The Mauritanian (originally published as Guantanamo Diary)
Published by Little, Brown and Company
The “profound and disturbing” national bestseller written by a Guantánamo prisoner—now a major feature film starring Tahar Rahim and Jodie Foster (The New York Times Book Review).
When The Mauritanian was first published as Guantánamo Diary in 2015—heavily redacted by the U.S. government—Mohamedou Ould Slahi was still imprisoned at the detainee camp in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, despite a federal court ruling ordering his release, and it was unclear when or if he would ever see freedom. In October 2016 he was finally released and reunited with his family. During his fourteen-year imprisonment the United States never charged him with a crime.
Now he is able to tell his story in full, with previously censored material restored. This searing diary is not merely a vivid record of a miscarriage of justice, but a deeply personal memoir—terrifying, darkly humorous, and surprisingly gracious. The Mauritanian is a document of immense emotional power and historical importance.
“A triumph of humanity over chaos.” —The New Yorker
“Fluent, engaging and at times eloquent . . . necessary reading for those seeking to understand the dangers that Guantánamo’s continued existence poses to Americans in the world.” —Deborah Pearlstein, The Washington Post
“An honest and humble cry from prison for justice and humanity . . . Its pages reflect an intelligent human being, befuddled, betrayed, battered . . . but still capable of humor and heart.” —Steve Paul, The Kansas City Star
“Will leave you shell-shocked.” —Vanity Fair
“A vision of hell, beyond Orwell, beyond Kafka: perpetual torture prescribed by the mad doctors of Washington.” —John le Carré, #1 New York Times–bestselling author
When The Mauritanian was first published as Guantánamo Diary in 2015—heavily redacted by the U.S. government—Mohamedou Ould Slahi was still imprisoned at the detainee camp in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, despite a federal court ruling ordering his release, and it was unclear when or if he would ever see freedom. In October 2016 he was finally released and reunited with his family. During his fourteen-year imprisonment the United States never charged him with a crime.
Now he is able to tell his story in full, with previously censored material restored. This searing diary is not merely a vivid record of a miscarriage of justice, but a deeply personal memoir—terrifying, darkly humorous, and surprisingly gracious. The Mauritanian is a document of immense emotional power and historical importance.
“A triumph of humanity over chaos.” —The New Yorker
“Fluent, engaging and at times eloquent . . . necessary reading for those seeking to understand the dangers that Guantánamo’s continued existence poses to Americans in the world.” —Deborah Pearlstein, The Washington Post
“An honest and humble cry from prison for justice and humanity . . . Its pages reflect an intelligent human being, befuddled, betrayed, battered . . . but still capable of humor and heart.” —Steve Paul, The Kansas City Star
“Will leave you shell-shocked.” —Vanity Fair
“A vision of hell, beyond Orwell, beyond Kafka: perpetual torture prescribed by the mad doctors of Washington.” —John le Carré, #1 New York Times–bestselling author
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