Middle Eastern history Books

Book SynopsisThe story of how a group of warriors, driven by faith, greed and wanderlust, carved out new Christian-ruled states in the Middle East is one of the most extraordinary of all epics. The crusaders'' stunning initial success started a sequence of great Crusades, each with its own story, that fundamentally shaped the Christian and Muslim worlds for two centuries, until the last Crusader castles were finally expunged. The energy and commitment that sent army after army into the eastern Mediterranean also led to the invasion and conversion of Central and Baltic Europe, Spain, Portugal, the destruction of the Cathars in Provence and the settlement of America. Told with great verve and authority, God''s War is the definitive account of a fascinating but also horrifying story.We are still living with the images and legends of the crusadesTyerman tells us how the Church set about preaching the crusades, exploiting the perennial pessimism and guilt of the European nobility of the Middle Ages. He shows how crusading ideology penetrated the religious sensibility of the period, as well as its secular fiction and poetryOf all the modern histories of the crusades it is the shrewdest, the most reliable and the most complete.' The Spectator

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Book SynopsisA feast for beer geeks and history buffs alike, In the Land of Ninkasi tells the story of the world''s first great beer culture. In this authoritative but light-hearted account of beers gone by, archaeologist Tate Paulette brings the famous land between the rivers back to life in vivid detail. We meet not only the beers of ancient Mesopotamia, but also the people who brewed them and drank them, the places where these people lived and worked, the taverns and temples and tombs where they did their drinking, the stories they told about beer, their preferred styles of drinking, their brewing equipment and drinking paraphernalia, the gods and goddesses who governed their lives and who were also partial to a drink.Rigorous in its scholarship, yet staunchly unpretentious in style, this beer-centered travel guide for a trip back in time offers a clear roadmap into the ancient source material for those who are new to Mesopotamia. Paulette weaves together insights drawn from archaeological remai

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Book SynopsisThe first full account of the medieval struggle for Jerusalem, from the seventh to the thirteenth centuryTrade Review“Hosler is a sure guide to this winding story. . . . This is an intriguing and occasionally eye-opening account of the Middle Ages’ most alluring city.”—Dan Jones, Sunday Times“This elegantly written monograph carefully evaluates a wide variety of surviving written and archaeological evidence to identify the factors that led to violence and/or peace in Jerusalem.”—Jessalynn Bird, sehepunkte“During the Middle Ages, Jerusalem did not go a century without armies surrounding and entering its walls. The city was continually sacked and the inhabitants massacred. Jerusalem Falls covers this violent and bloody history with thoroughness and brilliance. Reading it one can clearly agree with so many throughout history who wished that God cared a little less for a city that so many religions call ‘holy.’”—Kelly DeVries, author of Battles of the Crusades 1097–1444“With an original and thought-provoking approach, Hosler tackles the always controversial topic of Jerusalem. The seven centuries, from the Persian sack of 614 until the final fall of the Crusader city in 1244, are studded with successive brutal conflicts and conquests, but also with remarkable examples of rapprochement and concord. Hosler’s history will come as a revelation, and perhaps an optimistic one for readers mainly acquainted with the violent aspects of the Holy City’s past and present.”—Adrian J. Boas, author of Jerusalem in the Time of the Crusades

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Book Synopsis'Beautiful. Poignant. Phenomenal...I cried and I smiled...Truly a gem.' Goodreads reviewerA moving and heartbreaking journey of a daughter discovering her Palestinian roots and recovering her mother's beloved past. Perfect for fans of The Bookseller of Kabul and The Beekeeper of Aleppo.1948, Jerusalem. Zakia is forced to flee the only home she's ever known as war rips through the leafy streets and the bustling spice-filled souqs. Taking just one suitcase, Zakia thinks she'll be able to return soon. But within weeks, she realises she won't be allowed back to her beloved homeland. 2007, California. Mona grew up with her mother Zakia's memories of Palestine, imagining the muezzin's call for prayer and the medley of church bells her mother so vividly described to her. So, when Mona gets the opportunity to teach conflict resolution in Ramallah, she also embarks on a personal pilgrimage to find her mother's home in militarized and occupied Jerusalem.With cherished letters from her mother who writes to Mona regularly, sharing her story of Jerusalem, Mona dreams of one day being guided by her through the winding cobblestone alleys of the Old City. Yet it is Mona who instead holds her mother's hand as they finally visit Jerusalem together. After fifty-nine years of exile, her mother is returning to the place she once called home - but can a lifetime of loss ever be healed?

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE WOLFSON HISTORY PRIZEA SUNDAY TIMES PAPERBACK OF THE YEAR''Magnificent . . . Important and hugely readable'' William Dalrymple, Financial Times''A wildly ambitious and entertainingly lurid history'' James Barr, The Times''A panoramic and thought-provoking account'' Guardian''A winning portrait of seven centuries of empire, teeming with life and colour'' Sunday Times''Superb, gripping and refreshing'' Simon Sebag Montefiore''Sweeping, colorful, and rich in extraordinary characters'' Tom HollandThe major new history of a diverse empire that straddled East and West.The Ottoman Empire has long been depicted as the Islamic, Asian antithesis of the Christian, European West, when in reality, their multiethnic, multilingual, and multireligious domain reached deep into Europe''s heart. Recounting their remarkable rise to a world empire, MaTrade ReviewA wildly ambitious and entertainingly lurid history -- James Barr, The TimesHighly readable . . . Baer's fine book gives a panoramic and thought-provoking account of over half a millennium of Ottoman and - it now goes without saying - European history -- GuardianA winning portrait of seven centuries of empire, teeming with life and colour, human interest and oddity, cruelty and oppression mixed with pleasure, benevolence and great artistic beauty -- Sunday TimesA book as sweeping, colorful, and rich in extraordinary characters as the empire which it describes -- Tom Holland, author of DominionA compellingly readable account of one of the great world empires from its origins in thirteenth century to modern times ... Blending the sacred and the profane, the social and the political, the sublime and the absurd, Baer brings his subject to life in rich vignettes. An outstanding book -- Eugene Rogan, author of The Fall of the OttomansMarc David Baer's The Ottomans is a scintillating and brilliantly panoramic account of the history of the Ottoman empire, from its genesis to its dissolution ... It challenges and transforms how we think of 'East' and 'West,' 'Enlightenment,' and 'modernity,' and directly confronts the horrors as well as the achievements of Ottoman rule -- Peter Sarris, University of CambridgeBaer's colourful, readable book is informed by all the newest research on his massive subject. In showing how an epic of universal empire, conquest and toleration turned into the drama of nationalism, crisis, and genocide, he gives us not only an expansive history of the Ottomans, but an expanded history of Europe. -- James McDougall, University of OxfordExpertly captures the undercurrents of Ottoman history ... There's no study more masterful -- Library JournalA superb, gripping and refreshing new history - finely written and filled with fascinating characters and analysis - that places the dynasty where it belongs: at the centre of European history -- Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of The Romanovs and JerusalemA thrilling history of one of the world's largest empires -- All About HistoryProvocative and engaging, this book is a refreshing new study of the Ottoman Empire and its legacy . . . Populated by vivid characters and descriptions of events this book is well-paced, rich and beautifully executed. Essential reading not only for those interested in the history of the Middle East, but also for those interested more broadly in the history of Europe, the history of Empire and the politics of genocide -- Katherine PangonisAn epic, sweeping history of the Ottoman Empire . . . It's absolutely fabulous -- Alex Churchill, History Hack podcast[Baer's] enlightening forays into the side alleys of Ottoman history make this book very enjoyable . . . splendid -- Literary ReviewForceful history -- New YorkerA fuller, fresher view of the dynasty that ruled an empire for 500 years and helped shape the West . . . A major achievement -- Anthony Sattin, SpectatorMagnificent . . . Like a swift Ottoman caique cutting through the Sweet Waters of Asia, Baer's taut prose splices stereotypes and makes us think twice about long-held assumptions . . . [An] important and hugely readable book - a model of well-written, accessible scholarship -- William Dalrymple, Financial Times[A] fascinating, thought-provoking book that wears its learning lightly. It asks us not only to rethink the Ottomans, but also to consider what exactly constitutes being European. -- Roger Crowley, Aspects of HistoryBaer's portrait teems with life and colour -- The Sunday Times

