This book, first published in 1937, is being re-issued now in response to recent events in the Middle East - events which have left many specialists trying to discern the region's future by looking to its past. The book explores the process by which Iraq was transformed from a 'remote' and neglected portion of the Ottoman Empire in 1914 to a political unit possessing all the machinery of a modern state. The growth of Arab nationalism in the region, the establishment of a provisional government and the search for a ruler all had to be attended to by the British in the mandated territory. Unmistakable modern-day parallels make this a fascinating book for Middle East scholars and followers of current events.