A spokesperson for the publisher described the book to The Guardian as full of political intrigue, “a mix between Game of Thrones and the UK House of Cards-style fiction.”
This is the first English language publication of the novella, reportedly finished in 2003 during the lead up to the American invasion of Iraq, but it has been translated into other languages, including Japanese where it was published under the title Devil’s Dance.
The book tells the tale of a tribe living 1,500 years ago along the banks of the Euphrates River and pits an Arab liberator against an invading Zionist-Christian force.
Hussein’s daughter, Raghad Saddam Hussein, brought the manuscript out of Iraq and, in 2005, announced plans to publish it in Amman, Jordan. Her announcement sparked a debate over the dictator’s legacy.
Jordan quickly banned the book, which the New York Times reviewed as “a forgettable piece of pulp.”
The former Iraqi dictator has written three other books under the penname The Author, which, before he was deposed, were mandatory reading for Iraqi students.
The novella, title not revealed as of yet, will be released in December, on the 10th anniversary of Hussein’s execution.
