Iraq

"A pleasure to read. This book is a major contribution by a scholar who has written extensively on Arab nationalism and Iraq and knows the subject well. It is grounded in thorough research, good judgment formed by working on Iraq over a long period of time, and excellent analysis of Iraq's governing institutions and their relation to society over time."--Phebe Marr, author of The Modern History of Iraq"A new and useful approach that provides a bird's-eye view of Iraqi history mainly through three lenses: building a governing structure, molding a national identity, and legitimizing the state and the ruling elites through democratic institutions. Dawisha helps readers to better understand what went wrong in Iraq, why, and what are the roots of the present crisis."--Amatzia Baram, University of Haifa