The Achilles Trap: Saddam Hussein, the C.I.A., and the Origins of America’s Invasion of Iraq.
By Steve Coll.
Mar. 2024. 576p. Penguin, $35 (9780525562269); e-book (9780525562276). 956.7044.
Saddam Hussein ruled with an iron hand of repression and torture, invaded his neighbors, used chemical weapons in wars internal and external, and tried to develop nuclear weapons. Through it all, American intelligence monitored and attempted to influence him. Coll (Directorate S., 2018) draws on an enormous cache of unpublished documents here, many obtained by persistent FOIA requests, pertaining to the efforts of both sides in the roller coaster of U.S. and Iraqi relations over three decades. The result is a deep dive that illuminates previously unstudied and unexamined aspects of personalities, policies, events, and reactions of great consequence to both countries. Coll’s chronicle is powerful and compelling, detailing many mistakes and failures by intelligence and elected officials that led to the disastrous invasion and occupation in 2003. Weapons of mass destruction figure prominently throughout the story as readers can finally get a definitive answer to what happened to them straight from Saddam and his top scientists and advisers. Expertly researched and written, the latest from Pulitzer Prize–winner Coll is a cautionary tale for the ages. —James Pekoll
African American Almanac: 400 Years of Black Excellence. 2nd ed.
By Lean’tin Bracks.
2023. 592p. illus. Visible Ink, paper, $32.95 (9781578597802); e-book (9781578598328). 973.
Updated after more than a decade, the second edition of this comprehensive almanac spans more than 400 years of African American history. Each of the 12 chapters, which include civil rights, the arts, sports, science, and politics, begins with a contextual essay that considers the topic from its earliest history to the present day. The essays are complemented by more than 800 biographical entries, many with illustrations, that describe the lives and legacies of notable Black Americans of the past and present. While the emphasis is on stories of “triumph, courage, and excellence,” neither the essays nor the biographies shy away from controversial topics such as sexual-assault charges against popular entertainers like Bill Cosby. Much has happened since the book’s first edition, and information about recent events such as the 1619 Project, the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements, and the COVID-19 pandemic is woven in throughout. Recommended for school and public libraries. —Lindsay Harmon
Beverly Hills Spy: The Double-Agent War Hero Who Helped Japan Attack Pearl Harbor.
By Ronald Drabkin.
Feb. 2024. 272p. Morrow, $29.99 (9780063310070); e-book (9780063310094). 940.5426.
is a catchall term, guarding against the revelation of embarrassing incidents, criminal acts, and intelligence operations. Thanks to recently declassified FBI files, Drabkin discovered why the UK, U.S., and Japan would prefer to keep their dealings with Frederick Rutland, aka “Agent Shinkawa,” secret forever. In the British Royal Navy, Rutland distinguished himself in WWI for acts of bravery and grace under fire, but class elitism kept him mired in the lower ranks. So, proficient in airplanes and electronics, he took his expertise to the Japanese Navy. He became a useful asset as he relayed information on British aircraft and later, the U.S. defense industry,
