Saddam Hussein: A Political Biography

Efraim Karsh · Inari Rautsi

Dec 2007 · Grove/Atlantic, Inc.

About this eBook

“Probably the best biography of Saddam Hussein...[it] presents a coherent view of a man who has generated a good deal of mythology” (Roger Hardy, BBC World Service).

Authors Efraim Karsh and Inari Rautsi, experts on Middle East history and politics, have combined their expertise to write what is largely considered the definitive work on Iraq’s fifth president. Drawing on a wealth of Iraqi, Arab, Western, and Israeli sources, including interviews with people who have had close contact with Saddam Hussein throughout his career, the authors trace the meteoric transformation of an ardent nationalist and obscure Ba’ath party member into a dictator and geopolitical player.

From Saddam’s key role in the violent coup that brought the Ba’ath party to power, to the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, and beyond, Karsh and Rautsi present a detailed biography that skillfully interweaves analysis of Gulf politics and history. Now with a new introduction and epilogue, this authoritative biography is essential for understanding the life and influence of this modern tyrant.

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About the author

Efraim Karsh is Professor and Head of the Mediterranean Studies Programme at King's College, University of London. He has held various academic posts at the Sorbonne, the London School of Economics, Columbia University, Helsinki University, the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London, the Kennan Institute for Advanced Russian Studies in Washington D.C., and the Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies at Tel-Aviv University. Professor Karsh has published extensively on Middle Eastern affairs, Soviet foreign policy, and European neutrality.
Professor Karsh is a regular commentator to the media, has appeared on all the main radio and television networks in the United Kingdom and the United States, and has contributed articles to leading newspapers, including The New York Times, The New York Times Magazine, The International Herald Tribune, The Los Angeles Times, The London Times, The Sunday Times, and The Daily Telegraph.
Inari Rautsi is a research fellow in International Relations at the University of Helsinki who specializes in Middle East history and politics.