Publisher Description
When the Iraq war began, conservationist Lawrence Anthony could think of only one thing: the fate of the Baghdad Zoo, caught in the crossfire at the heart of the city. Once Anthony entered Iraq, he discovered that hostilities and uncontrolled looting had devastated the zoo and its animals. Working with members of the zoo staff and a few compassionate U.S. soldiers, Anthony defended the zoo, bartered for food on war-torn streets, and scoured bombed palaces for desperately needed supplies. Babylon’s Ark chronicles Anthony’s hair-raising efforts to save a pride of Saddam’s lions, close a deplorable black-market zoo, run ostriches through shoot-to-kill checkpoints, and rescue the dictator’s personal herd of Thoroughbred Arabian horses.
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“In all cases of human hostility, animals get caught in the middle, often suffering horribly, and Anthony felt he had to do something. What follows is a truly remarkable book…as he, with the help of the American military, brought the Baghdad Zoo back from the brink…Woven through the narrative is Anthony’s obvious love of animals…lending a poignancy and immediacy to the story.”
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Booklist (starred review)
