Boy from Baghdad
‘Very few people in parliament can match Nadhim’s childhood experience, his understanding of international affairs, his skills as a businessman and his passion for politics’ Rory Stewart
'From Baghdad to number 11 Downing Street: in any other country it would be fiction. You have to read it to believe it’ Jeffrey Archer
An Observer Book of the Week
Born and raised in Baghdad, Nadhim Zahawi arrived in the UK aged 12, having been forced to flee Iraq with his family, under threat from Saddam Hussein’s regime.
In this candid and thoughtful memoir, Nadhim vividly recalls his upbringing in the Middle East, his family’s adjustment to their new life in Britain and his rise to Second Lord of the Treasury, one of the highest offices in his adoptive homeland.
From his family home being repossessed in his teens to the incredible success of YouGov, and from the highs (and lows) of Jeffrey Archer’s mayoral campaign to overseeing Britain’s rollout as Minister for COVID Vaccine Deployment, Nadhim reflects on the setbacks faced and hurdles cleared that have reinforced his belief in the power of hard work and the benefits of an open, inclusive society.
The Boy from Baghdad is the full and fascinating story of Nadhim’s personal, professional and political journey from Waziriyah to Westminster.
Nadhim Zahawi was the Conservative member of parliament for Stratford-on-Avon from 2010 to 2024. His previous posts include minister for COVID vaccine deployment, secretary of state for education, chancellor of the exchequer, chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and chairman of the Conservative Party. Prior to becoming an MP he founded the market-research company YouGov. He is the co-author of Masters of Nothing: How the Crash Will Happen Again Unless We Understand Human Nature. He has three children with his wife, Lana.