A History of Iraq - Hardcover

Tripp, Charles

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0521878233 ISBN 13: 9780521878234

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2007

Synopsis

To understand Iraq, Charles Tripp's history is the book to read. Since its first appearance in 2000, it has become a classic in the field of Middle East studies, read and admired by students, soldiers, policymakers and journalists. The book is now updated to include the recent American invasion, the fall and capture of Saddam Hussein and the subsequent descent into civil strife. What is clear is that much that has happened since 2003 was foreshadowed in the account found in this book. Tripp's thesis is that the history of Iraq throughout the twentieth-century has made it what it is today, but also provides alternative futures. Unless this is properly understood, many of the themes explored in this book - patron-client relations, organized violence, sectarian, ethnic and tribal difference - will continue to exert a hold over the future of Iraq as they did over its past.

About this title

Review:

Review of the first edition: 'Tripp offers a very readable account that presents the many different political figures, the ebb and flow of central government relations with Kurds and Shiites, and the ongoing regional and international coverage.' Foreign Affairs

'Charles Tripp has produced a well-written and well-researched overview of Iraq's history ... the book's perspective and interpretation are new and interesting ... This book contains considerable food for thought ... the volume in hand not only provides first-rate 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

Review of the first edition: '... by far the best and most serious history of Iraq to date.' Efraim Karsh, Reviews in History

'This book is an excellent introduction to the complexities of a country few of us know very much about. Tripp offers a quick introduction to the history of Iraq which can be understood and appreciated by both academics and laymen alike.' Lindsay Moore Geros, Reformer (the journal of the Tory Reform Group)

'... an authoritative academic account by the leading British scholar on the subject. His conclusions on the 1920 revolt against British rule are fascinating.' The Observer

'Avi Shlaim, professor of international relations at St Antony's College, Oxford, calls it Tripp's 'greatest contribution to the field', adding 'I have read half a dozen histories of modern Iraq and this is the one I rate the most highly ... this is the most prestigious Middle East studies series in the world and, as general editor, Dr Tripp deserves a share of the credit, Shlaim says.' The Times Higher Education Supplement

Book Description:

To understand Iraq, Charles Tripp's history is the book to read. The updated book includes the recent American invasion, the fall of Saddam Hussein and the subsequent descent into civil strife. Tripp argues that the history of Iraq throughout the twentieth century has shaped where it is today.

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0521878233
• ISBN 13: 9780521878234
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 386