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World » Asia » Middle East » Iraq

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Iraq

Last updated: November 19, 2024

We have a plethora of material on Iraq at five books.  There are a couple of general interviews dedicated to the country.  Colin Freeman offers his best books on Iraq, and the civil rights campaigner, Kanan Makiya, recommends his best books on the history of Iraq.

Patrick Cockburn gives his best books on the Iraq war,  and others look at particular aspects of the conflict, its causes and its consequences.  May Witwit chooses the best books on Life in Iraq during the invasion, while Nabeel Yasin looks at democracy in Iraq.  Chris Abbott on global security, Jeremy Greenstock on diplomacy  and Mary Habeck on terrorism all discuss the invasion and its consequences, as does Jason Burke with his best books on Islamic militancy.

Lorraine Adams on the truth behind the headlines and Darius Rejali on violence and torture both touch on some of the more controversial aspects of the lead up to the war in Iraq and the occupation of the country in their  broader discussion of these themes.  Stephen Armstrong on private armies and Hugh Gusterson on drone warfare look at controversial aspects of the actual fighting.

There are numerous interviews that touch on the politics and ideology that led to the decision to go to war.  E J Dionne's choices on the appeal of conservatism include The neoconservatives: the origins of a movement by Peter Steinfels.    Yosri Fouda includes Against All Enemies by Richard Clarke in his best books on 9/11.  John Gray discusses the Iraq crisis in his best critiques of utopia and apocalypse and Lawrence Kaplan puts the Iraq war in a longer political perspective with his best books on US intervention.  Venkatesh Rao discusses related themes in his best books on how the world works.

Other interviews look at Iraq as the cradle of civilisation.  Diarmaid MacCulloch chooses his best books on the history of Christianity and recommends The Church of the East by Christoph Baumer as essential to understanding the role of Christianity in the Middle East.  Peter Atkins talks about early Mesopotamia in his best books on the emergence of understanding and Amira Bennison talks about the central role played by Baghdad in her best books on science and islam.  Robin Wilson touches on the role of ancient Mesopotamia in his best books on the history of mathematics and  Stephen Cave recommends the ancient Mesopotamian epic, Gilgamesh, in his best books on immortality.

    The best books on The Iraq War, recommended by Patrick Cockburn

  • Read
    The best books on The Iraq War - The Occupation of Iraq by Ali A Allawi

    1

    The Occupation of Iraq
    by Ali A Allawi

  • Read
    The best books on The Iraq War - Fiasco by Thomas E Ricks

    2

    Fiasco
    by Thomas E Ricks

  • Read
    The best books on The Iraq War - The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movement in Iraq by Hanna Batatu

    3

    The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movement in Iraq
    by Hanna Batatu

  • Read
    The best books on The Iraq War - Aftermath by Nir Rosen

    4

    Aftermath
    by Nir Rosen

  • Read
    The best books on The Iraq War - After Such Knowledge, What Forgiveness? by Jonathan Randal

    5

    After Such Knowledge, What Forgiveness?
    by Jonathan Randal

  • The veteran Middle East correspondent gives us his tips for the best reading about the US-led invasion and occupation, and explains why the West shouldn’t have intervened in Iraq in the first place

  • The best books on The Iraq War - The Occupation of Iraq by Ali A Allawi
  • The best books on The Iraq War - Fiasco by Thomas E Ricks
  • The best books on The Iraq War - The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movement in Iraq by Hanna Batatu
  • The best books on The Iraq War - Aftermath by Nir Rosen
  • The best books on The Iraq War - After Such Knowledge, What Forgiveness? by Jonathan Randal

The best books on The Iraq War, recommended by Patrick Cockburn

The veteran Middle East correspondent gives us his tips for the best reading about the US-led invasion and occupation, and explains why the West shouldn’t have intervened in Iraq in the first place

The best books on The Iraq War, recommended by Patrick Cockburn

    The best books on The History of Iraq, recommended by Kanan Makiya

  • Read
    The best books on The History of Iraq - The Shi’is of Iraq by Yitzhak Nakash

    1

    The Shi’is of Iraq
    by Yitzhak Nakash

  • Read
    The best books on The History of Iraq - The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movement in Iraq by Hanna Batatu

    2

    The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movement in Iraq
    by Hanna Batatu

  • Read
    The best books on The History of Iraq - Iraq Since 1958 by Marion Farouk-Sluglett & Peter Sluglett

    3

    Iraq Since 1958
    by Marion Farouk-Sluglett & Peter Sluglett

  • Read
    The best books on The History of Iraq - The Mantle of the Prophet by Roy Mottahedeh

    4

    The Mantle of the Prophet
    by Roy Mottahedeh

  • Read
    The best books on The History of Iraq - The Forever War by Dexter Filkins

    5

    The Forever War
    by Dexter Filkins

  • The Iraqi democracy and civil rights campaigner says the Iran-Iraq war is one of the single largest unappreciated great events of modern Middle Eastern history. He chooses the best books on Iraqi history.

  • The best books on The History of Iraq - The Shi’is of Iraq by Yitzhak Nakash
  • The best books on The History of Iraq - The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movement in Iraq by Hanna Batatu
  • The best books on The History of Iraq - Iraq Since 1958 by Marion Farouk-Sluglett & Peter Sluglett
  • The best books on The History of Iraq - The Mantle of the Prophet by Roy Mottahedeh
  • The best books on The History of Iraq - The Forever War by Dexter Filkins

The best books on The History of Iraq, recommended by Kanan Makiya

The Iraqi democracy and civil rights campaigner says the Iran-Iraq war is one of the single largest unappreciated great events of modern Middle Eastern history. He chooses the best books on Iraqi history.

