First published in 1978, Batatu's extraordinarily detailed text is considered the definitive social history of twentieth century Iraq. The work is actually three volumes in one. The first discusses the evolution of the social groups existing in Iraq at the beginning of the twentieth century. The second tells the story of the emerging communist movement through the 1950s. The third examines the 1958 revolution itself and the role of different social groups both before and after it occurred. All three use both unique primary sources and detailed oral histories to examine the changing cultural, social, economic and political landscape that led to revolution.