Author Ida Staudt (1875-1952) and her husband arrived in Baghdad in 1924, at the founding of the new nation of Iraq, to open The American School for Boys in Baghdad. For 24 years, the Staudts taught Iraqi boys from all walks of life and religions and formed close relationships with their students' families, allowing them an intimate view of all of Iraqi society's classes, from the royal palace to desert tents. Ida Staudt's memoir, unpublished until now, includes historical background as context for her stories of her travels to villages, cities, and rural areas during an era of pluralism and tolerance in the new country. The book includes a few b&w photos. Editor John Joseph (emeritus, Middle East history, Franklin and Marshall College) graduated from the American School for Boys in Baghdad in 1941. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)