A Short History of Iraq: From 636 to the Present [Paperback]

Thabit Abdullah (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 10, 2003 | ISBN-10: 0582505798 | ISBN-13: 978-0582505797 | Edition: 1

The twentieth century witnessed the transformation of the area known currently as Iraq from a backward region of the Ottoman Empire, to one of the most important and dynamic states in the Middle East. The rise of modern Iraq has its roots in the second half of the nineteenth century when Ottoman reforms led to gradual state modernization and increasing integration in the World Economy. British control after World War I was one of the determining factors in the establishment of the current borders of the country and the nature of its subsequent national identity. The other important factor was the highly heterogeneous nature of Iraqi society being divided along tribal, ethnic, religious, and sectarian lines.
This book focuses on the interaction between the old and the new, or between continuity and change, as it is manifested in the nature of social development, nation-building, the state and the political opposition.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Thabit Abdullah is a Professor at York University in Toronto.

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Longman; 1 edition (October 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0582505798
• ISBN-13: 978-0582505797
• Product Dimensions: 7.6 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #904,172 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Excellent Brief and Balanced Account, August 25, 2005

By 

Hussain Abdul-Hussain (Washington,DC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Short History of Iraq: From 636 to the Present (Paperback)

This is the best brief book on Iraq and its history as it tells the story of this country starting with its pre-Islamic times of the Sessanids and going well into modern day. The brilliance of this book is based on two factors. First, its choice of what to highlight and what to leave out was extremely successful and relevant for those who want to read history to understand modern day Iraq, and second, its dependency on the bottom lines of reliable secondary sources instead of amassing a big number of quotes from primary sources in order to make a point or two.

The choice of what to cover and how to cover events from Iraq's history yielded this extremely helpful book that brings 5000 years of history into this concise and brief book.

Abdullah's style is extremely catching and flows with practically no repetition. Unlike most history books on the subject, Abdullah economizes with the number of names and dates that he included in the book in order not to distract the reader's attention by bombarding him/her with an unlimited number of often irrelevant names.

Furthermore, Abdullah maintains much needed objectivity when telling Iraq's story at the time most of history books on the Middle East are loaded with prejudice and either explicit or hidden propaganda.

Other valuable insights include Abdullah's tracing of the regional influence on Iraq, both from the Sunni Arab West and the Shiite Persian East. Abdullah also writes with the current internal Iraqi divisions in mind and as you finish the book, you will certainly end up with the impression that history repeats itself.

7 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Iraq - The Original Melting Pot, February 18, 2005

By 

R. Fisher (Houston, TX) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: A Short History of Iraq: From 636 to the Present (Paperback)

Grasping to make some sense of the chaos that is today's Iraq, I found A Short History of Iraq by T.A.J. Abdullah to be a throroughly engaging and enlightening read. Concise and with no apparent ax to grind Abdullah helps the inquiring reader gain some clarity to questions like "Who are these people of the Garden of Eden, caught betwen the Persians and the Turks?" What is the attraction of the poor of Baghdad to figures like Muqtada al-Sadr? What are the roles of Imams and shaykhs? How do the lingering shadows of the Ottoman Empire give a modern basis to the strife between Shi'i and Sunni. What is so important about Najaf and Karbala, why does everyone seem so contentious and why were the British so anxious to move back into Basra as the invasion wound down. After reading Professor Abdullah's book, today's chaos will seem no less chaotic. Taking account of two thousand years of turbulent history, however, gives one a feeling of empathy for the people civilizaton's oldest melting pot, and maybe a grain of hope.

I would recommend A Short History of Iraq to anyone who longs for a better understanding or feels compelled to offer an opinion on what he sees on the evening news, not the least of whom might be the commentators. I would like to say "Thank you" to Professor Abudllah for his timely work.