About the Book
Few countries boast as long and often proud a history as Iraq. It can be traced back thousands of years and includes high points with Sumer, Babylon and the Assyrians. It later came under Muslim rule, and also achieved considerable progress, only to be conquered by the Mongols, Ottomans, Mamluks and British. So it was actually only in 1932 that modern Iraq was at least formally in control of its own destiny, and again underwent considerable ups and downs, most recently under the strong but ultimately destructive rule of Saddam Hussein, who has since been replaced by what remains an often ineffectual interim regime.
This long and tortuous path is traced in the Historical Dictionary of Iraq, whose chronology starts in the year 6500 and ends in the year 2012, an amazingly long stretch. Fortunately, this is put into perspective in the introduction, which helps readers understand what went right, and what went wrong, over this period of millennia. The dictionary section then provides further information on significant persons, places and events, ancient civilizations and more recent regimes, political parties and institutions, as well as more generally the economy, society, culture and ethnic groups, and alas the wars. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Iraq.
About the Author :
Beth K. Dougherty is a professor of international relations at Beloit College, where she specializes in Middle Eastern Affairs. She was the lead author for this second edition, having largely contributed to the first as well.
Edmund Ghareeb is a professor at American University and he was the lead author for the first edition, has also contributed considerably to this second one. He has followed and written on events in the Middle East, and more particularly Iraq, first as a journalist, then as an academic.
Review :
Given the cataclysmic events in Iraq since 2004, this updated work (1st ed., CH, Oct'04, 42-0698), part of the "Historical Dictionaries of Asia, Oceania, and the Middle East" series, provides essential information on recent developments. This hefty volume by Dougherty and Ghareeb is comprehensive, covering the economy, ethnic groups, foreign relations, government, literature, and religion. The 49-page introduction is a readable narrative summary about Iraq from earliest times to the present. A chronology lists major occurrences from around 6500 BCE through June 2013, with detailed events by month or day from 1990 onward. Dictionary entries constitute the book's major portion, with related entries indicated by boldface words within definitions. Many definitions are encyclopedic: over three pages for the 'Desert Storm, Operation' entry and six pages for 'Foreign Policy.' Four appendixes provide lists of Iraqi government officials from 1920 to 2012 as well as 2005 to 2010 election results; UN Security Council Resolutions and outdated media lists from the first edition were omitted. A valuable bibliography is organized topically with introductory commentary on significant works. . . .Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers.
I have reviewed several of the historical dictionaries in this series and they are outstanding works. This timely volume is no exception. The scope covers the long span of history from ancient Mesopotamia through 2013, with attention to ethnic, religious, political, and ideological groups; individuals; cultural elements; and much more. Besides the hundreds of well-crafted entries, the volume includes a lengthy chronology, maps (including a tribal area breakdown), a fine historical essay, and several useful appendixes. The appendixes include the structures and individuals of political leadership since 1920 and the important Iraqi individuals, organizations, and election results from 2005-2013. The general bibliography and an extensive topical bibliography are both quite good. This edition has considerably more entries than the last edition published in 2004 and the bibliography has also been significantly expanded. The compiler, Edmund Ghareeb, is a leading scholar of Kurdish Studies and a prolific author on many aspects of the region. Beth Dougherty specializes in ethnic conflict and human rights. Iraq will continue to be in the forefront for many years to come and this source will be a valuable one for libraries to have available.
The Historical Dictionary of Iraq by Beth Dougherty and Edmund Ghareeb is a second-edition book, updated from the first edition which was published in 2004. . . .Not only does it cover terms, but also people and locations. With black text on white pages, this is easy for everyone to read. . . .[T]he material contained in this dictionary is impressive. The reviewer has not encountered such an exhaustive collection of information about Iraq in any other source. This well-written updated edition of Historical Dictionary of Iraq is full of quality and trustworthy information and is recommended to anyone interested in learning more about the country and its history.
