Description
Book SynopsisAhmad presents a social history of the war's leading agents the neoconservatives and shows how this ideologically coherent group of determined political agents used the contingency of 9/11 to overwhelm a sceptical foreign policy establishment, military brass and intelligence apparatus, propelling the US into war.
Trade Review'This forcefully argued and meticulously researched book turns out to be enormously relevant to the present moment - Let me reiterate the enormous significance and relevance of The Road to Iraq. It is a work of tremendous intellectual diligence and moral seriousness. We are all indebted to Ahmad for undertaking this major contribution to the debate on one of the central events of this century, whose aftershocks continue to unfold daily, to disastrous effect. With the neocons poised to make a comeback, this book serves as a cautionary tale of bracing urgency. It is a must-read guide to the history of the present.' - Danny Postel, Associate Director of the Center for Middle East Studies, University of Denver, in The Drouth. 'Ahmad, who teaches journalism in the UK and writes for a variety of American and European publications, traces the remarkable history of neoconservatism in minute detail. He demonstrates its consistent role as the voice of cold-war thinking, segueing smoothly from militant anti-Communism of the era of Scoop Jackson (the "Senator from Boeing") to the new opportunities afforded by Islamic fundamentalism since the 1990s.' - James B. Rule, Dissent. 'A superb analysis of how and why a small band of neoconservatives helped push the United States into a disastrous war. Far from being tough-minded patriots, Ahmad reveals them to be deceitful and manipulative self-promoters who remain influential in policy-making circles, despite the enormous cost of their past follies. His analysis is nuanced, his research comprehensive, and the story he tells is profoundly disturbing.' - Stephen Walt, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgements; Introduction; 1. Black Gold and Red Herrings; 2. Origins and Interests; 3. Ideology and Institutions; 4. Setting the Agenda; 5. Selling the War; Conclusions; Appendix: Mearsheimer and Walt, Redux.
