The Iran-Iraq war /

This volume is a broad collection of pieces dealing with issues ranging from the legal interpretations of the powers of the Secretary General of the UN in conflict resolution to historical definitions of aggression and moral responsibilities of leaders. Mostly dealing with the causes, dynamics, and implications of the Iran-Iraq war, the authors address the domestic, regional, and global impacts of the war and attempt to draw conclusions for the law of war and suggest avenues for improving it. Although most pieces are quite analytical and well written, the book as a whole suffers from a rigorous analytical framework. Some discussions are too historical and legalistic and disregard the contemporary political considerations in the war. For instance, the book lacks a comprehensive discussion of the superpower and great power interests and strategies. Although the book is designed to present the Iranian perspective, ironically it is not as subjective as the reader might initially expect. Overall, this collection compares well with the major works on this subject. Undergraduate collections. M. Tamadonfar; University of Nevada, Las Vegas