Book Description
he New York tabloids call him the pit bull for his relentless prosecution of high-profile defendants. Hes an assistant D.A., a spit-and-polish Marine, a trigger-puller on counter-terrorist missions to Afghanistan, a competitive boxerand a dedicated classics scholar. So when Matthew Bogdanos discovered that the Iraq National Museum had been looted during the battle of Baghdad, he immediately embarked on a mission to recover the stolen antiquities. Accompanied by a select group of men, Bogdanos set off across the desert without official sanction, risking his career and his life in pursuit of this priceless international treasure. THIEVES OF BAGHDAD immerses the listener into the rich culture, the colorful characters, the double-dealing, and the derring-do, to sort out once and for all what actually happened during the chaos of the Baghdad invasion, exactly how the thefts took place, and how the most notable objects were retrieved. We hear Bogdanos and his team going on raids and negotiating recoveries, blowing open safes, and mingling in the marketplacesoften encountering an assortment of rogues and villains. He gradually earns the trust of Iraqis eager to preserve their cultural heritageand then stuns the world by unearthing the most sensational treasure of all, The Gold of Nimrud over 1,000 pieces of gold jewelry, precious stones, and ornaments often called Iraqs Crown Jewels.
Customer Reviews:
A quick historical review.......2007-09-28
Colonel Matthew Bogdonos did a great service by writing about his account; however, I must completely agree with a prior review regarding this egotistical author. Being a former Marine and an undergraduate in Historical Studies, he discredited his book by boasting. A book of this scope should be strengthened by facts, sources, and even personal experiences, as long as the ego can be left out of it. While I was satisfied with the book, I wouldn't recommend this book unless one could forgive the semantics.
A soldier supporter.......2007-06-17
Colonel Bogdanos has a fascinating tale of the war on terror, Iraqi reconstruction, and the recovery of stolen artifacts. Unfortunately, the author's ego too often overshadows the amazing tale.
Certainly the author had the opportunity to witness history-changing events. He was a neighbor who saw the destruction of the twin towers. He visited Afghanistan and saw the trouble of rebuilding the remote country. Then he went through Iraq and finally settled in the Iraq museum in Baghdad, helping recover and protect artifacts.
Unfortunately, Bogdanos' boasting occurs early and often. He recounts how he evacuated his building in lower Manhattan after the towers fell. Reading his description makes it sound like he escorted his family through a war zone. He was packing a gun, hustling past roadblocks, and scanning for threats. My initial thoughts were "Didn't thousands of other people make this same passage safely ... and without nearly as much machismo?"
Based on his biographical overview, you'd think the author single-handedly came up with the idea of protecting the Iraq Museum, that he was the one who developed the plans to recover the stolen artifacts, and (best yet) that he was responsible for developing inter-agency anti-terror training.
My impression is that he was a part of those efforts, but that he had a lot of (understated) partners. Reading his book, you will see no such partners. Instead you will see a lot of underlings who are grateful for such a smart leader. You will see two types of supervisors: the bumbling ones who overlook Bogdanos' obvious qualifications and contributions, and the intelligent ones who give Bogdanos the authority to fulfill the mission only he can accomplish.
A good story of post-war Iraq is in this book. Unfortunately, Bogdanos' bravado distracts too much from it.
Not Impressed!.......2007-06-11
This book for several reasons did not impress me. First, Bogdanos drops a lot of names of "important" people that enlist his help and vice-versa. Problem is, they're just names to the reader. I don't know these people from Adam and the author does very little to "flesh them out". Second, his need to continually quote famous historical figures to prove he is a well-educated serviceman not only shows his insecurities and self-righteousness but also slows the story to a snail's pace. While he claims to be telling a story about marines and the wonderful work they do, rather than himself, he engages in some pretty heavy self-glorification. Third, while he denies couching any of his story in political partisanship, the political theater that he participates in is filled with Republican "good ol' boys". Some of the justifications Bagdanos gives for the military's reluctance to safe guard museums and archaeological sites seems valid while other reasons do not. I saw Matthew Bogdanos at a lecture in Indianapolis this spring. His haughty demeanor did not dispel any of the reservations I feel about this bias account. On the positive side, Bogdanos does give the reader a picture of the historical significance of Mesopotamian artifacts and background on the domestic and colonial personalities that helped shape present day Iraq. His passion for history cannot be denied. He also gives some of the Western media as well as the Iraqi museum staff positive credit. However, for a truly humbling account of the "shock and awe" aftermath, please read Lawrence Anthony's "Babylon's Ark".
