A Better Basra: 100 days in Iraq coping with men, media and militias

In July 2006 British diplomat Caroline Jaine volunteered to work in Iraq. As a 36-year-old mother of three, who had rarely been parted from her family, she knew she would face unique challenges. This is the story of Caroline’s struggles as a female civilian in a war zone. It highlights an extraordinary time during the occupation – those 100 days in Basra Palace were perhaps some of the most volatile and uncertain as the coalition fumbled with a plan for a better Basra and the beginnings of an exit strategy - but Caroline’s story is also a touching, personal account of these times and a thoroughly entertaining read.