Includes bibliographical references (pages 437-450) and index

From cradle to crossroads -- Fumes -- War and petropolitics -- The continuing conflict

"In Banking on Baghdad, Edwin Black chronicles the history of a land long the center of world commerce and conflict. Tracing the involvement of Western governments and militaries, as well as oil, banking, and other corporate interests, Black pinpoints why today, just as throughout modern history, the world needs Iraq's resources - and remains determined to acquire and protect them. Banking on Baghdad documents the many ways Iraq's recent history mirrors its tumultuous past." "Black documents a long record of war profiteering in Iraq and takes a hard look at the corporations currently doing business there. With access to numerous oil company archives, the papers of a half dozen governments, and numerous other primary sources yielding some 50,000 documents, Banking on Baghdad tells a monumental story 7,000 years in the making." "From the annihilation of Baghdad by the Mongol Horde in 1258 to the lightning charge of American battle tanks in 2003, Iraq's history is defined by the blood spilt on its soil. Now, Banking on Baghdad provides the historical context lacking from the political discourse in the news media and in Washington circles. It argues that Iraq's future is inextricably linked to its tempestuous history, and that the ongoing conflict there may become just another tragic chapter in that country's long and calamitous record."--Jacket