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The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq: A Study of Iraq's Old Landed and Commercial Classes and of Its Communists, Ba'thists and Free Officers
Book by Batatu, Hanna
1901 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 1979
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About the author
Hanna Batatu
11 books83 followerswas a Palestinian American Marxist historian specializing in the history of Iraq and the modern Arab east. His work on Iraq is widely considered the pre-eminent study of modern Iraqi history.
Born in Jerusalem in 1926, Hanna Batatu emigrated to the United States in 1948, the year of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. From 1951 to 1953, he studied at Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He gained his doctorate at political science in Harvard University in 1960, with a dissertation entitled The Shaykh and the Peasant in Iraq, 1917-1958. From 1962 to 1982 he taught at the American University of Beirut, then from 1982 until his retirement in 1994 at Georgetown University in the United States
Born in Jerusalem in 1926, Hanna Batatu emigrated to the United States in 1948, the year of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War. From 1951 to 1953, he studied at Georgetown University's Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service. He gained his doctorate at political science in Harvard University in 1960, with a dissertation entitled The Shaykh and the Peasant in Iraq, 1917-1958. From 1962 to 1982 he taught at the American University of Beirut, then from 1982 until his retirement in 1994 at Georgetown University in the United States
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
February 15, 2011
Finally finished after quite a few early morning slogs, this book is amazing.
A panoramic masterpiece of social history.
If only more academics would write like this.
What more can I say, read it!
A panoramic masterpiece of social history.
If only more academics would write like this.
What more can I say, read it!
April 6, 2014
Hanna Batatu’s massive history The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq offers a detailed account of the social forces that shaped political configurations in Iraq from nineteenth century under Ottoman rule until 1977. His book consists of three sections. The first section discusses the transformation of the old social classes from an enfeebled class under Ottoman rule to an influential clique that preserved its interests at the center in collaboration with the ex-Sharifian officers and the Hashemite royal family (1920-1958). Batatu traces this development to the land policies that the British implemented during the mandate years (1920-1932). The second section of the book deals with the emergence and development of the Iraqi Communist Party (ICP) between 1930s and 1950s. Couched in enormous amount of detail, the central theme of this section links ICP’s efforts to the anti-British national movement. Although ICP received heavy blows from suppressive governments of Iraq, it nevertheless managed to mobilize urban masses on social issues through championing the Arab nationalist cause. The final section concerns itself with the years leading up to the 1958 Revolution and its aftermath under the Baathist rule. Batatu here reproaches Qasim, the new Republican government’s president, for his political ineptitude. Qasim quickly became fearful of the ICP’s growing influence and initiated a witch hunt against ICP members. The Baath party, which wrested power in a coup in 1968, continued this suppressive trend, resulting in further decline in ICP’s influence.
Batatu’s comprehensive study of Iraqi social classes provides a breakthrough in Iraqi historiography. He uses numerous sources in Arabic, Turkish, and English successfully to render his Marxist reading of class formation in Iraq. Iraq’s entry into the global market economy under the British led to the rapid development of a social middle class. The British control over a corrupt comprador government provided the platform and the impetus to a fully conscious urban middle class to mobilize. The peak of its accomplishments manifested in the 1958 Revolution. The incoherence of this middle class, however, led to the rise in power of authoritarian elements with narrow bases of support. Batatu’s detailed book contains many new findings. The orchestration of this massive amount of information calls for a meticulous mind, which Batatu proves to own. The readers, though, might at times find themselves overwhelmed and confused about the direction of the main arguments.
Batatu’s comprehensive study of Iraqi social classes provides a breakthrough in Iraqi historiography. He uses numerous sources in Arabic, Turkish, and English successfully to render his Marxist reading of class formation in Iraq. Iraq’s entry into the global market economy under the British led to the rapid development of a social middle class. The British control over a corrupt comprador government provided the platform and the impetus to a fully conscious urban middle class to mobilize. The peak of its accomplishments manifested in the 1958 Revolution. The incoherence of this middle class, however, led to the rise in power of authoritarian elements with narrow bases of support. Batatu’s detailed book contains many new findings. The orchestration of this massive amount of information calls for a meticulous mind, which Batatu proves to own. The readers, though, might at times find themselves overwhelmed and confused about the direction of the main arguments.
March 17, 2019
Absurdly deep and well researched history, very eager to finish and dig into more of Mr. Batatu's works
June 21, 2018
A must read book for a good understanding of Iraq, especially the twentieth century.
October 9, 2021
What a fantastic read. This is the best and most extensive book written about a country that I have ever read. If I have to recommend someone a book to learn about Iraq, this is it! Hanna Batatu goes in painstaking details to describe every single aspect of Iraqi life, the old social classes, commercial classes and the new revolutionary movements in Iraq. Hanna Batatu has drawn material from government documents and interviews with key figures and fully utilised them to highlight the multi-faceted layers of Iraq. He has included statistics on land ownership, party membership of various parties (including religious sect, ethnicity etc.) and trade unions and other socialist organisations. He has also made sure to include the ethnic, tribal, economic and religious make up of the country as well as the different movements in Iraq. I believe that any person who wish to understand Iraq, must read this book.
March 3, 2015
An incomparable study of 20th Century Iraq
This is the best history of modern Iraq available in English, dealing mainly with the period between the revolt against British rule in 1920 and the final ascendancy of the Ba'ath Party in 1968. A work of admirable and inspiring scholarship, it creates a complex and nuanced portrait of the country in a period of upheaval and change. It is the first book that any serious student of Iraqi history should read and it contains many insights and gems for those who do not have the patience or incentive to read it from cover to cover. It is, however, a splendid academic magnum opus rather than an easily assimilated rough guide!
This is the best history of modern Iraq available in English, dealing mainly with the period between the revolt against British rule in 1920 and the final ascendancy of the Ba'ath Party in 1968. A work of admirable and inspiring scholarship, it creates a complex and nuanced portrait of the country in a period of upheaval and change. It is the first book that any serious student of Iraqi history should read and it contains many insights and gems for those who do not have the patience or incentive to read it from cover to cover. It is, however, a splendid academic magnum opus rather than an easily assimilated rough guide!
November 20, 2019
This was a long and I stress long read but it was worth it. It is the best book I have read on the social and political history of modern Iraq. I recommend it for students, scholars and anyone who wants to understand how Iraq’s past shaped the country today. If you are looking for a extensive history of class struggles and Communist Parties in the Middle East this book is for you.
October 6, 2011
Perhaps the most enlightening and thorough book on Iraq. I recommend this book to everyone heading down range to work in Iraq; State Dept or military.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews