Iraq: From Sumer to Saddam [Paperback]

Geoff Simons (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 1996

This book presents a broad history of Iraq, from the earliest times to the present, with particular attention to the emergence of modern Iraq in the twentieth century, the power struggles that led to the rise of Saddam Hussein, and recent events such as the Iran-Iraq war, the 1990-91 Gulf crisis, and the continuing depiction of Iraq as a 'pariah' nation. Detailed information is included, much of it unsympathetic to western propaganda, to encourage a deeper understanding and a deeper ethical perception of the 'Iraq Question'.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Simons's contention that the primary purpose of the 1990-1991 Gulf War was not to expel the Iraqis from Kuwait but to protect U.S. hegemony over oil is familiar, as is his argument that Washington seemed to give Saddam Hussein a green light for the invasion. He quotes ambassador April Glaspie's pre-invasion statement to Saddam, ``we have no opinion on Arab-Arab conflicts like your border disagreement with Kuwait'' and assistant secretary of state John Kelly's declaration a few days later that the U.S. had no commitment to help Kuwait in the event of an Iraqi invasion. The book's principal value is as a short history of the Mesopotamia region from earliest recorded history to the present day, focusing on the emergence of Iraq, the origins of the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War and the methods by which Saddam Hussein consolidated his postwar political power. Simons ( Libya: The Struggle for Survival ) writes of the recent sufferings of the Iraqi people, not only under Saddam's regime but as victims of a decade of war. His shrill eruptions, however, weaken his credibility. He compares Americans with Nazis, characterizes Thomas Jefferson as a man who ``regarded blacks as hybrids between white men and apes'' and accuses Christianity of being ``happy for almost two millenia to tolerate marital rape.''

Copyright 1994 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

This is a broad political history of Iraq from the earliest times through 1993. Unlike many of the recently published books on this subject, this is not another Iraq-bashing book. Rather, Simons ( Libya: The Struggle for Survival , LJ 5/15/93) has done a fine job of presenting both lay readers and specialists with an eminently readable and objective picture of Iraqi politics and the West's tortuous relationship with modern Iraq. The chapters dealing with the 1980s and the Persian Gulf War are especially important as Simons demonstrates U.S. policies that bolstered Saddam Hussein in a cynical attempt to manipulate geopolitical developments in the region. This lucid and jargon-free account is highly recommended for academic and larger public libraries.
- Nader Entessar, Spring Hill Coll., Mobile, Ala.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 422 pages
• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan (August 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312160526
• ISBN-13: 978-0312160524
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,115,754 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Iraq: From Sumer to Post-Saddam, April 19, 2010

By 

H House "Mike" (Melbourne, Australia.) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Iraq: From Sumer to Saddam: Third Edition (Paperback)

Excellent book for a concise and sufficiently detailed overview of Iraqi and related regional politics. I had read this book a few times before as a first edition, and although the post-Saddam period was of less interest to me (I'm writing a book related to the 1960's to 1980's period), it is still an excellent book to pick up again - informative and very readable (not too dense and academic). The author is clearly no fan of the colonial or imperial powers that manipulated Iraq (as it became)and the region over many decades. However, the book is balanced and by no means a polemic tirade against those powers. Worth having on the shelf.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good historical context but nothing new., March 12, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (Ireland) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Iraq: From Sumer to Saddam (Paperback)

Simons is very critical of the Bush & Clinton Administrations, as well as Arab dictatorships. He exposes much of the hypocrisy of western Realpolitik as applied to the Gulf. But is it really a surprise that big powers have selfish interests? Simons gives an excellent historical context but is weak on current trends and economics. He offered little productive insight or proposals to resolve the situation. I hoped for more commentary from the normally insightful Tony Benn in his too-brief introduction.

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Author's personal prejudices are too distracting, November 7, 2008

By 

D. Singleton (California) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Iraq: From Sumer to Saddam: Third Edition (Paperback)

The history in this book is fair, but not particularly insightful. It consists mostly of facts and successions, but with little in the way of cultural understanding. The author's fatal flaw is that he makes his own religious bigotries very apparent, making the book almost unpleasant to read. This review is based on the 1994 edition, so it's possible some of this has been removed in later editions.