I suppose it would be fair to say that this book is not a good introduction to the history of Iraq or of the Middle East in general. Although Polk covers a lot of history, he uses it solely to support his thesis that the US occupation is unlikely to make Iraq a better place and that anyone with any idea of history would realise this and maybe even do a better job. In a world where inconvenient bits of history, even recent history, tend to be quietly swept under the carpet this makes a refreshing read. So if you want a clearer idea of why the Iraqis react in the way they do to what the West does I whole heartedly recommend this perceptive little book. As the author says in the introduction:
'Both as a historian and as a planner of government policy, I tremble at Hegel's admonition that "Peoples and governments never have learned anything from history or acted on principles deduced from it." Let us pray that we can prove him wrong. Otherwise, as the American philosopher George Santayana warned, we shall be doomed to repeat it.'
Harper Collins, 221 pages