This book by Charles Tripp provides readers with a detailed history of
a country which has been in the news a great
deal since the United
States declared its war on terrorism. That country is Iraq. Created
in 1920 by the United Kingdom, Iraq was once a part of the Ottoman
empire. Thus, its people were experienced in being subjected to the
dominance of outside powers. Once the country gained its independence
from Britain, it experienced a series of different types of systems of
governments. They ranged from republics through monarchies to
dictatorship.Tripp describes them all. Beginning with the
provinces of Baghdad, Basra and Mosul during the Ottoman empire, he
focuses attention on the land known today as Iraq while it was under
the British mandate, during the Hashemite monarchies, its period as a
republic, and finally its domination by a dictatorial Saddam Hussein. To
help readers understand the unfolding of this country’s story, the
author provides a
chronology at the very beginning of the book. The
first date in the chronology is 1831, which marked the Ottoman empire
taking control of Baghdad once again. The last entry is 2002, when U.S.
president, George Bush, declares Iraq to be a part of an axis of evil.Immediately
following the chronology, there’s a glossary of terms. It is
particularly helpful to readers who have no knowledge of the Arabic
language. It provides succinct definitions of key terms such as
“sayyid,” “agha,” and “figh.”As a result of reading the book,
readers will have a better understanding of political and religious
conflicts within Iraq. Further, they will learn about reasons why
tensions have arisen between it and neighboring countries. When the
first U.S. president named Bush sent U.S. military forces to the
Persian Gulf, not many U.S. citizens were aware of the relationship
between Iraq and Kuwait. This history of Iraq elaborates upon that
relationship.