"This is the first authoritative, up-to-date survey of the history of Iraq from earliest times to the present, in any language. The book presents a concise narrative of the rich and varied history of this land, drawing on political, social, economic, artistic, technological, and intellectual material. It also includes excerpts from works of Sumerian, Akkadian, and Arabic literature, some of which are translated here for the first time into English."--BOOK JACKET.