The Shi'is of Iraq

In this book Nakash paints a picture of change and how it has affected the mid to southern part of Iraq. Iraqi Arabs in the late nineteenth century began to convert to Shiism en masse. However, in contrast to the Iranian system, where Shiism had been a state religion got five hundred years, Iraqi Shia stayed cloistered in their seminaries in Najaf and Karbela This major difference between Iraqi and Iranian Shia, a question too many prognosticators who likely don't know the difference between Sunni and Shiite but claim to know what is going on in the middle east today. The people who claim to be experts on cable news likely won't read this book, but it would be a step in the right direction. This book is also for serious scholars, because Nakash goes through great detail the history of corpse traffic, the history of relations between the urban centers such as Baghdad, and Southern Iraq, largely poor with only a few cities. While a bit cumbersome to get through, the writer may have had thought that his audience would only be academics, but in this environment this book should be widely read by as wide an audience aas possible. I highly recommend this book

I came across this book in a public library when I wanted to know more about the Iraq war events. I have read it. I have found it a well researched and informative piece of good scholarly work. Recently a friend of mine wanted to know more about the people of Iraq. I could not find a better readable reference on a significant part of the Iraqi society. Therefore I proceeded to buying a copy to present it as a gift to this friend. Recommended

To tell you the truth, and as an Iraqi, I was at first suspicious of the author's motives of writing this book. However, from the first page, and through his diligence, well documented and footnoted research, I was immediately convinced that I had a scholarly book on the Shias of Iraq in my hands. At the same time, and for a detailed look at the socio-economic motivation behind Shia involvement in Iraqi politics (large landowners, Sayids, and Chalabis) take a look at Hanna Batatu's incredible "Old Social Classes" (Part I).

The author takes you straight to the subject and sinks deep into details that are rarely found in other books published in the English language. Excellent research with knowledge of culture and tradition that associates with this highly sensitive area. The most important argument made is that Shi'is of Iraq became a majority in the mid 19th century due to the active role of the seminaries in Najaf and Karabala spreading Shiisim Islam among the recently settled Arab tribes.