The best books on The History of Iraq, recommended by Kanan Makiya

    The best books on Life in Iraq During the Invasion, recommended by May Witwit

  • Read
    The best books on Life in Iraq During the Invasion - My Year in Iraq by L Paul Bremer III with Malcolm McConnell

    1

    My Year in Iraq
    by L Paul Bremer III with Malcolm McConnell

  • Read
    The best books on Life in Iraq During the Invasion - The Assassination Attempts against President Saddam Hussein by Barzan al-Tikriti

    2

    The Assassination Attempts against President Saddam Hussein
    by Barzan al-Tikriti

  • Read
    The best books on Life in Iraq During the Invasion - Cultural Cleansing in Iraq by Raymond W Baker, Shereen T Ismael, Tareq Y Ismael

    3

    Cultural Cleansing in Iraq
    by Raymond W Baker, Shereen T Ismael, Tareq Y Ismael

  • Read
    The best books on Life in Iraq During the Invasion - The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway

    4

    The Old Man and the Sea
    by Ernest Hemingway

  • Read
    The best books on Life in Iraq During the Invasion - A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

    5

    A Tale of Two Cities
    by Charles Dickens

  • Iraqi academic May Witwit tells of the horrors of US-occupied Iraq: "We were being shot at, and for three days a body lay at my front gate and nobody dared to move him"

  • The best books on Life in Iraq During the Invasion - My Year in Iraq by L Paul Bremer III with Malcolm McConnell
  • The best books on Life in Iraq During the Invasion - The Assassination Attempts against President Saddam Hussein by Barzan al-Tikriti
  • The best books on Life in Iraq During the Invasion - Cultural Cleansing in Iraq by Raymond W Baker, Shereen T Ismael, Tareq Y Ismael
  • The best books on Life in Iraq During the Invasion - The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
  • The best books on Life in Iraq During the Invasion - A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

The best books on Life in Iraq During the Invasion, recommended by May Witwit

Iraqi academic May Witwit tells of the horrors of US-occupied Iraq: “We were being shot at, and for three days a body lay at my front gate and nobody dared to move him”

The best books on Life in Iraq During the Invasion, recommended by May Witwit

    The best books on Democracy in Iraq, recommended by Nabeel Yasin

  • Read
    The best books on Democracy in Iraq - The Civic Culture by Gabriel A Almond and Sidney Verba

    1

    The Civic Culture
    by Gabriel A Almond and Sidney Verba

  • Read
    The best books on Democracy in Iraq - Inventing Human Rights by Lynn Hunt

    2

    Inventing Human Rights
    by Lynn Hunt

  • Read
    The best books on Democracy in Iraq - A Brief History of Citizenship by Derek Heater

    3

    A Brief History of Citizenship
    by Derek Heater

  • Read
    The best books on Democracy in Iraq - The Garden of Eden and Its Restoration by Sir William Wilcocks

    4

    The Garden of Eden and Its Restoration
    by Sir William Wilcocks

  • Read
    The best books on Democracy in Iraq - Towards the Light by A C Grayling

    5

    Towards the Light
    by A C Grayling

  • The Iraqi poet chooses books on civil and human rights. "I want to spread the word. I want people to get more involved in the political process here in Iraq"

  • The best books on Democracy in Iraq - The Civic Culture by Gabriel A Almond and Sidney Verba
  • The best books on Democracy in Iraq - Inventing Human Rights by Lynn Hunt
  • The best books on Democracy in Iraq - A Brief History of Citizenship by Derek Heater
  • The best books on Democracy in Iraq - The Garden of Eden and Its Restoration by Sir William Wilcocks
  • The best books on Democracy in Iraq - Towards the Light by A C Grayling

The best books on Democracy in Iraq, recommended by Nabeel Yasin

The Iraqi poet chooses books on civil and human rights. “I want to spread the word. I want people to get more involved in the political process here in Iraq”

The best books on Democracy in Iraq, recommended by Nabeel Yasin

    The best books on Iraq, recommended by Colin Freeman

  • Read
    The best books on Iraq - The Spiders of Allah by James Hider

    1

    The Spiders of Allah
    by James Hider

  • Read
    The best books on Iraq - Saddam Hussein by Andrew Cockburn & Patrick Cockburn

    2

    Saddam Hussein
    by Andrew Cockburn & Patrick Cockburn

  • Read
    The best books on Iraq - Saddam by Con Coughlin

    3

    Saddam
    by Con Coughlin

  • Read
    The best books on Iraq - Red Zone by Oliver Poole

    4

    Red Zone
    by Oliver Poole

  • Read
    The best books on Iraq - The Fall of Baghdad by Jon Lee Anderson

    5

    The Fall of Baghdad
    by Jon Lee Anderson

  • The Sunday Telegraph’s chief foreign correspondent on the dangers of being a journalist in the Iraq war. "When a little of group of kids wandered up and said, 'Hello mister, how are you?', it was time to leave"

  • The best books on Iraq - The Spiders of Allah by James Hider
  • The best books on Iraq - Saddam Hussein by Andrew Cockburn & Patrick Cockburn
  • The best books on Iraq - Saddam by Con Coughlin
  • The best books on Iraq - Red Zone by Oliver Poole
  • The best books on Iraq - The Fall of Baghdad by Jon Lee Anderson

The best books on Iraq, recommended by Colin Freeman

The Sunday Telegraph’s chief foreign correspondent on the dangers of being a journalist in the Iraq war. “When a little of group of kids wandered up and said, ‘Hello mister, how are you?’, it was time to leave”

The best books on Iraq, recommended by Colin Freeman

About

We ask experts to recommend the five best books in their subject and explain their selection in an interview.

This site has an archive of more than one thousand seven hundred interviews, or eight thousand book recommendations. We publish at least two new interviews per week.

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