Understanding Iraq: The Whole Sweep of Iraqi History, from Genghis Khan's Mongols to the Ottoman Turks to the British Mandate to the American Occupation

This book was very well written for the general reader. It explain things succinctly, and was easy to see the point of view , in this understand current history so much better. Highly recommended!

This book is a good read for the average person wishing to brush up on the history of Iraq, and to understand why it is the U.S. occupying force has faced such difficulty (we should have learned from the British colonial occupation!). Written by an expert on Middle-Eastern affairs and a scholar of Arabic, it is both a concise history of Iraq from ancient times and a compelling criticism of the current U.S. occupation. Although Polk belittles the post-invasion presence of Al-Qaeda, and comes up short in terms of a comprehensive "solution" to the problem there (who currently doesn't?), this book is a recommended read for the introductory reader, written by a man of distinguished credentials. The primary weakness of the book is a lack of comprehensive footnoting and referencing, which would fully make transparent the author's sources. (Those supportive of the war will look in vain for any supporting reasons for the war in Iraq.)

For one who does not know the details of the history of Iraq, this book provides an excellent overview. Dr. Polk does a good job of explaining rather briefly the panorama of the people who evolved into today's Iraq. Everyone should read this book along with others about Iraq history. I look forward to reading the _How to Get Out of Iraq_ co-authored by Dr. Polk.

This is overall a good book and William Polk provides for an easy read that is both heavy on facts while managing to be concise. His extensive personal experience is clear in his Understanding Iraq. That being said, he seems to have trouble completely separating personal bias from simple historical reporting. Although it is difficult to have not developed one's own personal opinion on America's historical involvement in Iraq, Polk is overly critical of both George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. There are several important omissions that lead the reader to simply think "Bush lied, people died" where there was much involved. Polk frequently toots his own horn by inserting himself in the narrative. However overall, I would recommend this book for a simple overview of Iraqi history and what ancient effects can be seen on modern Iraqi society. Polk does an excellent job of pointing out how events in history helped formulate the Iraq of today.

There is a wealth of information in this book. The story of Iraq proves the old saying, "Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it." It is a fast read, almost too fast. Be sure to re-read it. Even though it was written 8 years ago the information is still pertinent. Minus one star for the author's personal politics occasionally creeping in.