Few countries can claim to have endured such a difficult and tortuous history as that of Iraq. Its varied peoples have had to contend with externally imposed state-building at the end of the First World War, through to the rise of authoritarian military regimes, to the all-encompassing power of Saddam Hussein�s dictatorship.
They have endured destructive wars, internationally-imposed sanctions, and a further bout of destabilizing regime change and subsequent state-building from 2003.
The recent rise of the Islamic State, the consolidation of the Kurdistan Region, and the response of the Shi�i populace have brought the country to a de facto partition that may bring about Iraq�s final demise.
The second edition of Iraq: People, History, Politics provides a comprehensive analysis of the political, societal, and economic dynamics that have governed Iraq�s modern development.
Situating recent events within a longer historical timeframe, this book is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the deep histories that underpin the contemporary politics of this war-torn and troubled state.
Introduction: Artificiality, Identity, Dictatorship, and State-Building Chapter 1: Legacies of Civilizations and Empires Chapter 2: State Formation, Monarchy, and Mandate, 1918-1932 Chapter 3: Conceptualizing Iraqi Society Chapter 4: From Authoritarian to Totalitarian State, 1933-1979 Chapter 5: Iraq at War, 1979-1989 Chapter 6: The Pariah State, 1989-2003 Chapter 7: Regime Change, 2003- Chapter 8: From the Brink, to the Brink Chapter 9: The Disintegration of Iraq Chapter 10: The Rise of the Islamic State Conclusion
Gareth Stansfield is Al-Qasimi Professor of Arab Gulf Studies at the University of Exeter and a Senior Associate Fellow of the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), London. He is also a Global Fellow of the Wilson Center, Washington DC
