The second edition of a highly respected history of Iraq since the construction of the modern state in 1920. Written for lay readers and students of the Middle East, The Modern History of Iraq, Second Edition, places in historical perspective the multiple crises and upheavals that afflict contemporary Iraq. The book focuses on several important themes: the search for national identity in a multi-ethnic, multi-religious state; the struggle to achieve economic development and modernity in a traditional society; and the political dynamics that have led to the current dire situation in Iraq. While much remains opaque about contemporary Iraq because of its closed political system, Marr has used published sources in Arabic and English, personal interviews, and frequent visits to Iraq to produce a remarkably lucid and readable account of the emergence of contemporary Iraq and the forces that have shaped it.