The Prisoner in His Palace: Saddam Hussein, His American Guards, and What History Leaves Unsaid Paperback – July 1, 2017

Great book. Mr. Bardenwerper did an amazing job describing the events. Factual and entertaining.

This story, which captured a significant piece of history for the twentieth century, was a remarkable read. I was captivated with each page turned. The story of the “Super Twelve” offered a tremendous insight to what service and honor mean for any and all service men and woman.

Well written. An enjoyable read, with quite a bit of insight into the "real" person, behind the media monster. Yes, he did absolutely horrible things, beyond anything that could ever be consider acceptable. But he was also a human being, which this book shows, as opposed to the cartoon caricature that we were provided by the media. Prior to his removal the Sunni and Shia lived side by side without outright warfare. They may have lived and gotten along out of fear of not doing so and experiencing the wrath of their dictator, but we now see how this monster was apparently necessary in order to keep a lid on the powder keg of Iraq. Once Saddam Hussein was removed it became apparent the purpose he served in keeping a lid on the hate and violence. This book showed that although Saddam Hussein did monstrous things, he was also a human being. A lonely, paranoid human being. Perhaps only a monster like Saddam Hussein could've kept a lid on the powder keg of Iraq. Unique insight into the human side of a monster by those assigned to guard him during the last days of his life. A front row seat to a remarkable part of history.

The Prisoner In His Palace is one of the most interesting and thought-provoking books I’ve read in some time.First, Will Bardenwerper has done an amazingly painstaking job researching this timely and thought-provoking topic. Despite having done some published writing myself over the years, I can hardly imagine all that it must have taken to pull together the various source material for this book, much less assemble and write it in a way that makes it so beautifully readable and thoughtful. Second, Mr. Bardenwerper has importantly undertaken an in-depth book about an event that could so easily have been lost in the flurry of day-to-day headlines. Our society often seems to simply skim the surface of events just long enough to fill today’s newspaper column space, and we often miss the opportunity to pause and think more deeply about people and events that beg a more thorough understanding and reflection. Third, he has handled this delicate subject in an objective and even-handed way. That is no easy feat, particularly with this person, in the era in which the events unfolded, and with the political backdrop as it existed at that time. I particularly appreciate that his book avoids what could be an easy black-and-white judgment, in favor of a deeper look into a very complex man. Given my current role as a counselor in a recovery center, I particularly appreciated the valuable information Mr. Bardenwerper provided on Saddam Hussein’s childhood and the world in which he grew up. Sadly, I doubt that many of the people celebrating at his execution considered their own role in helping to create a world where a young boy grows up learning that power and violence are the best survival mechanisms. Yes, he certainly deserved to be held accountable for his horrific crimes, yet there is more to be learned beyond that, and Mr. Bardenwerper skillfully leaves the reader pondering those deeper questions, including the life-changing impact of all of these events on the eyewitnesses. I appreciate The Prisoner in His Palace and the very deep and thought-provoking questions it raises. I hope this book is widely read and discussed, and that it becomes a catalyst for people of all faiths and cultures to consider that there have to be better ways to deal with the problems we face than torture and violence.

From the date in December, 2003, when Saddam Hussein was captured by the 4th Infantry Division and SOF Task Force 20 in his Ad-Dawr spider hole, to his execution just over three years later, there has been little behind-the-scenes public knowledge about Saddam’s detention and interrogation by the U.S. military and Intelligence services. That has now all changed with the recently published “The Prisoner in His Palace” by first time author Will Bardenwerper.This work is a welcomed addition to the history of both America’s involvement in the Iraq wars, as well as examining who exactly was Saddam Hussein. Author Bardenwerper focuses primarily on the twelve military policemen from Fort Campbell, who had the responsibility of guarding Saddam, during his final year of life. The chapters tend to be short and focused, versus many histories that seem to go on and on after the point was made.It is interesting for these soldiers to discover the acts of kindness exhibited by Saddam, who also on occasion refers to the twelve as his sons. The author brings balance into the “good” Saddam, by including chapters that go back to earlier events, that showed the “evil” Saddam, most certainly a cruel individual that had arranged for the deaths of hundreds of thousands. It seems unreal that there are still Saddam’s on this earth, depots and tyrants, that Saddam would be proud to know that they are in his image.We all know how this story ends, and that was the third-world hanging, by Iraqi thugs or rather government thugs. This reader remembers well the disgust watching the execution. Yes, Saddam deserved to die, but there should have been some dignity in his execution. This thought was also expressed by some of those that had guarded him in those final months. This is a book worth reading. Well done Mr. Bardenwerper.

This book was pretty good. I think the characters of the twelve could have been more developed. More history on Sadam's rule would have been appreciated. Overall the book was well put together and it was an insightful read.