Death, Dominance, and State-Building

In Death, Dominance, and State-Building, Roger Petersen displays his signature combination of intellectual creativity with careful attention to on-the ground dynamics. Petersen embeds a study of nuanced variation across time and space within a fascinating macro-level account of the politics of group competition in Iraq. This book is required reading for anyone interested in civil war, US foreign policy, or the politics of violent state-building. * Paul Staniland, Professor of Political Science, University of Chicago *When it comes to studying resistance and violence inside states, few scholars are in Roger Petersen’s class. Unsurprisingly, his new book on how the war in Iraq played out over time is filled with smart insights and clever analysis. Death, Dominance, and State-Building is a must read for anyone seriously committed to understanding the Iraq war. * John J. Mearsheimer, University of Chicago, and author of How States Think *Roger Petersen proves once again that he is the master of the analysis of emotion in ethnic conflict. When resentment and dominance fears are engaged, beware. Here is yet another reason to think twice before embarking on a counterinsurgency campaign. * Jack Snyder, Robert and Renée Belfer Professor of International Relations, Political Science Department, Columbia University *The long-awaited study of the wars in Iraq across their full expanse from 2003 to 2020. Incisive, erudite, and revealing. * Carter Malkasian, Author of Illusions of Victory: The Anbar Awakening and the Rise of the Islamic State *Petersen’s book is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the complexity of modern COIN. While his framework may appear technical at first, it provides a compelling and necessary account of how local dynamics, strategic improvisation, and institutional limits shaped U.S. operations in Iraq. * Lu Liu, China International Strategy Review *

Roger D. Petersen is the Arthur and Ruth Sloan Professor of Political Science. He holds BA, MA, and PhD degrees from the University of Chicago and has taught at MIT since 2001. Petersen focuses on within-state conflict and violence. He has written three books: Resistance and Rebellion: Lessons from Eastern Europe (2001), Understanding Ethnic Violence: Fear, Hatred, Resentment in Twentieth Century Eastern Europe (2002), and Western Intervention in the Balkans: The Strategic Use of Emotion in Conflict (2011). He teaches courses on military intervention, civil-military relations, politics and conflict in the Balkans and the Middle East, and emotions and politics.