Peter Sluglett is professor of history at the University of Utah. His books include (with Marion Farouk-Sluglett) Iraq since 1958: from revolution to dictatorship (3rd edition, 2001). This is the text of a talk he delivered in June 2003 at St. Antony’s College, Oxford.

Recent articles

A leading historian of modern Iraq describes a complex society – of religious and tribal groupings, and competing political ideologies (Arabism, nationalism, communism) – whose oil resources made it invaluable to its colonial masters. Does Iraq’s experience of British rule from the 1920s-1950s offer lessons for its governance today?

(This article was first published on 3 June 2003)