The Longest War: The Iran-Iraq Military Conflict

In The Longest War, Dilip Hiro describes the causes and courses of the Iran-Iraq military conflict and its effect on the two antagonists, as well as the rest of the world. He reveals the intricate twists and turns of international diplomacy and the realpolitik behind the rhetoric, providing a comprehensive and admirably balanced account of the political and military aspects of the "longest war."

Table of Contents:
ILLUSTRATIONS, ABBREVIATIONS, GLOSSARY OF ARABIC AND FARSI WORDS, MAPS, PREFACE, INTRODUCTION, 1 Roots of Conflict, 2 Embattled Iran, 3 Outside Powers, 4 Embattled Iraq, 5 Impact of the War Abroad, 6 Total Warfare: Tankers and Cities, 7 International Repercussions, 8 Iran's Fao Offensive and After, 9 Internationalization of the War, 10 The End, 11 Conclusions, EPILOGUE, NOTES, APPENDIX I: Chronology, APPENDIX II: Iranian Armed Forces 1980-88, APPENDIX III: Iraqi Armed Forces 1980-88, APPENDIX IV: The Algiers Accord, APPENDIX V: Treaty concerning the frontier and neighbourly relations between Iran and Iraq, APPENDIX VI: United Nations Security Council Resolution 598, SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY, INDEX

About the Author :
Dilip Hiro is a writer and journalist living in London. He is the author of Holy Wars: The Rise of IslamicFundamentalism (Routledge, 1989) and Iran Under theAyatollahs (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1987) among others.

Review :
From the reviews of the British edition: "Hiro's work, clearly written and balanced, illustrated with photographs that portray the war in all its horror, is the best book on the subject so far." -- Patrick Seale, The Observer "Outstandingly objective . . . an object lesson in how an acocmplished journalist can and should reconstruct events of world-wide importance." -- Justin Wintle, TheIndependent "Authoritative . . . Hiro's exacting, analytical approach is especially appropriate for a war which has never been quite what it seems." -- Amanda Mitchison, New Statesmanand Society "Pakistani journalist Dilip Hiro takes us well beyond images of Khomeini dart boards and Saddam voodoo dolls to reveal calculating interest groups whom the West might have manipulated more skillfully . . . . captures the human motivations behind the war." -- Los Angeles Times ". . . with his maps and photographs, his chronology and documentary appendixes, he succeeds in chronicling with powerful detail what, to contemporary eyes, is that conflict's cruel and utter futility." -- Lisa Anderson, New York Times Book Review ". . . masterfully analyzes the war and its political consequences . . . . Foresighted throughout, this is one of the best books on the longest war of the 20th century." -- Joseph Kechichian, Library Journal "A balanced analysis that fills a gap on most shelves." -- Gil Taylor, Booklist "This outstanding book, must reading for anyone wishing to understand the background of Saddam Hussein's ill-fated seizure of Kuwait, helps to clarify the often bewildering and contradictory political signals coming out of Iran over the last decade." -- Choice