The Saddam Tapes: The Inner Workings of a Tyrant's Regime, 1978-2001
"Too often, Americans have written the histories of their wars without knowing, or even caring much about 'the other side of the hill.'   Because of the extraordinary work of Kevin Woods and his colleagues, however, we now know a great deal about Saddam Hussein, America's enemy in one of the last wars of the twentieth century and one of the first of the next century.  The SADDAM TAPES provide unique insights into the mind and methods of a cunning dictator and his terrified subordinates; indispensable for anyone who wishes to understand them, and the wars they launched over more than two decades."  - Dr. Eliot A. Cohen, Robert E. Osgood Professor of Strategic Studies, Johns Hopkins SAIS"Tantalizing!  These transcribed, translated, and edited tapes of Saddam's conversations with his top associates invite scrutiny and analysis -- and even some bewilderment.  They are indispensable for any study of the dictator, his country, and U.S. foreign policy."  - Melvyn Leffler, Edward Stettinius Professor, University of Virginia"The word 'unique' is overused, but it applies here.  Not only have we previously never had records about Saddam Hussein that bring us this close to him, but we don't have records that compare to these for any authoritarian leader.  These tapes give us unparalleled insights into how Saddam thought and regime worked.  They will be of great interest to students of Iraq, the Arab world, and our recent past."  - Robert Jervis, Adlai E. Stevenson Professor of International Politics , Columbia University"Step into Saddam's world.  See the universe the way it looked to him-and learn a lot about your own assumptions.  "One thing we did right after invading Iraq was to collect as much information about the Saddam Hussein regime as possible.  Rarely in history have we had such an opportunity to study the internal workings of such a regime.  This volume is the public's first chance to see the world through Saddam's eyes.  Here we have Saddam in his own words among his own people.    "Prior to the war, political leaders had an abysmal understanding of the Saddam.  They saw only a deadly cartoonish figure and made costly miscalculations based on ignorance.  Saddam was a tyrant, but also a complex human controlling a complex society.  He built as well as destroyed. Why?  He had a massive misperception of Washington and made massive miscalculations.  Why?  Getting into his head is a strange experience, but this volume provides a window.  Future leaders must learn from this experience.  This volume can help save us from future disasters."  - Charles Duelfer, Former Head of Iraq Survey Group and author of Hide and Seek:  The Search for Truth in Iraq"Historians, political scientists and policy analysts will find a treasure trove of material on Saddam's Iraq in the collection of recorded meetings and conversations involving Saddam (among other documents) now available at the Conflict Records Research Center at NDU.  This meticulously edited volume gives us a tantalizing glimpse of the inner workings of the regime, and puts the material published here in context with admirable objectivity and insight."  - Phebe Marr, author of The Modern History of Iraq (3rd edition 2011)