Iraq

Starred review from April 13, 2015
Robertson, professor of Ancient and Middle Eastern Studies at Central Michigan University, highlights the precarious balance between Iraq’s dual identities as “a birthplace of ideas and institutions” and “a magnet for migrants, invaders, and raiders, who often brought turmoil and devastation.” Speaking wryly of American soldiers in Iraq and their attitudes towards the local population, Robertson implores readers to “imagine how astonished these liberators might have felt if they’d known that the sullen ‘hajjis’... felt richly entitled to see themselves, and not the Westerners, as the more truly civilized people.” This vivid and fast-paced book is an enjoyable introduction for the general reader, from the beginnings of human civilization to the recent wholesale destruction of Iraq’s archaeological heritage. The theme of natural abundance as both blessing and curse recurs frequently: Iraq’s geography gave rise to the Middle Ages’ greatest centers of learning but caught the eye of Hulagu Khan and the Mongol Hordes; petroleum made Iraq rich but also turned it into one of “the U.S.’s most important strategic interest.” As rulers, the Americans have proved little better than the Mongols. Robertson’s focus on pre-modern Iraq effortlessly blends political and military history with the history of ideas, and flows seamlessly into the present era and the terrible predicament in which the cradle of civilization now finds itself.

June 1, 2015

Historians have referred to Mesopotamia, which encompasses modern Iraq, as the "cradle of civilization" since the area was the originator of innovative agricultural techniques and irrigation systems as well as the birthplace of urbanization. Robertson (ancient & Middle Eastern studies, Central Michigan Univ.) shows how the development of the European Renaissance and the rise of the West were influenced by the cultural and intellectual ferments in Baghdad. He also explains the pivotal role of the area's ancient empires in the creation and establishment of the world's monotheistic religions. The author superbly weaves ancient and medieval historical and cultural development with Iraq's recent history and current sociopolitical turmoil. VERDICT Few books in English cover Iraq's entire history in such a holistic manner. This highly readable and informative book will be a valuable tool in teaching and research for informed general readers and Middle East specialists.--Nader Entessar, Univ. of South Alabama, Mobile

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