The Modern History of Iraq

The Modern History of Iraq is a remarkably readable account of the emergence of contemporary Iraq, placing in historical perspective the crises and upheavals that continue to afflict the country. This text weaves together several important themes, including the search for a national identity, the struggle to achieve social and economic development, the changes in political dynamics, and the impact of foreign interventions, to provide readers with a holistic understanding of modern Iraq.

Revised and updated throughout, the fourth edition now features more discussion of cultural identity and media and society. In addition, this edition includes two new chapters on the recent events and shifts in the country?the US intervention and withdrawal, the stabilization and subsequent unraveling of the Maliki government, the effects of the Arab uprisings, and the rise of ISIS?and their political, economic, and social consequences. Written by noted Iraq scholar Phebe Marr with new co-author Ibrahim al-Marashi, this text is essential reading for readers who seek to understand how and why Iraq has reached this point in the context of historical perspective.

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.

Ibrahim Al-Marashi is Assistant Professor of Middle East History at California State University San Marcos. He is the co-author of Iraq’s Armed Forces: An Analytical History.