A Fine Story of the History, War, and Art.......2007-04-28
Matthew Bogdanos' story of the lost antiquities of the Bahgdad Museum is a fascinating and informative account of his experiences with an interagency counterterrorism unit following 9/11. However, its not just about Bahgdad, as he tells us about the challenges he faces growing up in downtown New York, his roots in Greek and Middle Eastern classics, etc. In fact, despite the extraordinary depth of his knowledge of classic literature, arts, and history, there is a certain air of self-promotion throughout the book that the reader just can't overlook. Nonetheless, I found Bogdanos' writing to be sophisticated and interesting and I felt that I finished his book with a better understanding of U.S. efforts to help the Iraqi people help themselves (despite the efforts of their fellow Iraqi's to sell their own heritage to the highest bidders). The beautiful photos add great depth to Bogdanos' account and spark the reader's interest in the history and art of the region. Enjoy this highly unusual account of one man's war time experiences.
Good, but it has some problems..........2007-04-10
Matthew Bogdanos' Thieves of Baghdad is an interesting novel of the robbings of museums in Iraq. His story keeps the reader interested in seeing the other side of the war in Iraq, that being what happened to the history of Iraq. Bogdanos takes us in to the museums and shows us what happened with looters, professional thieves and a misguided media trying to report what had happened.
When you think of war, you rarely think of robberies as being able to tell part of the story. Bogdanos makes a compelling argument of the importance of a country's history and artifacts in helping a country rebuild its identity. He takes in to these museums as they try and retrace what happened and what was stolen (often hard to tell due to poor record keeping) and who would have stolen it. Though normal citizens often did some of the stealing, Bogdanos shows how he was able to determine that many of these robberies were either inside jobs or by professional thieves.
He tells of stories of how the media was quick to jump on stories with grossly inaccurate numbers of some of the robberies (media reported over 100K artifacts stolen when that numbers was grossly inflated by tens of thousands) due to incompetence or another agenda. He tells of stories of mistrust between museum bureaucrats and the US marines that were trying to help them get their artifacts back. Compelling stuff.
The story though often gets bogged down by Bodanos and his need to 'boast.' He makes it clear throughout that he is telling the story of the marines and the good work that they did and that this was not a story about himself, but disproves that argument by his countless references to how much people appreciated him and his commitment to serve his country and risk his life to help the Iraq community. There are only so many times that we can read how he extended his servive, re-enlisted and was the only American that several of the Iraq museum bigwigs would talk to.
Overall though, it was a fine effort and an interesting story that I knew very little bit about.
Book Description
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 American invasion of Baghdad.
Customer Reviews:
A Real Life Indiana Jones...in Downtown Bahgdad!.......2007-04-28
Matthew Bogdanos' story of the lost antiquities of the Bahgdad Museum is a fascinating and informative account of his experiences with an interagency counterterrorism unit following 9/11. However, its not just about Bahgdad, as he tells us about the challenges he faces growing up in downtown New York, his roots in Greek and Middle Eastern classics, etc. In fact, despite the extraordinary depth of his knowledge of classic literature, arts, and history, there is a certain air of self-promotion throughout the book that the reader just can't overlook. Nonetheless, I found Bogdanos' writing to be sophisticated and interesting and I felt that I finished his book with a better understanding of U.S. efforts to help the Iraqi people help themselves (despite the efforts of their fellow Iraqi's to sell their own heritage to the highest bidders). The beautiful photos add great depth to Bogdanos' account and spark the reader's interest in the history and art of the region. Enjoy this highly unusual account of one man's war time experiences.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Parameters, published by Thomson Gale on December 22, 2006. The length of the article is 924 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Thieves of Baghdad: One Marine's Passion for Ancient Civilizations and the Journey to Recover the World's Greatest Stolen Treasures.(Book review)
Author: Charles P. Moore
Publication:
Parameters (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 36
Issue: 4
Page: 136(2)
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
“This book’s most outstanding feature is the section of colorful patterns for making one’s own hooked rugs....A gallery of exemplary hooked rugs by artists offers inspiration....Recommended.” —Library Journal. “Rug hookers of any level of experience will no doubt find something here that will inform and challenge them.”—McCall’s Needlework.
Customer Reviews:
Good starter book for beginners..........2004-02-12
I used to do very small counted-cross stitch for a hobby. First, my return to college interrupted it, then my eyesight got to be a hindrance to this 'artistic' endeavor. The final straw came when I developed peripheral neuropathy that makes it very hard to handle the small needles. So I went looking for something I could do that would take me away from my sometimes depressing bioethics/disability work, and my always depressing attempt to finish my Ph.D. in science education. My sister and I both reached a consensus that rug hooking would be the answer, as it is a rather large format of crafting.