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Book SynopsisA Financial Times Book Best Book of the Year 2020A Foreign Affairs Best Book of the Year 2020The gripping, untold story of how Saudi Arabia''s secretive and mercurial new ruler rose to power.Even in his youth as a prince among thousands of princes, Mohammed bin Salman nurtured sweeping ambitions. He wanted power enough of it to reshape his hyper-conservative, insular Islamic kingdom.When his elderly father took the throne in 2015, MBS got his chance. As the hands-on-ruler, he made seismic changes, working doggedly to overhaul the kingdom''s economy, loosen its strict Islamic social codes and confront nearby enemies, especially Iran. His vision initially won fans at home and abroad as he convinced other nations that the moment had come to bet big on Saudi Arabia. Over time, however, the sheen of the visionary young reformer has tarnished, leaving many wondering whether MBS is actually an aspiring dictator whose lack of experience and rash decisions are destabilizing the world''s most volatile region.Based on years of reporting and hundreds of covert interviews,MBSprovides new insights into Saudi Arabia's catastrophic military intervention in Yemen, the bizarre detention of the Lebanese prime minister, the surprise arrest of hundreds of princes and businessmen, and the greatest scandal of the young prince''s rise: the brutal murder of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi by Saudi state officials with links to MBS a crime that shocked the world.A riveting portrait of a determined autocrat on the rise, MBSasks how one man's actions and obsessions are shaking the Middle East.Trade Review‘Detailed and disturbing … Clear and convincing … the book’s strength is the thoroughness of its reporting… Hubbard does a brilliant job helping us understand Khashoggi the man as well as the operation that killed him’ New York Times ‘A fine account of the crown prince’s rise… Hubbard delivers a highly informed portrait, leavening his narrative with well-deserved scepticism, and leaves the reader wondering what lies ahead for the prince and his kingdom’ Guardian ‘He has spent more time in the kingdom than most other working western journalists … Moves at a brisk pace through the key events: the lifting of the women’s driving ban, coupled with the arrests and torture of the women who campaigned for it … Capping it all, of course, is Khashoggi’s murder’ Times ‘Can we trust this mysterious prince with our oil supplies, with our friendship – with the prospects of peace in the Middle East? If anyone can give us the answers to these life-and-death questions, it is the brilliant and compulsively readable Ben Hubbard.’ Robert Lacey, author of The Kingdom and Inside the Kingdom ‘Is Mohammed bin Salman, the crown prince and de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia, a modernizer or a murderer? Through dogged research and a remarkable ability to navigate the labyrinth that is Saudi society, Hubbard makes clear the answer is ‘both.’ MBS is a devastating portrait of the young and increasingly despotic prince whom President Trump calls “a very great friend” … Essential reading.’ Scott Anderson, author of Lawrence in Arabia ‘A rare and penetrating look behind the curtain of the world’s most important family and its dangerous new leader. Ben Hubbard brings all the strands together in this absorbing biography.’ Lawrence Wright

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Book Synopsis''INCOMPARABLE DEPTH AND UNDERSTANDINGAND EXTRAORDINARY COURAGE'' NOAM CHOMSKYThe final work from foreign correspondent Robert Fisk, picking up the story in the Middle East where his internationally bestselling The Great War of Civilisation left off, starting with the aftermath of the Iraq invasion in 2005.From the Arab uprisings and the Syrian civil war to Israel's conflicts with Palestine and Lebanon, Fisk condemns the West's ongoing hypocrisy and interference while revealing the horrific truth of life on the ground. Unafraid to criticise authority and unpick complex truths, hecreates a compelling narrative of passionate and engaging journalism, historical analysis and eyewitness reporting.With a Postscript by Nelofer Pazira-Fisk and a foreword by Patrick Cockburn, Night of Power delivers an essential and prophetic account of the last twenty years, which exposes the inescapable consequences of colonial oppression and violence in the Middle East.Every sentence of Robert Fisk radiates

