The Modern History of Iraq - Softcover

Marr, Phebe

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0813344433 ISBN 13: 9780813344430

Publisher: Routledge, 2011

Synopsis

The Modern History of Iraq places in historical perspective the crises and upheavals that continue to afflict the country. The book focuses on several important themes: the search for national identity in a multiethnic, multireligious state; the struggle to achieve economic development and modernity in a traditional society; and the political dynamics that have led to the current situation. Phebe Marr draws on published sources in Arabic and English, personal interviews, and frequent visits to the country to produce a remarkably lucid account of the emergence of contemporary Iraq.

This edition features three new chapters that bring readers up to date on events since the U.S. invasion and give a clear picture of the political, social, economic, and ideological consequences of the recent upheaval. Marr provides an insightful overview of the current political scene—Iraq's new political elites; emerging figures, parties, constituencies, and support; and foreign influences. In the final chapter, Marr offers a uniquely penetrating analysis of Iraq's current social and economic affairs, including the decline of the middle class, refugee displacement, the economics of oil, the status of women and ethnic groups, and the rise of sectarianism.

About this title

About the Author:

Phebe Marr is a noted scholar and historian of the Middle East and a leading consultant and lecturer on Iraqi politics. She currently serves on the editorial board of the Middle East Journal and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Middle East Institute. Dr. Marr is also a member of the board of the Middle East Policy Council and of the Hollings Center, an international center for Middle Eastern–Western dialog. A former senior fellow at the U.S. Institute of Peace, she has published numerous scholarly articles, chapters, and reports and has taught Middle East history at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and California State University, Stanislaus.

Review:

This book aims to present a clear, readable one-volume account of the emergence of modern Iraq and the forces that shaped it.' Marr (member of the Counsel on Foreign Relations and the Middle East Institute) accomplishes the formidable task with the best one-volume study of the subject in English A very valuable, comprehensive, informative, balanced, objective study, with excellent bibliography, notes, and charts. Highly recommended.”
Choice

Praise for Previous Editions:

This is a tour de force of the history of modern Iraq, probably the most turbulent history in the 20th century Middle East This is a highly intricate political, social and economic history, yet Marr's account remains fluent and lucid throughout. Reading the book is sheer pleasure also because it brings together profound understanding of the people and the land, filling many gaps in our knowledge and creating a rich tapestry that is rarely seen in contemporary historical literature.”
Amatzia Baram, University of Haifa; Senior Fellow at the US Institute of Peace

Praise for the Third Edition:

I have been using Phebe Marr's The Modern History of Iraq in my upper-division undergraduate courses for years. The students have always enjoyed the book as a compendium of information and facilitator of discussion. It is detailed, yet not too pedantic, and it is readable without sacrificing academic integrity. Her third edition is most welcome, as the time elasped since the US-led invasion of Iraq in 2003 has allowed for insight and interpretation into the events surrounding the invasion and its important aftermath. While there are many books on Iraq that have come out since 2003, none have the combination of coverage and recent and current events situated within the modern history of Iraq going back two centuries. One cannot begin to comprehend the Iraq of today without a thorough understanding of its historical context, and Marr's book expertly provides both.”
David W. Lesch, Professor of Middle East History, Trinity University, author of The Middle East and the United States



This comprehensive work provides a wealth of detail and acute insights into the evolution of modern Iraq while remaining readable and clear in style and structure. It should prove indispensable for academics and students as well as for journalists and policy-makers seeking to understand the development of contemporary Iraq.”
Bernard Reich, George Washington University

The Modern History of Iraq is a solid work of historical research, well-written and extremely well-organized, rich in content and texture, compact, easy to read, and totally free of bias a clear and readable one-volume account of the emergence of the new state and the forces that created it.”
Jerusalem Post Magazine

The best one-volume work on Iraq in English, or in any other language of which I am aware The comprehensive coverage of Iraq's economic and social history, as well as the political, will be welcome d by people interested in the Middle East, lay and specialist alike.”
Middle East Journal

Marr has written an authoritative work that meets a great need: an up-to-date, readable, and comprehensive treatment of recent Iraqi history.”
AAPSS Annals

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0813344433
• ISBN 13: 9780813344430
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 3
• Number of pages: 496