Product Description

In a bizarre tale of deception, a man who posed for years as Saddam Hussein's eldest son shares the grisly story of life in Iraq's inner sanctum, giving readers a glimpse into this closed society and its horrors.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #164292 in Books
• Published on: 1997-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

From Library Journal
In Iraq, where political leaders have traditionally been the targets of assassination, there exists an institution called fidai (body double). The author, who bore a remarkable resemblance to Saddam Hussein's oldest son, Uday, was pulled out of the front lines during the Iran-Iraq War and transformed into an exact likeness of Uday. From that vantage point he was, he reports, privy to all the machinations and horrific excesses perpetrated on the Iraqi people by the family and government of Saddam Hussein. After serving in that capacity from 1987 to 1991, Yahia was imprisoned and tortured before being released?then fled to Europe, where he still lives. The author's message seems to be a warning to the rest of the world: "If you thought Saddam was a cruel tyrant, just wait until Uday takes over!" Although this work is easy enough to read, it is filled with graphic details of torture, murder, and rape. Recommended only for large collections in the subject area.?David P. Snider, Casa Grande P.L., Ariz.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Language Notes
Text: English (translation)
Original Language: German

Customer Reviews

Unsettling look at the Devil and his family...
Latif Yahya has seen things most people cannot even imagine. As a double for Uday Hussein, son and possible successor of Saddam, Latif witnessed acts of depravity and torture that almost sound like something out of a Marquis de Sade novel. This book will open your eyes to the relative value of human life; to the ruling elite of Iraq, people are as expendable as bad batteries. Yahya himself endured harsh torments at the hands of a man who called him a "brother"- one can only, with a great deal of dread, contemplate the atrocities meted out to enemies. After reading this book, I came to the conclusion that the only thing worse than Saddam is his oldest brat, and I would personally throttle the life out of that demon myself if given the opportunity. Even if only a fraction of it is true (and I believe most of it is accurate, as I've seen several of the tales about Uday in other sources), the entire Saddam Hussein regime is following nicely down the path paved by the likes of Hitler and Stalin. The big difference is that the Iraqi government is doing these things, as we speak. Enjoy this book, but pray to whatever god you choose that Uday Hussein does not come to power.

A Truly Fascinating Account of Insanity Personified
This was one of the most interesting and bizarre stories I've read in quite some time... extremely frightening due to the fact that it's true! Just imagine living under the rule of the worst Mafia boss you can imagine and then compound the fear factor by 100 and you have the current situation in Iraq. As a former military intelligence analyst stationed in the middle east, I have read many different accounts of Uday's heinous actions in the past, a few of which I found hard to believe. However, this book convinced me without a doubt that the entire Hussein regime is truly beyond cruel, selfish, and completely insane. A totally amazing biography...

Beyond Bizarre
This book captivated my interest, not because it represented any artistic or academic writing but because it was simply riveting. Normally when we are reading about bizarre and disgusting behavior such as the holocaust, slavery or the crusades, we are reading history books. The people of Iraq are exposed to these conditions even as I write this review. While the book possessed some fairly self serving disclaimers from the author it nevertheless communicated a horrendous condition that is hard to absorb. I actually flinched at some of the descriptions of the acts of inhumanity perpetrated by this barbaric family ruling the country of Iraq. When you have completed reading this book just ask yourslef one question: is it good to live in America?