Babylon's Ark: The Incredible Wartime Rescue of the Baghdad Zoo Paperback – Illustrated, 23 Sept. 2008

I opened this book and finished it in two reading sessions, in short I could not put it down. Lawrence Anthony's stunning detailed account of the appalling conditions he found, the people he met on this adventure and the surprising humanity he encountered from unexpected sources made me feel as though I was right there with him. In this book, you live the dust,the heat, the stench,the day to day fight to survive in a war zone, the frustration of bureaucracy, the camaraderie of those around him and the extraordinary determination to save the animals.Lawrence Anthony's account is one of incredible perseverance and resolve under extreme conditions and is both tragic and heartwarming. His admiration for the Iraqi people who risked their lives to help on this mission shines through this book. The assistance he received from the American troops was quite a revelation. Having achieved so much, we can share with the author, the frustration and sadness of the mindless incident towards the end of the book. I wept and laughed many times. Lawrence Anthony comes across as a person with deep empathy for humans and animals alike and would be a fascinating character to meet.An unmissable read.

This is one of the best books I have read in many years. The amazing story of the author is a remarkable tale of an individual who just would take no for an answer in the face of often insurmountable obstacles. His courage and determination to save a group of animals that everyone else had given up on is a real inspiration not only to animal lovers but also restores faith in the fact that there are still some unselfish individuals that risk everything to make a real difference to our environment and the beautiful creatures that inhabit it. The emotional roller coaster that the reader is taken on has all the hallmarks of a classic Hollywood movie so come on Tom Hanks and Steven Speilburg grab this story by the scruff of the neck and tell the world of this remarkable man and his truly inspiring exploits!!!

I am writing a book about rescuing a zoo that has been devastated by an earthquake so found this book riveting and it confirmed that I was on the right track about the the lack of resources. I didn’t find the proselytism about saving the planet very interesting as I don’t need lecturing about that - I’m anxious enough about it already! Very skilfully written - well done Graham Spence!

I have only read 33 pages so far, but the book is so interesting and so good, I felt compelled to write a review. No one should wait to order this book. Whether you love animals or not, this is one book that everyone should read. It may, just may, bring home the horrors of war and animal abuse and prevent what happened there taking place in your own lives by teaching a few lessons. We really need to look at ourselves, our selfishness, our cruelty, our lack of understanding in many global issues and change our attitudes if our children are not to suffer more of what went on in Iraq and what is happening in a lot of countries.Kindness and understanding of animals is the first step towards understanding and caring for humans, for our children and putting at least some stop to the misery and suffering of so many. Wars bring nothing but destruction to so many. But man carries on with his selfish attitude. However, amongst all this there are some very brave, kind and caring people, too few sadly, who can restore some faith in humanity.Please do read it, you will not want to put it down.

This book is a must read for anyone who loves animals and cares about conservation. There are so many wars being waged all over the world and animals as well as people are paying the price. This book tells of the real struggle of a small group of people in Iraq who fight to save the animals in their zoo in the middle of a war zone with the help of a dedicated man from South Africa. It takes you through the difficulties, dangers and deprivation experienced in caring for the animals and saving the zoo and makes you question more closely our relationship with animals, nature and what we should be doing to preserve and protect our environment.

I loved this book - I felt all my emotions, mostly in rapid succession while I read it and I leant not only about Lawrence and the team who rescued the animals, but also about those who tried to rescue Baghdad. Brave men put their lives on the line that I might live in peace, and I am enormously grateful, and men and women of courage put their lives on the line for the animals who survived the horror. And they won. I loved this book and I salute those who gave of themselves to bring peace to the horror. Thank you.

I have to confess to being a bit of a Lawrence Anthony fan. Ever since I read his book on elephants I have been hooked and immediately devoured this book and his one on rhinos. As a man who lived a full and fascinating life and to read his stories feels like a real privilege. More than just the animals (and there is plenty on them) his books also contain great insights into cultures and traditions and the psychology of teams achieving more than they thought possible. He brings humans and animals together and gave me a real sense of us all being connected without ever being preachy or too 'goody-two-shoes' (if you know what I mean).For that reason his books are inspirational read and I struggle to imagine anyone who is interested in these subjects being disappointed.

A cliffhanger story that has you on the edge of your seat from the first page and it's all true. I know so much more now about the brutal dictatorship of Saddam Hussein and his monstrous son. Most of all it is one man's battle, an inspirational action man soon joined by others who he leads, to save the remnants of a zoo. These animals lions, bears and assorted other animals have been left traumatised and starving by the bombings of the allied invasion to free the land of Saddams terrible grip. Lawrence, with the help of dedicated Iraqis and assorted army personnel, gradually puts the zoo back together. His focus is always on relieving the suffering of the animals.