The Reckoning

The book explores the complex historical, religious, ethnic, and political forces that shaped Saddam Hussein's dictatorship in Iraq. It examines the implications of his regime's collapse, questioning whether a post-Hussein Iraq could lead to greater instability and conflict, potentially more severe than the Balkan wars. The narrative emphasizes Iraq's lack of a cohesive national identity, created through Hussein's divisive rule, and highlights the critical importance of Iraq's future for U.S. relations with the Muslim world.