Colonel and I

I was not familiar with Daad Sharab name prior to spotting her memoir, The Colonel And I, for review on NetGalley. I chose to read this book both to find out more about Libya and Colonel Gaddafi himself, and to learn about Daad Sharab's mould-breaking career as a highly successful businesswoman in the Arab world. I was delighted to find that it delivers on all counts allowing readers an insiders' view into a super-rich way of life that often left almost me openmouthed at its decadence - and at Sharab's blithe acceptance of such luxury as 'normal'. Sharab comes across as a strong, dedicated woman whose ability to see and grasp opportunity set her in good stead to have a high-flying career and to succeed within it. She is such an interesting person to spend time with and I fully appreciated her perceptive anecdotes.

While the media fed Western audiences an oversimplified view of Libya and Gaddafi for years, Sharab's experiences go some way towards refuting that two-dimensional 'Gaddafi = bad' narrative. Sharab focuses on his work for women's rights within Libya. I didn't know that he championed education for girls and women, for example. She also, however, discusses his increasing meglomania, especially as his attempts to position Libya on a pan-African and global stage are thwarted. I wouldn't say that Gaddafi comes out of this book well, but Sharab's rounded portrait of the man as she saw him felt a lot more real than the impression of him I had previously held. The Colonel And I makes no pretences to excuse or justify the negative aspects of Gaddafi's reign, but it does make him human and demonstrates that, in lots of ways, he was remarkably similar to other leaders who villainised him.