Reviews
“Not so long ago, the threat of Iraqi government-sponsored biological terror attacks was part of the daily news cycle. Now, former Secret Service Agent Steve Monteiro provides needed insight – and sets the record straight. Steve’s mission to locate, secure, and turn the reluctant Imran into an American asset is fraught with unexpected obstacles and intrigue – the details of which make this previously unknown adventure a real page-turner.”—Robert L. Ehrlich Jr., former Governor of Maryland
“As Monteiro and his team fight to locate Thamer and understand his role in the affairs and future of two nations, readers embark on a gripping journey that brings the sights, smells, and politics of the times to life.”—Midwest Book Review
“The more information Monteiro uncovered, the more complicated and harrowing Imran’s plight turned out to be. Monteiro’s account is a compelling story that is ripe for a movie adaptation.”—Booklist
“In The Gray Bird of Baghdad, former Secret Service agent Steve Monteiro tells, in stunning intensity, the true story of a near-impossible assignment. He had to find the proverbial needle in the haystack. His persistence in this unrelenting quest gives the reader a shocking outside-in view of bureaucratic misfeasance and political hedging. His story, told with realistic intensity, is a page-turning reveal of how a post 9-11 hatred evolved into a deepening friendship between the former agent and the scientist.” —Alan Brenham, award-winning author of Price of Justice
“Steve Monteiro deftly leads the reader through the halls of power in Washington, the sands of the desert in Iraq, and the steamy beaches of South Florida in a true tale of patriotism and international intrigue. The risks to life and country are real. The telling of the story is honest and personal. The story of the rescue of one of Saddam Hussein’s bio-weaponeers and his contribution to US national security and a team led by a true-to-life secret agent will have you on the edge of your seat.”—Kimothy Smith, DVM PhD, former Senior Advisor for International Biodefense, DHS
Stephen Monteiro’s masterful memoir is more than a page-turning manhunt for a missing Iraqi scientist. It is also a sobering—and sad—expose of bureaucratic turf wars and political infighting that seemed determined to prevent him and his team from succeeding – and thus confirming uncomfortable truths about Saddam Hussein’s biological warfare program. By focusing on one mission involving just one scientist, Monteiro has contributed greatly to our understanding of America’s costly war in Iraq.—Mel Laytner, former foreign correspondent for NBC News, UPI, and author of “What They Didn’t Burn”
Stephen Monteiro’s “The Gray Gird of Baghdad” is a satisfying read on many levels. It is a page-turning story of a mission to rescue an Iraqi scientist, an in depth look at war’s innocent victims and the destructive tugs of bureaucracy, and most important of all, it is a heart-warming story of an unusual friendship.—Linda Cashdan, former journalist, Voice of America and author of “Special Interests”