Shockingly inglorious...SHOCKINGLY...a glance at Iraq's demographics today demonstrates how this book misinterprets history. Six years on and the book is so off the mark...assumptions...contradictions...lack of focus...also, I have to say it is, in no small part, hypocritical, to criticize a country's history of hardship and war (that play on peace and blood); to try to make a profit out of it...when the presence of western troops has outlived interest in the book...It's one thing to be wrong, it's entirely another, to be wrong and think you are correct.....

I loved this book! Yes, it is slow in the beginning. But that was due to trying to grasp the history of Baghdad from the prophet Mohammad's time down to the period that has names we are more familiar with. But you have to do that early history to understand the animosity between Shia and Sunni. Then when it down into more modern times it picks up.

I have studied the history of Mesopotamia but this is the first book I have read on just the city of Baghdad. I have always had a passion for Baghdad. The city has swung from being bloody to peace and back to be bloody. But during its "Golden Ages" it had to have been a wonderful place to live. Now my heart aches for it.

Baghdad truly was the Cradle of Civilization. The arts, sciences, literature, poetry that came from there was amazing. It was a city for intellectuals. I do find it sad now that the Jewish community that was there throughout history is now gone. And it may be happening now to the Christian community. Baghdad used to be a place that thrived from diversity. Now that diversity is being smothered.

The book brought back memories of my rides in a Rhino along Route Irish, the most dangerous stretch of road in the world. It also brought back memories of evenings spent with the Iraqis over the delicious Iraqi food -- the fellowship, the laughter. Even in such dangerous conditions, they could laugh and appreciate life and the desire for freedom for their children and grandchildren.

The Baghdadi people have had to be strong and resilient while surviving the many raids upon and the power-hungry rulers that cared nothing for the people. Justin Marozzi did an amazing job with his research and pulling it all together. My only complaint with this book was that I could not easily access the numerous footnotes. However, that was not the author's fault. I received the digital galley from Net Galley, and it was just too cumbersome to try to get to the footnotes and then back to where I was. I imagined that problem is resolved with the finalized e-book. There is a wonderful bibliography at the end. I will be reading some of the books listed there. ( )