Lewis Alsamari — Out Of Iraq

Bantam Press 2007 Paperback, 305pp. Aged 17, Lewis Alsamari was conscripted into the Iraqi army. Things went from bad to worse once his superiors discovered his ability to speak English, and Lewis was selected for Saddam's elite, top secret intelligence service, an offer he literally could not refuse. This left him with only one option - to escape from his native land, leaving his family behind him. Going under the wire of the army compound where he was posted, Lewis was shot in the leg, making his escape - which required a gruelling journey in disguise across the desert at night with a group of Bedouin, at the mercy of ravenous wolves - all the more arduous. Against the odds, Lewis survived this trek, made it across the border into Oman, and eventually sought asylum the UK, where he had spent his childhood. Now he had to work out how to rescue his mother and sister, who had been thrown into Abu Ghraib once Lewis's escape became known. Large; Owner's Name inside. (ISBN: 9780593058244). Good.