IRAQ
 
Saddam Hussein
Said K Aburish
Fascinating insight into the rise of Saddam . . . and the West's complicity
 
A history of Iraq
Charles Tripp
Good overview of the country's often troubled past
 
Neighbours, not friends: Iraq and Iran after the Gulf wars
Dilip Hiro

A good overview of the contemporary history of both countries by a writer who knows the region well