This book provides a lot of information on how to start, where to get the implements, what to use, etc. Even though I enjoyed looking at what others have done, the rugs shown were a bit too abstract and simplistic for my taste. I'd rather hook something along the line of fine art when I get along far enough. The photos are great, and this is an easily accessible book for beginners.
Karen Sadler
An inspiring book.......2000-09-10
I found this book very exciting and has me ready to get into hooking rugs. It really covers it all from materials, dying fabric, choosing fabric, where to buy supplies, great designs for both traditional and modern, and good information on finishing projects. It gives lots of ideas for other, non-traditional materials that can be added to give your rug texture and that personal touch.If you are looking for a fantastic book on this subject look no further this covers it all. I just can't say enough. If you want to learn about rug hooking and you only buy one book.....this should be the one....it has it all!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Good Solid Info, Nothing New.......1999-08-14
This book contains a lot of solid basic information, but doesn't really cover any new ground. It's still worth reading!
Good beginner's book with lots of detailed patterns.......1997-11-08
This book gives an overview of how to hook, the use of color and dyeing, and offers patterns in several styles, from primitive to traditional. It's
a great book for a rug hooker's collection. My first and second rugs are from this book! The only drawback is that the formulas for dyeing are a little brief.
Book Description
Capturing the spectacular presence of these extrovert plants, The Gardener's Guide to Growing Dahlias will delight dahlia lovers, convert those new to the genus, and inspire a new generation of growers.
Customer Reviews:
Dahlia's for everyone.......2004-12-13
Whether you are a serious grower or just need some extra flowers for your garden this is a great book.Dahlias are generaly easy to grow, but can be tricky to grow well.It contains a lot of info on the history, culture, habit,propagation and care. It is relevent to both northern and southern hemispheres as it has a season converter and is in metric and imperial.The photos are sharp and clear and cover everything from petal shapes to full heads.This is a great general reference book.
Average customer rating:
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Summer Bulbs: Simple Steps for Growing Beautiful Glads, Dahlias, Begonias, Cannas, and Other Tender Bulbs
Henry Jaworski
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Bulbs
| Flowers
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Ornamental Plants
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Dahlias
| By Plant
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Begonias
| By Plant
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Techniques
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Flowers
| Plants
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0395892619 |
Book Description
Their names sound as exotic as the blossoms they produce - gloxinias, tigridias, sprekelias - and only begin to hint at the exciting world of color and fragrance that awaits those who venture beyond the local garden center's bins of tulips and daffodils. And while their names may not exactly roll off the tongue, tender bulbs share one key advantage of their better-known relatives: simplicity. Everything required to produce strikingly beautiful blooms comes in a convenient package just waiting for the proper conditions to grow and flourish, returning year after year, provided some basic conditions are met. Tender bulbs are tailor-made for the modern gardener who is always looking for something new to grow, yet who may lack the time or space to maintain elaborate flower beds. These bulbs thrive in containers and quickly fill small areas with a profusion of unusual and strikingly beautiful flowers. The text is accompanied by gorgeous and practical full-color photographs.
Average customer rating:
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Growing and Showing Dahlias (Growing and Showing)
Philip Damp
Manufacturer: David & Charles
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Ornamental Plants
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Dahlias
| By Plant
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 071538600X |
Average customer rating:
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Growing Dahlias
Phillip Damp
Manufacturer: Timber Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Flowers
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Flowers
| Plants
| Biological Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 088192069X |
Average customer rating:
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Growing Dahlias (Growing Series)
Gayner W. Parker
Manufacturer: Kangaroo Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
Dahlias
| By Plant
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0864170777 |
Book Description
One tractor excels at farm work, another at logging, and a third at ranching skills in this lesson on individual capabilities
Average customer rating:
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Tale of Three Tractors
Manufacturer: Roberts Rinehart Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Baby-3
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
| Barney
| Basic Concepts
| Bedtime & Dreaming
| Blue's Clues
| Board Books
| Boynton, Sandra
| Carle, Eric
| Classics
| General
| Goodnight Moon
| Guess How Much I Love You
| Hoban, Tana
| Nursery Rhymes
| Peter Rabbit
| Picture Books
| Pop-Up & Movable
| Scarry, Richard
| Sesame Street
| Teletubbies
| Thomas the Tank Engine
| Winnie-the-Pooh
ASIN: 9994331957 |
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- Walkin' the Dog
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- What the Animals Tell Me: The Secrets of Communicating With Your Pet
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