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The General

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What to expect

On 11 September 2001, in a café in London, Ahmed Errachidi watched as the twin towers collapsed. He was appalled by the loss of innocent life. But he couldn’t possibly have predicted how much of his own life he too would lose because of that day.

In a series of terrible events, Ahmed was sold by the Pakistanis to the Americans in the diplomatic lounge at Islamabad airport and spent five and a half years in Guantanamo. There, he was beaten, tortured, humiliated, very nearly destroyed.

But Ahmed did not give in. This very ordinary, Moroccan-born London chef became a leader of men. Known by the authorities as The General, he devised protests and resistance by any means possible. As a result, he spent most of his time in solitary confinement. But then, after all those years, Ahmed was freed, his innocence admitted.

This is Ahmed’s story. It will make you rethink what it means to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It will also make you look anew at courage, survival, justice and the War on Terror.

Critics Review

A revelation. People need to read this book
Mark Haddon
Those who doubt Guantanamo exemplifies American power should read this epic story of a truly brave man who survived to tell the truth
John Pilger
One of the many things that you are left feeling by Errachidi’s account is that there is no such thing as an “ordinary man”; another is that his extraordinary story, with all its surreal and brutal twists, needed telling
Observer
Remarkable... The General purports to be the story of just one man but this compelling read speaks for every innocent victim in the War on Terror, from the 3,000 murdered on 9/11 to the 30,000 Iraqi and Afghan civilians
Sunday Express
Anyone at all interested in the state of human rights or democracy in the 21st century should read this. It's a profoundly humane testimonial written by a person whose kindness and dignity uplift. His treatment at the hands of the US Administration beggars belief
Emma Thompson
This is not the first published account of life in Guantanamo, but it is perhaps the most moving
Mail on Sunday
An account of life in Guantanamo Bay is an unlikely place to turn for a lesson in happiness, but Ahmed Errachidi offers just that
Intelligent Life
An important book which provides a valuable insight into the mental and physical trauma suffered by those who were, and continue to be, detained in the living hell that is Guantanamo
Morning Star
Both uplifting and terrifying
The Lady
This book documents his honesty, courage and fortitude
New Internationalist
Author Ahmed Errachidi with Gillian Slovo
Narrator Amerjit Deu, Gillian Slovo
Duration 6 hours and 54 minutes
Release Date
ISBN 9781448178889
Format Audiobook
Publisher Random House
Genre Autobiography: historical, political and military, Political oppression and persecution, Prisoners of war, True stories of heroism, endurance and survival
Availability AU, GB, IE, US

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