Not All Lions Could Be Tamed : Despatches from Iraq and Sudan - J.W.M. Ellery

Both as a soldier and a civilian, James Ellery hasoften found himself playing a pivotal role in some of the world's mostdangerous and controversial countries. Not All Lions Could be Tamed is a record ofEllery's personal despatches to friends from two such areas - firstly in ashattered post-Saddam Hussein Iraq and then in a Southern Sudan struggling forself-autonomy. His writing is engaging, insightful and immensely readable. After a distinguished military career Ellery did not reston his laurels. He persuaded the Foreign Office to employ him in order that hemight be seconded to the US-led Administration of Iraq, There he was appointedDirector of Infrastructure Security, a vital role enabling reconstruction toprogress (and oil to be exported) in spite of a fierce challenge by Al Qaedaand other dissidents. This bought him in direct contact with the keyinternational military, diplomatic and political players - British and American- who were trying to make order out of the post-Gulf War chaos. In 2006, Ellery was then appointed Head of the UnitedNations Mission to Southern Sudan. A delicate but firm balancing act betweenmilitary pressures and nationalistic demands was required of him. Here again,his despatches capture this complicated role with insight and humour. "I rather enjoy doing this job because it isexasperatingly difficult" he told Charles Moore, in a Daily Telegraph article. Ellery's positive attitude is reflected in this exceptional book.�Not All Lions Could be Tamed is an extraordinaryrecord of unusual times in unusual places and Is a more than fitting sequel to Ellery's first book TheDay They Ate The Zoo.