Understanding Iraq: The Whole Sweep of Iraqi History from Genghis Khan's Mongols to the Ottoman...

Understanding Iraq: The Whole Sweep of Iraqi History from Genghis Khan's Mongols to the Ottoman Turks to the ... | William R. Polk | Valuable Insights

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Understanding Iraq...

	Understanding Iraq: The Whole Sweep of Iraqi History from Genghis Khan's Mongols to the Ottoman Turks to the ... William R. Polk, 2005 - 240 pages average customer review:based on 39 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Understanding Iraq

Finally, after reading this book, I feel informed. I've been reading lots of bits and pieces (articles) about the history of the Middle East and the Iraq war and often found it to be somewhat overwhelming. Understanding Iraq really did bring it all together for me. I especially appreciated that it was contained in a readable 213 pages. Now when I see or hear a name associated with the region, I can readily identify that place or person's role. I recognize that a region's history and politics can't be fully described in such a short book. But Understanding Iraq inspires one to explore further and the subject doesn't seem so overwhelming anymore. It's an excellent place to start. I highly recommend it to average Americans who want to be informed.

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Valuable Insights

Polk's useful analysis of Iraq history brims with insights into what is happening in Iraq today. This book is a "must read" for the informed layperson who wants to better understand this critical theater of American interests. This is also one of the books that civilian and military policy makers should have read before invading Iraq.

Big book in a small package

This is truly a suprising read, a slight book that truly packs a punch in its lucid, fair and quite extensive chronicle of the rich and long history of Iraq. As most may recall Iraq is usually painted as the region where civilization first evolved around Sumner and Babylon. An ancient center this region saw Nebuchanezer, the Assyrians, and the Persians before it saw Alexander. In the early Arab period it began to become Muslim and later on we see the Caliphate shift from Baghdad(a center of learning) to Damascus. The Mongols destroyed Baghdad but a son of that same country led the anti-Crusades.

This brilliant study highlights British rule, which is very helpful, and gives a good understanding the ethnic and religious politics of the country and draws suprising parrallels between the present Iraqi problems and the past, for instance showing that Allawi used Kurds in Najaf just as the British had used Assyrian Christians.

A very important account, there are some things missing, there is no great understanding or mention of the Chaldean Christians or the Turcomen, but every important aspect of the countries history is mentioned, such as the role of the Communist Party, the great Iraqi revolt in the 1920s and King Faisal.

Seth J. Frantzman

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dissappointed

I would have expected Mr Polk to be more objective in his final chapters on the Iraq Revolution and especially American Iraq. The first part of this book is very well written and very informative. Obviously, even an old partisan who has nothing to gain anymore from his opinions cannot necessarily break free of party line spinning.

reviews: 1, 2, page 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

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