When it comes to democratization and post conflict nation building no name looms larger in the academic world than that of Larry Diamond. Squandered Victory focuses on the story of the post war national building effort in Iraq. However rather than being a straight academic work, Diamond presents a mix, his conclusion and what went wrong captures read like a cutting analysis but the bulk of the book is the story of his time in Iraq, the sights and the sounds.
While I occasionally (very occasionally) disagree with Diamond, I too specialize in Iraq and am undertaking a disertation on the role of strategy in nation building, I find his conclusion sharp and to the point. He also shows a remarkable turn of phrase the idea that "one damn thing followed another" is a perfect way of explaining the casual snow ball of errors that was the Iraq War. However I wish to stay away from academic analysis as that is not what this is book is about and it's probably not what Diamond intended. If you want a critque read his superb article Lessons From Iraq in The Journal Of Democracy.
That being said what makes this book so engaging is that it roots itself around personality, landmarks and emotion. Diamond tells us how he felt to be in Iraqi, he exposes us to the inner nuerosis of his comrades as well as their sense of comoradary. It's the annecdotal nature of the work that makes it so endearing, the highlights are hearing Diamond tell of his trip to and Iraqi university and his exchange of ideas with Iraq students reminds us the student mind is the same in Baghdad as it is at Cambridge, it's a charming story. Elsewhere you see Diamond lost in the beaucracy, without a role, without direction and leadership, watching mistakes made in front of his eyes but having no real input. Diamond counter balences the hopelessness with the human, while we hear of Bremer and the CPA's blunders, Diamond also brings home the human character of Bremer, he doesn't feel likeable, but it gives a personality to an important leader who is often percieved as a name in a report rather than a human being.
All in all Squandered Victory is insightful, intriguing and engaging, it toes the line between a memior and an academic work and pulls it off successfully making it Diamond's most approachable work to the non-academic. That said if your looking for a detialed cutting analysis you may be dissapointed and equally it is clear that while Diamond is a friendly affable writer he's no novelist and he can't measure up to the wit and insight of Rajiv Chandrasekaran. So if your looking for thorough analysis hit the journals, if your looking for a superb peice of annecdotal storytelling check out Imperial Life In The Emerald City (I'll have a review up soon), but if you want a bit of both and a good starter with some geniune insight then Squandered Victory is the book for you.
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