Gr 9 Up-This political history emphasizes events from 1932, when Britain formally granted Iraq independence, to the January 2005 elections and March 2005 convening of the Iraqi National Assembly. Sinkler discusses the origins of the Baath Party and the Shiite and Kurdish opposition movements. Sidebars touch on related issues, such as the British bombing of Kurdistan with chemical and biological warheads in 1920 and Saddam Hussein's battle with Kuwait over oil prices. Black-and-white photographs are included. Although this volume is fairly compact, it contains detailed and accurate background information on the current situation in Iraq that would be useful for reports or debates.-Kathleen E. Gruver, Burlington County Library, Westampton, NJ Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.