Contested City

Alissa Walter is Associate Professor of History at Seattle Pacific University.

Introduction I. The Making of Modern Baghdad 1. Slums and Subdivisions 2. Baghdad Becomes a War Zone II. Citizen Advocacy and Local Governance 3. The Weaponization of Food Rations 4. The Politics of Petitions 5. Prostitution and Policing III. Aftermath of the US Invasion 6. Patchwork Power and Essential Services Conclusion

"Alissa Walter provides a compelling narrative that weaves the stories of Baghdadi men and women as they manage their lives, shaping and challenging the everyday limitations created by sanctions, political repression, and corruption. Contested City marks a valuable contribution on everyday practices of citizenship in authoritarian and post-authoritarian states in the post-Cold War period." -Dina Rizk Khoury, George Washington University "Analytically nuanced and meticulously researched, Contested City contributes to our understanding of state-society relations during periods of violence. Detailing the impacts of wars and U.S.-imposed sanctions on families, Alissa Walter highlights the ways in which individuals navigated the Ba'thist regime and elevates ordinary Iraqi voices." -Alda Benjamen, University of Dayton "Walter provides both lay and expert readers with a comprehensive account of how Iraqis in Baghdad endured the turbulence of Bathist rule and the collapse of Saddam's regime. She skillfully blends insights about the layout and municipal structure of Baghdad with state-society relations to illustrate how ordinary citizens cooperated with, contended against, and sought autonomy from the regime."-Austin J. Knuppe, The Developing Economies "Contested City offers us a way of thinking about how agency, citizenry and neighbourhoods function under authoritarian rule and in war situations. It challenges simple assumptions about state-society relations in Iraq and offers insight into people's lived reality and how they navigated the challenges in a modern urban city."-Usman Butt, Middle East Monitor