Title
Iraq : a history / John Robertson.
ISBN
9781851685868 (hardcover)
1851685863 (hardcover)
9781780744193 (electronic book)
1780744196 (electronic book)
Published
London : Oneworld Publications, 2015.
Language
English
Description
xiii, 383 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations, maps ; 25 cm
Call Number
DS70.9 .R63 2015
Dewey Decimal Classification
956.7
Summary
"In this insightful analysis, highly-respected expert John Robertson canvases the entirety of Iraq's rich history, from the seminal advances of its Neolithic inhabitants to the aftermath of the American-led invasion and Iraq today. Grounded in extensive research, this balanced account of a country and its people explores the greatness and grandeur of Iraq's achievements, the brutality and magnificence of its ancient empires, its contributions to the emergence of the world's enduring monotheistic faiths, and the role the great Arab caliphs of Baghdad played in the medieval cultural flowering that contributed so much to the European Renaissance and the eventual rise of the West"-- Provided by publisher.
Bibliography, etc. Note
Includes bibliographical references (pages 337-370) and index.
Introduction: The glory and the curse of Iraq's past
Places, peoples, potentials : the enduring foundations of life in Iraq
Cradle of civilization
Cradle of empires
Cradle of religions, crucible of conflicts
Iraq, Islam, and the golden age of the Arab empire
Interlude : from cradle to backwater
The creation and zenith of modern Iraq
The long descent
Epilogue: "Tell me how this ends."