Middle East History

Praise for earlier editions: "An examination of the growth of different cultural & national roots in the region, examining both the roots of conflict & bitterness & local struggles for independence & recognition. The result is a lively, involving text." Midwest Book Review "An excellent text.... Goldschmidt's approach is conversational, direct, & trenchant.... Extremely succinct, yet a model of clarity.... When it comes to the favorite myths that enwrap the Arab-Israeli conflict, he is incisive in his critique. No party escapes his analysis unscathed, but each is sympathetically portrayed in very human dimensions with special concern for deeply held attitudes & their roots." Middle East Journal "A lively & interesting account that is likely to allow students to understand & learn more than they might from a stuffy academic text.... A balanced interpretation which allows more than one view of any number of controversial issues.... Thorough & carefully balanced." The History Teacher

This work provides a comprehensive analysis of modern Middle Eastern history from the Ottoman and Egyptian reforms, through the challenge of Western imperialism, to the Iranian Revolution and the Gulf War.

Roger Owen has fully revised and up-dated his authoritative text to take into account the considerable developments in the Middle East in the 1990's. As with the first edition, this book explores the emergence of individual Middle Eastern states since the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War and some of the key themes that have characterised the region. State Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East 2nd edition has been up-dated to take into account the end of the Cold War, the Gulf War and Israeli-Palestinian peace process. It also covers almost all Middle Eastern countries, including the member states of the Arab League, Iran, Israel and Turkey. Key themes such as the state and its formation, the role of the military within the political system, the politics of economic restructuring, democracy and electoral practice, and the changing relationship between religion and politics are explored. A new chapter looking at the role of non-state actors such as workers, women and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza is included. This book continues to serve as an excellent introduction for new-comers to the modern history and politics of a region that is usually portrayed as mysterious, unpredictable and violent.

Sicker explores the political history of the Middle East from antiquity to the Arab conquest from a geopolitical perspective. He provides ample evidence that geographical and religious factors conditioning political decision-making have tended to promote military solutions to essentially political problems, a pattern that characterizes subsequent events in the region.

The Cold War has been researched in minute detail and written about at great length but it remains one of the most elusive and enigmatic conflicts of modern times. With the ending of the Cold War, it is now possible to review the entire post-war period, to examine the Cold War as history. The Middle East occupies a special place in the history of the Cold War. It was critical to its birth, its life and its demise. In the aftermath of the Second World War, it became one of the major theatres of the Cold War on account of its strategic importance and its oil resources. The key to the international politics of the Middle East during the Cold War era is the relationship between external powers and local powers. Most of the existing literature on the subject focuses on the policies of the Great Powers towards the local region. The Cold War and the Middle East redresses the balance by concentrating on the policies of the local actors. It looks at the politics of the region not just from the outside in but from the inside out. The contributors to this volume are leading scholars in the field whose interests combine International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies.

In this completely updated sixth edition, Peretz offers a comprehensive introduction to the history, politics, and contemporary life of the Middle East. Peretz focuses on the major countries in the Middle East, placing emphasis on their political institutions and reports the most recent developments in a volatile region.