3 Review(s)

The ruins of ancient Babylon still stand in Iraq. They are a reminder that today's conflict is only one of many that have engulfed the country, and the wider Middle East, over the centuries. This book argues that America new invasion and occupation of Iraq marks a turning point in the West's relationship with the Arab world, and alters the balance of power within the Middle East itself. Bestselling author John Cooley, a former correspondent for ABC News, paints a vivid picture of Iraq's pivotal role in the Arab world. Many books have examined the conflicts between the United States and Iraq, but they ignore an important factor: the role played by Israel. John Cooley is the first author to examine in depth the relationship between Iraq, Israel and the United States. Spanning a broad swathe of history, he starts with the biblical story of the Jews' Babylonian captivity, and how the Muslims, Jews and other peoples in the three Turkish provinces of Mesopotamia morphed into today's Iraq.He shows how the twentieth century's two World Wars fundamentally changed the Middle East, and explains how US and Israeli interests seemed contradictory at first, but how their gradual convergence did much to cement the US-Israeli alliance of today. Drawing from unpublished sources, as well as from John Cooley's personal encounters with principal players such as David ben-Gurion, the Shah of Iran, Anwar al-Sadat, King Hussein of Jordan and Saddam Hussein himself, this book is a uniquely valuable account of the complex history of this troubled country and why it continues to be at the heart of world affairs.