The Dictator's Last Night
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In this gripping imagining of the last hours of President Gaddafi, Yasmina Khadra provides us with fascinating insight into the mind of one of the most complex and controversial figures of recent history.
‘People say I am a megalomaniac. It is not true. I am an exceptional being, providence incarnate, envied by the gods, able to make a faith of his cause.’
October 2011. In the dying days of the Libyan civil war, Muammar Gaddafi is hiding out in his home town of Sirte along with his closest advisors. They await a convoy that will take them south, away from encroaching rebel forces and NATO aerial attacks. The mood is sombre. In what will be his final night, Gaddafi reflects on an extraordinary life, whilst still raging against the West, his fellow Arab nations and the ingratitude of the Libyan people.
Reviews
‘Captivating and perversely delightful.’ The Wall Street Journal
‘Khadra has a good sense of pace: the leader’s thoughts turn over at the right speed.’ London Review of Books
‘World-class’ Rosie Goldsmith, The Independent
‘Mesmerizing’ The New Yorker
‘Packs a devastating punch’ Shortlist
‘Compulsive, funny, powerfully emotional..sinuously intelligent. Khadra’s perceptive and confident novel, translated from French by Julian Evans, is an unmissable entertainment.’ Guardian
‘Bold, often mischievous… A wonderfully entertaining read – as commanding and schizophrenic as the psychopath who ‘speaks’ its words.’ The Big Issue
‘Effortless first-person reimagining of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi’s final hours’ Library Journal
‘In this closed-door drama, which reads almost like a piece of theatre, Yasmina Khadra gets inside the mind of a tyrant awaiting the fatal bullet.’ Le Point
‘The ability of the author to infiltrate the mind and personality of Gaddafi is uncanny. It is very well written and compelling.’ D.Olser, NetGalley reviewer
‘A skilled storyteller working at the height of his powers.’ TLS
‘Khadra brings us deep into the hearts and minds of people living in unspeakable mental anguish.’ L A Times
‘I loved the idea of this book and it was fascinating to read about Col. Gadaffi in a fictionalised setting.’ Sarah S., NetGalley reviewer
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Yasmina Khadra is the author of more than 20 novels, including The Swallows of Kabul and The Attack, both shortlisted for the IMPAC literary award. Khadra's work has been published in 45 countries. His Guardian piece on the role of the West in causing chaos in Libya attracted over 1,000 comments and 3,000 shares. Born in Algeria, he now lives in France.
Julian Evans is a writer and translator from French and German. His most recent translations are Michel Déon's The Foundling Boy and The Foundling's War.
