From Booklist
Tripp offers a lucid, digestible overview of contemporary Iraq's byzantine political power structure. Placing the evolution of the modern Iraqi state firmly into historical context, the author analyzes the roots of Islamic law, the negative effects of British imperialism, the controversial Haahemite monarchy, the fledgling republic, and, finally, the emergence of the militant Ba'th Party and the subsequent dictatorship of Saddam Hussein. Also included are cogent examinations of social, cultural, and economic traditions that have contributed to the development of regionally aggressive and rabidly anti-Western policies. This insightful investigation of an often bewildering Middle Eastern nation should be considered for purchase by all public libraries interested in building a comprehensive collection of national histories of the region. Margaret Flanagan
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Review
"Tripp offers a very readable account that presents the many different political figures, the ebb and flow of central government relations with Kurds and Shi'ites, and the ongoing regional and international coverage." Foreign Affairs

"...a well-written and well-researched overview of Iraq's history...the book's perspective and interpretation are new and interesting...the volume in hand not only provides firstrate material for exploring Iraq's past and its future, but also a plausible account of how the state got where it is." The Middle East Journal


Book Description
In response to current events, Charles Tripp has updated his incisive book A History of Iraq to include developments as recent as mid-2002. Since its establishment by the British in the 1920s, Iraq has witnessed the rise and fall of successive authoritarian regimes, competing ruthlessly for power and resources. This struggle culminated in the dictatorship of Saddam Husain, who still maintains his grip over a fragmented and increasingly isolated society. Tripp's book traces Iraq's political history from its nineteenth-century roots in the Ottoman empire, to the development of the state, its transformation from monarchy to republic and the rise of the Ba'th party and the ascendancy and current rule of Saddam Husain. This is a story of social conflict, of power struggles between rival clans, of hostility and wars with neighboring states, as well as of their aftermath, and Iraq's deteriorating relations with the West. A History of Iraq offers incisive analysis of the making of a modern state and how it creates its own distinctive politics. Charles Tripp is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London. He is the co-author of Iran-Saudi Arabia Relations and Regional Order (Oxford, 1997) and Iran and Iraq at War (Westview, 1998).


Book Info
A story of social conflict, of power struggles between rival clans, of hostility and wars with neighboring states, as well as of their aftermath, and Iraq's deteriorating relations with the West. Offers an incisive analysis of the making of a modern state and how it creates its own distinctive politics. Softcover.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Charles Tripp traces Iraq's troubled history from its nineteenth-century roots in the Ottoman empire to the rise of the Bath party and the ascendancy of Saddam Hussein. This is a story of social conflict, power struggles between rival clans, hostility and wars with neighboring states, and the disastrous consequences of those wars. The book's incisive analysis of how the modern state creates its own distinctive political field will ensure the interest of all those concerned with Iraq's complex past and uncertain future.

FROM THE CRITICS

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