want to get a closer picture of the aftermath of this war.
February 16, 2014
This book is a fast-pace and fascinating look into what it was like to be on the ground during the most recent Iraq war. The plot, which was half-mystery, half-thriller, compelled me to keep reading and the main characters were the type do-gooder thrill-seekers that we all secretly wish to be. At the same time, I thought it was very realistic in its depiction of the complex situation of the war. A great read!
August 23, 2015
I found this novel about Iraq and the horrid things done in the name of war/peace intriguing and informational to be sure. The plot was overall compelling and most of the characters drew me in. I wish the protagonist was a bit more rounded- Lee seemed too good and righteous to be fully believable, and the occasional jumping into multiple characters' views and thoughts struck me as odd. A compelling read.
October 28, 2014
" Cockburn has such an eye for detail that really brings to mind how damaged everything was in a way that actually manages to be rather even-handed. It was hard to really note the fiction in the story as it as written in a narrative style that brings the situation alive."
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews