“Maj. Peter Munson provides a powerful and erudite explanation of what he calls ‘the strange ways of Iraqi politics,’ illuminating what Americans have learned in six torturous years and suggesting what we should have known from the beginning.”—From the foreword by Steven Metz, author of Iraq and the Evolution of American Strategy “Peter Munson brings his expert knowledge, interest, and ... Read moreexperience to this superb work. He describes, in depth, those factors of culture and history that worked against the overly optimistic assessments of Pentagon planners in the work up to the Iraq intervention. This is a must-read for those who want to understand the critical lessons of failing to include a true understanding of complex cultures and situations in planning for war.”—General Anthony C. Zinni, USMC (Ret.) “Peter Munson has written a highly accessible and empathetic history of the Iraq war. Drawing on diverse sources and his own personal observations, he identifies the social, political, and economic factors that have shaped Iraqi society, and he charts how the U.S. mission in Iraq has unfolded since the fall of Baghdad. Munson’s understanding of academic works on Iraq and debates in policy-making circles is impressive. He has combined that insight with a soldier’s ground-level observations to provide a unique perspective. Instructive, informed, well researched, objective, and thoughtful, the book does well to make accessible complex issues to general readers, and all along remains true to other interpretations by academics, journalists, and policy-makers.”—Vali Nasr, author of The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future “Iraq in Transition is one of the most detailed and readable analyses of the evolution of the violence within Iraq. The author has delved deep into Iraqi sociopolitical and economic dynamics to provide us with a thorough description of the origins of the conflict within and among the various communities within the country."—Ahmed S. Hashim, professor of strategic studies, United States Naval War College, and author of Insurgency and Counter-Insurgency in Iraq "A timely and useful contribution to our understanding of the political and military forces behind the nightly news headlines from that embroiled nation. Iraq in Transition provides a complete history beginning with how Iraq was formed, the impact of Islam, and the 'rise of the tribes' within Iraq's power structures. . . . Highly recommended for academic and community library Iraqi studies and international studies reference collections, as well as nonspecialist general readers with an interest in understanding the events of the past several years in Iraq and what America can expect in the years to come."—Midwest Book Review “A ‘must’ for any library strong in considering the social issues of the Middle East.”—California Bookwatch Show Less