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Thieves of Bagdad
Thieves of Baghdad is a riveting account of Colonel Matthew Bogdanos and his team's extraordinary efforts to recover over 5,000 priceless antiquities stolen from the Iraqi National Museum after the fall of Baghdad. A mixture of police procedural, treasure hunt, war-time thriller, and cold-eyed assessment of the international black market in stolen art, Thieves of Baghdad also explores the soul of a truly remarkable a soldier, a father, and a passionate, dedicated scholar.
302 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
August 10, 2025
Sometimes when reading I amuse myself coming up with a better title for the book. This is a sign of two things; one that the book is sadly mis-titled, and two, that I am not very engaged.
This book as currently presented buries all the important and interesting material about the Iraq museum underneath way too much information about Bogdanos (who mentions that he prosecuted "Puff Daddy" several times and otherwise name drops relentlessly).
There is an opening chapter about the museum (don't worry if you miss it, all the information is repeated at the end) and then 100 pages about the details of the co-author's mission in Afghanistan (note —not Iraq!). The closest I got to a better title was "Widespread Looting"; in part in homage to Bogdanos' overuse of quotes from dead men. The subtitle of course should mention "Puff Daddy".
If this book had actually focussed on the Iragi museum and the international trade in antiquities it would have been a much more satisfying read. As it stands it is a clunky and pompous collage of personal memoir, name-dropping, and a little bit of history.
This book as currently presented buries all the important and interesting material about the Iraq museum underneath way too much information about Bogdanos (who mentions that he prosecuted "Puff Daddy" several times and otherwise name drops relentlessly).
There is an opening chapter about the museum (don't worry if you miss it, all the information is repeated at the end) and then 100 pages about the details of the co-author's mission in Afghanistan (note —not Iraq!). The closest I got to a better title was "Widespread Looting"; in part in homage to Bogdanos' overuse of quotes from dead men. The subtitle of course should mention "Puff Daddy".
If this book had actually focussed on the Iragi museum and the international trade in antiquities it would have been a much more satisfying read. As it stands it is a clunky and pompous collage of personal memoir, name-dropping, and a little bit of history.
May 12, 2011
I don't care if this book is for class I just can't do it anymore. I can't STAND the narrator. If I have to hear anymore about his egocentric exploits, I'm going to scream! For an account about the recovery of important ancient Iraqi artifacts there was hardly any of that in here! It was more of how great he is, how well educated he is, how he solved everything, how smart he is, blah blah blah! Put a fork in it mister!
June 8, 2011
Not much going on in this book but the authors love of himself. He is the best at everything, the smartest at everything and the greatest of all. Baffling really that this should be the case as he opened the book with a comment in the Author's Note to say that 'the book wasn't about him it was about the warmth of the Iraqi people etc etc'. What a crock of codswallop that was.
A 1 star rating somehow seems far too much star for this book.
A 1 star rating somehow seems far too much star for this book.
May 16, 2011
I received this book from my husband for Christmas a number of years ago. I had not yet read it when I attended the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Museums in 2007 where Bogdanos was a featured speaker.
During his presentation, Bogdanos refused not only to be confined to the podium, but the entire stage. He frantically paced the large ballroom in a way that was completely distracting because it turned into a game of “Where’s Waldo” for the audience of several thousand people who would periodically catch a glimpse of the top of his head moving rapidly down an aisle.
This bizarre professional presentation style combined with his extreme arrogance left me with such a bad taste in my mouth that its taken me four years to return to the book. Even now I only did so because I’m genuinely curious about what happened to the Iraq Museum in the weeks prior and months after the beginning of the Iraq War.
Unfortunately, I was left feeling unsatisfied with his accounting of this story. In fact I never got a sense of the story of what happened at the museum at all. Too much of the book was devoted to “The Amazing Accomplishments of Matthew the Magnificent” as he name drops his way through a couple of hundred pages of false modesty: “We wore body armor. (I wore the lighter version under my uniform. Others wore the heavier more protective version outside their uniforms.)” So noted, he’s braver and more culturally aware than everybody. Oh and we need an explanation that the “heavier” version is “more protective”. Duh.
And Seriously, we got it, he’s the guy that prosecuted Puff Daddy. Bogdanos only mentions this completely extraneous fact maybe two or twelve times. He’s a genius too; he learned to count cards and put himself through law school I have no idea why we needed to know about his triumphant return to his family on 9/11 and the entire chapter on his clever problem solving that week. He also wants us to know that he has a copy of History’s 1000 Best Quotes and he can use it.
There are also elements that ring untrue. On page 82, this can not be the same individual that paced frantically, almost manically, during a professional presentation, “I would sit and wait for hours for my ‘important meeting’ while in reality I was hanging out in the hallways, observing by watching.”
This final criticism is probably not related to Bagdanos, but its again related to my inability to follow the story a little better. The end notes are clearly related to specific items in the text but there is no numbering in the text to indicate where the connections exists.
During his presentation, Bogdanos refused not only to be confined to the podium, but the entire stage. He frantically paced the large ballroom in a way that was completely distracting because it turned into a game of “Where’s Waldo” for the audience of several thousand people who would periodically catch a glimpse of the top of his head moving rapidly down an aisle.
This bizarre professional presentation style combined with his extreme arrogance left me with such a bad taste in my mouth that its taken me four years to return to the book. Even now I only did so because I’m genuinely curious about what happened to the Iraq Museum in the weeks prior and months after the beginning of the Iraq War.
Unfortunately, I was left feeling unsatisfied with his accounting of this story. In fact I never got a sense of the story of what happened at the museum at all. Too much of the book was devoted to “The Amazing Accomplishments of Matthew the Magnificent” as he name drops his way through a couple of hundred pages of false modesty: “We wore body armor. (I wore the lighter version under my uniform. Others wore the heavier more protective version outside their uniforms.)” So noted, he’s braver and more culturally aware than everybody. Oh and we need an explanation that the “heavier” version is “more protective”. Duh.
And Seriously, we got it, he’s the guy that prosecuted Puff Daddy. Bogdanos only mentions this completely extraneous fact maybe two or twelve times. He’s a genius too; he learned to count cards and put himself through law school I have no idea why we needed to know about his triumphant return to his family on 9/11 and the entire chapter on his clever problem solving that week. He also wants us to know that he has a copy of History’s 1000 Best Quotes and he can use it.
There are also elements that ring untrue. On page 82, this can not be the same individual that paced frantically, almost manically, during a professional presentation, “I would sit and wait for hours for my ‘important meeting’ while in reality I was hanging out in the hallways, observing by watching.”
This final criticism is probably not related to Bagdanos, but its again related to my inability to follow the story a little better. The end notes are clearly related to specific items in the text but there is no numbering in the text to indicate where the connections exists.
August 29, 2014
I love art. I love classical quotations. Intrigue is to me what catnip is to Bali. My horror of violence is matched by my respect for the courage of the thin military line that stands between civilization and chaos. Indiana Jones may be Speilberg's swashbuckling knee-buckler, but Bogdanos matches Indiana's derring-do, exceeds his classical breadth, and besides that...he's, well, real!
Open the pages of Thieves of Baghdad, and you'll find yourself immersed in the story of a boxing, gambling tough kid on the streets of New York. Bogdanos' father was a restaurateur, his mom devoured the classics, and college was not in the family lexicon. Applying to join the Marines in a gesture of post-beer-drinking bravura, Bogdanos was told to enroll in college first, so he'd enlist as a future officer. In this roundabout way, he came to find himself deployed in the thick of the Iraq invasion and commanding an anti-terrorism mission in Umm Qasr when word came that the Iraq Museum was being looted. Seizing the moment, Bogdanos figuratively wrote the securing of the museum into his mission, and set off across a hostile landscape quoting Hammurabi, Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt and Alexander the Great on his way to Baghdad. I love this guy.
At an MIA lecture last fall, I learned that it was in the wake of the looting of the Bagdad museum that the FBI finally created a department devoted to recovering stolen artwork. Would that have happened if Bogdanos had not seized his moment? I don't know. But I do know that this true catch-a-thief story was the most riveting whodunnit I read this year.
Open the pages of Thieves of Baghdad, and you'll find yourself immersed in the story of a boxing, gambling tough kid on the streets of New York. Bogdanos' father was a restaurateur, his mom devoured the classics, and college was not in the family lexicon. Applying to join the Marines in a gesture of post-beer-drinking bravura, Bogdanos was told to enroll in college first, so he'd enlist as a future officer. In this roundabout way, he came to find himself deployed in the thick of the Iraq invasion and commanding an anti-terrorism mission in Umm Qasr when word came that the Iraq Museum was being looted. Seizing the moment, Bogdanos figuratively wrote the securing of the museum into his mission, and set off across a hostile landscape quoting Hammurabi, Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt and Alexander the Great on his way to Baghdad. I love this guy.
At an MIA lecture last fall, I learned that it was in the wake of the looting of the Bagdad museum that the FBI finally created a department devoted to recovering stolen artwork. Would that have happened if Bogdanos had not seized his moment? I don't know. But I do know that this true catch-a-thief story was the most riveting whodunnit I read this year.
March 16, 2022
Original writing and really engaging read. I was overseas when the story broke that the museum had been looted. I was deeply upset about the loss of this great heritage. Now two decades later I am reading what is probably a lot closer to the truth. I read the book as I took a class on art plundering. We examined historic cases from the second Babylonian empire to Iraq. Dr. Brian Daniels, National Vice President in Cultural Heritage for the Archaeological Institute of America (AIA), explained to our class how art is just one more form of money laundering. Bogdanos has an interesting background as scholar, attorney, general in the army. So, he comes at the issue from various perspectives.
The readers below who mentioned his name dropping don't know what they are talking about. In the big scheme of things, he mentioning Puff Daddy etc was quite tame. I was surprised no one mentioned the ending, which was surprisingly bold and took guts to write.
I loved the book and highly recommend it. He had a ghost writer, I think (?) who helped make it highly readable. Page turner.
The readers below who mentioned his name dropping don't know what they are talking about. In the big scheme of things, he mentioning Puff Daddy etc was quite tame. I was surprised no one mentioned the ending, which was surprisingly bold and took guts to write.
I loved the book and highly recommend it. He had a ghost writer, I think (?) who helped make it highly readable. Page turner.
October 9, 2025
This was a DNF. I tried so very hard, but it just couldn't keep my attention.
March 8, 2016
I absolutely loved this. I listened to it on Audible in just a few days and I found it enhanced by Colonel Bogdanos personal narration. His voice sounds like his writing--strong, determined, and driven. No doubt he is a hyperactive control freak, but he has a heart too. I thought he was fascinating. Unlike other reviewers, I found him humble and self-disparaging. Maybe it was hearing the story in his own voice that took the edge of arrogance out of it. He is an unusual man, especially for the Marine Corps, with a great love for art, history, the classics and the heritage of Iraq. This was a fast, fascinating read, full of action and intrigue. I recommend this to anyone interested in the looting of the Iraq Museum or antiquities theft.
October 30, 2014
I so honor this man's dedication to preservation of Iraqi/Mesopotamian historical artifacts in a time when much of the country's infrastructure was being destroyed around him by one group or another. It was revealing how many artifacts and exhibits from the museums in Baghdad were taken by local folks and rapidly returned by them when it became apparent that someone would be taking care of them again. I hope that care is continueing. A book that adds to the growing list of books derived from the Iraq experience of troops and other support personnel.
July 28, 2015
Before picking up this book I'd never given more than a moment's thought to how a modern war affected a nation's art treasures.
I found it somewhat mystifying that anyone in the armed forces could simply design their own mission and focus on that for months at a time though perhaps the backstory was simplified for purposes of the book.
With sensitivity, compassion and a sense of humor Mr. Bogdanos was able to earn the trust and respect of a group of people who'd been lied to and persecuted for years.
While this subject isn't gripping for me, I appreciated the tutelage.
I found it somewhat mystifying that anyone in the armed forces could simply design their own mission and focus on that for months at a time though perhaps the backstory was simplified for purposes of the book.
With sensitivity, compassion and a sense of humor Mr. Bogdanos was able to earn the trust and respect of a group of people who'd been lied to and persecuted for years.
While this subject isn't gripping for me, I appreciated the tutelage.
May 28, 2021
It's not until you reach the end of your first draft that you can begin to see how the pieces of your story really fit—or don't fit. That's why they say writing is actually rewriting. God is in the details.
Thieves of Baghdad ~Matthew Bogdanos
I found this book completely fascinating. Col. Matthew Bogdanos holds nothing back as he tells his account of the recovery efforts of thousands of antiquities after the fall of Baghdad from the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad.
Thieves of Baghdad ~Matthew Bogdanos
I found this book completely fascinating. Col. Matthew Bogdanos holds nothing back as he tells his account of the recovery efforts of thousands of antiquities after the fall of Baghdad from the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad.
October 6, 2016
Thieves of Baghdad follows the story of Matthew Bogdanos, a marine, attorney, and counterterrorism agent tasked with solving one of the biggest antiquity heists of all time: The Museum of Baghdad heist. In the chaos following the Iraq War of 2003, the Museum of Baghdad is sacked and robbed of most of itś antiquities, including The Treasure of Nimrud, considered Iraqś Crown Jewels. Although a sloppy heist, four different groups of thieves manage to disappear in the chaos in the streets of Baghdad, with some of the oldest and most prized treasures in the world.
This book goes through most of Bogdanos´ life, from his teen years, the 9/11 attacks, through the war in Afghanistan and the Iraq war of 2003, all the way through 2007, covering the height of insurgency and extremism in Iraq and Afghanistan. From the dusty streets of Baghdad to the deadly valleys of Afghanistan, this book thrills and excites, and follows a timeline extremely relevant to current day events, giving a unique perspective of military intervention and cultural exchange in the Middle East. The hunt for these lost treasures, although itś own event, weaves and intertwines with major world events that have changed our life to this day.
I would highly recommend this book, especially to someone who may have a warped or twisted interpretation of military intervention in the Middle East. Bogdanos offers both justification and regret, hostility and sympathy. He gives a unique perspective of life in war-torn Iraq and Afghanistan, showing both the good and the bad in a highly chaotic region. Bogdanos had the opportunity to interact with the best and the worst of the Middle East, violent extremists and good, friendly people. Bogdanos concludes with a testimony that, in the war-torn streets of Baghdad, there is no black or white, but only many shades of grey.
This book goes through most of Bogdanos´ life, from his teen years, the 9/11 attacks, through the war in Afghanistan and the Iraq war of 2003, all the way through 2007, covering the height of insurgency and extremism in Iraq and Afghanistan. From the dusty streets of Baghdad to the deadly valleys of Afghanistan, this book thrills and excites, and follows a timeline extremely relevant to current day events, giving a unique perspective of military intervention and cultural exchange in the Middle East. The hunt for these lost treasures, although itś own event, weaves and intertwines with major world events that have changed our life to this day.
I would highly recommend this book, especially to someone who may have a warped or twisted interpretation of military intervention in the Middle East. Bogdanos offers both justification and regret, hostility and sympathy. He gives a unique perspective of life in war-torn Iraq and Afghanistan, showing both the good and the bad in a highly chaotic region. Bogdanos had the opportunity to interact with the best and the worst of the Middle East, violent extremists and good, friendly people. Bogdanos concludes with a testimony that, in the war-torn streets of Baghdad, there is no black or white, but only many shades of grey.
October 28, 2022
Not since Schleiman has there been such a self congratulatory adventurer , dealing with archaeological material.
Its like reading an Indiana Jones movie ( 3 or 4, not the good one).
He is clearly an intelligent, educated man, but the combination of marine/District attorney , amateur boxer, trivia master etc all gets to be a lot.
The constant attacks on the archaeological community get old; he clearly expected deference because he had studied classics at some point.
Look, I'm glad he wanted to champion the cultural items, but as he admits, a very poor job was done by the military ahead of time.
Interesting for what was going on at the time, but so clearly an aggrieved reply to the criticism of how things were handled it distracts from what would have been an informative read. I wish he could have gotten out of the way of the story he was telling.
Its like reading an Indiana Jones movie ( 3 or 4, not the good one).
He is clearly an intelligent, educated man, but the combination of marine/District attorney , amateur boxer, trivia master etc all gets to be a lot.
The constant attacks on the archaeological community get old; he clearly expected deference because he had studied classics at some point.
Look, I'm glad he wanted to champion the cultural items, but as he admits, a very poor job was done by the military ahead of time.
Interesting for what was going on at the time, but so clearly an aggrieved reply to the criticism of how things were handled it distracts from what would have been an informative read. I wish he could have gotten out of the way of the story he was telling.
Read
August 2, 2011I went into this not really having any idea of what to expect. It seemed an odd mix reading the sleeve of the book but I ended up finding it actually a very interesting read. I found that there was a good balance between the archaeological, historical, cultural and political side of things with a good old dose of adventure mixed in for good measure. Matthew Bogdanos is not afraid of blowing his own trumpet from time to time but, there again, he probably deserves to. It's not just a book for archaeologists or Iraq enthusiasts but a good read for anyone who would like to be better informed than they would otherwise be from just listening to the press. Wish I owned it rather than borrowed it as I'd like to read it again.
May 25, 2018
I initially thought this was going to be an Iraqi Monuments Men but it was completely different in so many ways. Monuments Men was about recovering art and museum pieces stolen across Europe by the Nazis and hidden in caves and other secret locations to return them to the proper museums. Thieves of Baghdad relates events after the fall of Baghdad when the museum was looted by unknown people or groups that may have included locals, Iraqi officials, professonal international buyers, and more. It reads like a detective novel and includes various twists and turns and successes and failures, figuring out who to trust in working with former Iraqi Museum staff, and trying community outreach to gain the trust of the local residents. It was well written and really held my attention to the end.
April 14, 2009
Fascinating, I had no idea there is such a strong black market for antiquities that pulls in many different sectors of society -- thieves, military officials, professors, art dealers, billionaires and others. Book reads like a detective thriller, while also being part philosophy, ancient/classic/Iraqi history, military science, and even into the weeds of the DC interagency process. Places you right in the thick of mid-2003 Baghdad, just after the Americans have moved in. Think Generation Kill meets the Smithsonian. Much fun.
Listened to this on our cross-country drive, one of the better narrations I've heard.
Listened to this on our cross-country drive, one of the better narrations I've heard.
March 17, 2009
This book was a gift from my Girlfriend. She actually went to see the author speak at the theater she was working at in Wisconsin and she got me a signed copy. This was a fantastic book, and a great thing to read something about what our soldiers have done in Baghdad that wouldn't have been seen in the mainstream media. The author takes you from his experiences the day of the 9/11 attacks thru his re-enlistment in the Marines, and on to his work with his own special task force helping to recover artifacts looted from the museum in Baghdad.
June 1, 2015
I may be in the minority, but I thoroughly enjoyed the audio version of this book. I read some reviews here that say the author spends too much bragging about his accomplishments, but I actually found them interesting and relevant to the current situation that he was in.
It was a fascinating adventure into the world of stolen art and antiquities and the shadowy world of Iraq.
Highly recommended by this listener!
It was a fascinating adventure into the world of stolen art and antiquities and the shadowy world of Iraq.
Highly recommended by this listener!
February 10, 2008
I used to work with the author as an interpreter to his District Attorney.
I admired him then; I admire him much more now.
I am not militaristic in my outlook, but can see how someone can be pro-military.
The section about the attacks on the Twin Towers on 9-11 brought me to tears.
I found the book to be very exciting!
I admired him then; I admire him much more now.
I am not militaristic in my outlook, but can see how someone can be pro-military.
The section about the attacks on the Twin Towers on 9-11 brought me to tears.
I found the book to be very exciting!
September 17, 2011
So far I am fascinated with his writing. He's comical and gives such insights that you never heard of before. I started this book because it was on the top of the to read pile but now I wish that I had read it after I saw him speak . GDL had him speak to a group and as a volunteer I saw him and received the book w/signature. Really surprising how interesting it is.
September 20, 2013
An excellent book detailing the efforts of Matthew Bogdanos to recover stolen artifacts from the Iraq Museum after the fall of Baghdad in April 2003. It corrects misinformation about the thefts that was reported by the media as well as discussing the methods used in recovery and suggestions for curbing the illegal trade in cultural antiquities.
April 24, 2018
as far as non fiction goes this read like an adventure from the first page i was transported to baghdad where the thieves were and the story that follows is the most exciting ive read in a while...
One of my favourites i highly recommend it...
One of my favourites i highly recommend it...
May 11, 2009
attended a lecture by the author - good read
November 28, 2009
This was a stunning (true) tale of antiquities theft in the Museum of Baghdad.
December 12, 2012
Incredible read. Great story and what an intelligent man of action. This was a slow read for me because it was so full of information but held my attention the whole way through.
January 31, 2018
I once interviewed Col Matthew Bodganos when he was on tour for Thieves of Baghdad (co-written with William Patrick). Had to admit to him that a review copy of the book had just arrived from the publisher and I really had not had time to finish it. So during my interview I'd just be winging it - the way Larry King has famous authors on all the time and never preps with reading any of their stuff. Col. Bogdanos was not amused by that. Not at all. Good thing I never enlisted.
His book is quite important in its field, crossing over both between chest-thumping warfare and art history, setting-the-record-straight concerning the sacking of the Iraq Museum in Baghdad during the US invasion of 2003.
Those of you committed to a drinking game whenever a blurb claims an author is "a real-life Indiana Jones," take a shot. Bogdanos is a genuine Man of Culture, who studied philosophy and the classics at Bucknell and can translate Greek and Latin. In addition he was a middleweight boxer, and - after becoming a Marine, an officer, then a military lawyer - he landed a high-profile job in the Manhattan District Attorney's office as a prosecutor.
On 9/11 he and his family were caught literally within the shadow of the falling WTC towers, and Bogdanos practically demanded to be deployed to Afghanistan. You won't find much dissent with the Bush Doctrine in Thieves of Baghdad, as Bodganos prepares for Operation Iraqi Freedom. What you will find is his thorough inquiry into the looting of the Baghdad Museum of thousands of relics dating back to ancient Mesopotamia.
Media reports at the time painted a lurid Kelly's Heroes-type picture of American-led forces helping themselves to cunieform tablets and Babylonian royal seals as booty. In truth, Bogdanos writes, parts of the Museum were active battlegrounds and snipers' nests. The staff was full of Saddam's Ba'athist party loyalists, with the means, motive and opportunity to steal for themselves and for the insurgency. At most every opportunity, Bogdanos slams the news media for trying to make the US troops look like looters, when they were more protectors.
Outside of the soapboxing the narrative reads like JAG meets the opening of King Tut's Tomb, as Bogdanos and a female Iraqi curator conduct a room-to-room search of the Museum vaults, sensitive to the possibility of booby-traps and mines as well as clues, and bodies of Iraqi looters who didn't get too far.
Twists of fate left some Iraqi national treasures untouched while others disappeared, one case being the Golden Bull's Head from the Golden Harp of Ur - a standard illustration in countless classroom texts. The only reason it was saved was because Saddam secretly had it copied 16 years earlier. Because of that, whoever stole the Bull's Head actually stole a forgery.
I haven't heard anything from Col. Bogdanos lately. I suspect what happened after the US left Iraq and ISIS moved in wouldn't much improve his disposition towards me if I brought it up. Even though I did ultimately finish reading his book.
His book is quite important in its field, crossing over both between chest-thumping warfare and art history, setting-the-record-straight concerning the sacking of the Iraq Museum in Baghdad during the US invasion of 2003.
Those of you committed to a drinking game whenever a blurb claims an author is "a real-life Indiana Jones," take a shot. Bogdanos is a genuine Man of Culture, who studied philosophy and the classics at Bucknell and can translate Greek and Latin. In addition he was a middleweight boxer, and - after becoming a Marine, an officer, then a military lawyer - he landed a high-profile job in the Manhattan District Attorney's office as a prosecutor.
On 9/11 he and his family were caught literally within the shadow of the falling WTC towers, and Bogdanos practically demanded to be deployed to Afghanistan. You won't find much dissent with the Bush Doctrine in Thieves of Baghdad, as Bodganos prepares for Operation Iraqi Freedom. What you will find is his thorough inquiry into the looting of the Baghdad Museum of thousands of relics dating back to ancient Mesopotamia.
Media reports at the time painted a lurid Kelly's Heroes-type picture of American-led forces helping themselves to cunieform tablets and Babylonian royal seals as booty. In truth, Bogdanos writes, parts of the Museum were active battlegrounds and snipers' nests. The staff was full of Saddam's Ba'athist party loyalists, with the means, motive and opportunity to steal for themselves and for the insurgency. At most every opportunity, Bogdanos slams the news media for trying to make the US troops look like looters, when they were more protectors.
Outside of the soapboxing the narrative reads like JAG meets the opening of King Tut's Tomb, as Bogdanos and a female Iraqi curator conduct a room-to-room search of the Museum vaults, sensitive to the possibility of booby-traps and mines as well as clues, and bodies of Iraqi looters who didn't get too far.
Twists of fate left some Iraqi national treasures untouched while others disappeared, one case being the Golden Bull's Head from the Golden Harp of Ur - a standard illustration in countless classroom texts. The only reason it was saved was because Saddam secretly had it copied 16 years earlier. Because of that, whoever stole the Bull's Head actually stole a forgery.
I haven't heard anything from Col. Bogdanos lately. I suspect what happened after the US left Iraq and ISIS moved in wouldn't much improve his disposition towards me if I brought it up. Even though I did ultimately finish reading his book.
September 3, 2024
Colonel Matthew Bogdanos provides an intriguing look at the museum in Iraq that had been closed to the general public for twenty years when the Allies arrived in Baghdad. The museum contained over 170,000 ancient artifacts representing Mesopotamian history, including the Treasure of Nimrud, which was found in 1988 and exceeded King Tut's treasure in both quality and quantity. Dictators had required meticulous recordkeeping, which allowed these "treasure hunters" to track the contents. The museum consists of 12 buildings, 11 acres, and had 150 Special Representative Guards from the militaries of the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia working together to recover the various pieces that had been pilfered from the collection.
August 16, 2025
excellent
A really good read, beginning to end. A man without reproach. The only thing I take issue w is that there is never any self reflection as to the moral issue r/t no WMD ever being found to justify the invasion which then obviously makes our culpability in the looting very salient. I think that there was more than enough reason that the animal that was Hussein should have been brought down but coming come such a self reflecting individual, there should have been a deeper analysis.
A really good read, beginning to end. A man without reproach. The only thing I take issue w is that there is never any self reflection as to the moral issue r/t no WMD ever being found to justify the invasion which then obviously makes our culpability in the looting very salient. I think that there was more than enough reason that the animal that was Hussein should have been brought down but coming come such a self reflecting individual, there should have been a deeper analysis.
March 18, 2024
Perhaps the author's note at the beginning that "Marines are the real heroes - this isn't about me" should have been a giant red flag that this book was exactly about him. I got to page 75 and just couldn't take it anymore. I learned to skim the very many quotes interjected throughout but that wasn't enough to fight through a narrative to find any semblance of story.
August 30, 2017
A bit self-important and a bit of a slog in places, it had very interesting moments illustrating the problem of the rape of antiquities and the weapons trade and how to get people to pay attention. Also strange and sad to revisit the events of 9/11 and its aftermath.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews