Description: Noted Middle East expert Polk sets the current Iraqi crisis within the context of world history as he illuminates the role played by guerrilla warriors in several conflicts throughout history, including the American Revolution and struggles in Ireland, Algeria, and Spain.
Brief description:
William R. Polk taught Middle Eastern history and politics and Arabic at Harvard until 1961, when he became a member of the Policy Planning Council of the U.S. Department of State. In 1965, he became Professor of History at the University of Chicago, where he established the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. His many books include The Birth of America and Understanding Iraq.