Table of Contents

The man and his world; the lean years; second among equals; the Algiers Agreement; the "strong man in Baghdad"; President; the house that Hussein built; "Qadisiyat Saddam"; the origins of the Gulf War; riding the storm (1980-88); Kuwait and beyond; perspectives.

Reviews

Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and the subsequent war in the Persian Gulf resulted in a number of quick and shallow analyses of Hussein's ``mind.'' Karsh, an Israeli scholar at King's College in London, and Rautsi of the University of Helsinki have provided a detailed and dispassionate account of Hussein's rise to power and the political milieu in which he thrived. Relying on Western, Soviet, Arab, and Israeli sources, the authors meticulously trace the violent history of modern Iraq and the coming to power of the Ba'th Party. They also explain in depth how Hussein skillfully created ``plots'' that led to the physical elimination of his actual or imaginary opponents. Notwithstanding his ability to outmaneuver his domestic opponents, Hussein's ambitions to become the undisputed Arab leader led him into two catastrophic foreign ventures--the war against Iran, which ruined Iraq's economy, and his invasion of Kuwait, which resulted in the total destruction of Iraq's military and industrial capacity. This much-needed book is thorough, up-to-date, and highly readable. Recommended for scholars of the modern Middle East as well as informed laypersons. Previewed in ``The Gulf War in Print,'' LJ 3/15/91.--Ed.-- Nader Entessar, Spring Hill Coll., Mobile, Ala.