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Book Synopsis'ROBERT FISK HAS BEEN REPORTING FROM THE MIDDLE EAST WITH INCOMPARABLE DEPTH AND UNDERSTANDINGAND EXTRAORDINARY COURAGE' NOAM CHOMSKY In this final work from renowned journalist Robert Fisk, he picks up reporting on the Middle East where his internationally bestselling The Great War of Civilisation left off.

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Book SynopsisRecollections of Jerusalem vividly opens up to us a world very different from our own. It affords the rare opportunity to see major world events through the eyes of one shaped by them, but unable to influence them.

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Book SynopsisWomen’s transgressive behaviors and perspectives are challenging societal norms in the Arab world, giving rise to anxiety and public debate. Simultaneously, however, other Arab women are unwillingly finding themselves labeled “bad” as authority figures attempt to redirect scrutiny from serious social ills such as patriarchy and economic exploitation, or as they impose new restrictions on women’s behavior in response to uncertainty and change in society. Bad Girls of the Arab World elucidates how both intentional and unintentional transgressions make manifest the social and cultural constructs that define proper and improper behavior, as well as the social and political policing of gender, racial, and class divisions.The works collected here address the experiences of women from a range of ages, classes, and educational backgrounds who live in the Arab world and beyond. They include short pieces in which the women themselves reflect on their expeTrade Review[A] treasure trove of insightful accounts and research on Arab women who have been voluntarily and involuntarily speaking out after the Arab Spring in 2011. . . . The most exciting portions of this text are the glimpses into the inner workings of Arab culture. This accessible book is a must read. * CHOICE *The collection derives its discursive strength from diverse testimonies of Arab women ranging across age, class, and education. Bad Girls of the Arab World distinguishes itself through its examination of the political and personal, private and public, intentional and imposed dichotomies that women in the Arab world must operate under as they attempt to reformulate their role in society. * Middle East Journal *[Bad Girls of the Arab World] stands apart from the edited volume crowd. It includes, not only academic entries, but personal essays and reflections on art by their artists, all centered on the theme of transgression, or to put it in the language of Bad Girls of the Arab World itself, bad girls. And there is no one bad girl. Some bad girls of the Arab world use their linguistic and cultural heritage to empower them, some rail against them. Some ally themselves with the West, some don’t think about the West and the East as binaries, but rather, apply a complicated, nuanced worldview to their universes. However, all are allotted their agency. * New Books Network *A most welcome contribution to the field of women's studies. It is relevant to courses that examine representations of women, post-colonial and transnational feminisms, and/or gender in Arab-majority countries. * Resources for Gender and Women's Studies *The chapters in this book are varied in style, including personal experience, academic analysis and artistic contributions; they cover different Arab countries as well as Arab women abroad, different time periods and contexts, but they all converge on disputing, directly or implicitly, Orientalist notions that the oppression of Arab women is rooted in beliefs fundamental to Islam and Arab society. * Jordan Times *This academic work explores both the symbolic statements and lived experience of Arab women who transgress social norms, whether intentionally or unintentionally…The strongest chapters break free from the bonds of academic jargon and present women in their full flesh-and-blood selves, often suffering greatly for their brave actions, sometimes with bodily manifestations. * Al Jadid *The chapters [in Bad Girls of the Arab World] consistently demonstrate that the consequences of being labeled bad girls are stigmatization, exclusion, and violence. But often embedded in acts of speaking about oppression are acts of resistance...The strength of Bad Girls is prevalent not only in some of its analytic essays but in its inclusion of more creative styles of writing. * Journal of Middle East Women's Studies *Table of Contents A Note on Transliteration and Translation Foreword by Laura Miller and Jan Bardsley Acknowledgments Introduction by Nadia Yaqub Chapter 1. Inciting Critique in the Feminist Classroom (Rula Quawas) Chapter 2. “And Is It Impossible to Be Good Everywhere?” Love and Badness in America and the Arab World (Diya Abdo) Chapter 3. Suspicious Bodies: Madame Bomba Performs against Death in Lebanon (Rima Najdi) Chapter 4. “Jihad Jane” as Good American Patriot and Bad Arab Girl: The Case of Nada Prouty after 9/11 (Randa A. Kayyali) Chapter 5. Paying for Her Father’s Sins: Yasmin as a Daughter of Unknown Lineage (Rawan W. Ibrahim) Chapter 6. The Making of Bad Palestinian Mothers during the Second Intifada (Adania Shibli) Chapter 7. “They Are Not Like Your Daughters or Mine”: Spectacles of Bad Women from the Arab Spring (Amal Amireh) Chapter 8. “Fuck Your Morals”: The Body Activism of Amina Sboui (Anne Marie E. Butler ) Chapter 9. Syrian Bad Girl Samar Yazbek: Refusing Burial (Hanadi al-Samman) Chapter 10. Reel Bad Maghrebi Women (Florence Martin and Patricia Caillé) Chapter 11. New Bad Girls of Sudan: Women Singers in the Sudanese Diaspora (Anita H. Fábos) Chapter 12. Being a Revolutionary and Writerly Rebel (Suhair al-Tal) Afterword by Laila al-Atrash Afterword by Miral al-Tahawy Contributors Index

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Book Synopsis''Blistering'' Sunday Times''Indispensable'' Observer''Fascinating'' The Times''Brilliant'' Peter Frankopan''Revelatory'' Lindsey HilsumA timely and unprecedented examination of how the modern Middle East unravelled, and why it started with the pivotal year of 1979. Shortlisted for the Cundhill History Prize 2020''What happened to us?''For decades, the question has haunted the Arab and Muslim world, heard across Iran and Syria, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan, and in the author''s home country of Lebanon. Was it always so? When did the extremism, intolerance and bloodletting of today displace the region''s cultural promise and diversity?In Black Wave, award-winning journalist and author Kim Ghattas argues that the turning point in the modern history of the Middle East can be located in the toxic confluence of three major events in 1979: the Iranian revolution; the siege of the Ho

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Book SynopsisThe final chapter in the definitive, three-volume history of the world''s first known stateArchaeologist John Romer has spent a lifetime chronicling the history of Ancient Egypt, and here he tells the epic story of an era dominated by titans of the popular imagination: the radical iconoclast Akhenaten, the boy-king Tutankhamun and the all-conquering Ramesses II. But ''heroes'' do not forge history by themselves. This was also a time of international trade, cultural exchange and sophisticated art, even in the face of violent change.Alongside his visionary new history of this, the most famous period in the long history of Ancient Egypt, Romer turns a critical eye on Egyptology itself. Paying close attention to the evidence, he corrects prevailing narratives which cast the New Kingdom as an imperial state power in the European mould. Instead, he reveals - through broken artefacts in ruined workshops, or preserved letters between a tomb-builder and his son - a cul

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Book SynopsisNo conflict in the world has lasted as long, generated as many news headlines, or incited as much controversy as the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Yet, despite, or perhaps because of, the degree of international attention it receives, the conflict is still widely misunderstood. While Israelis and Palestinians and their respective supporters trade accusations, many outside observers remain confused by the conflict''s complexity and perplexed by the passion it arouses.The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: What Everyone Needs to Know offers an even-handed and judicious guide to the world''s most intractable dispute. Rather than presenting a traditional, narrative history, this book employs an accessible question-and-answer format. Writing in an engaging, jargon-free style, Dov Waxman, a leading expert on the Middle East, provides clear and concise answers to common questions, from the most basic to the most contentious. Covering the conflict from its nineteenth-century origins to the latest dTrade Review"Waxman draws on his command of history, diplomacy and politics to untangle what is surely the most challenging quandary in the Middle East since the Gordian knot, and he dispenses his solid expertise in short bursts of clear and highly illuminating prose." -Jonathan Kirsch, The Jewish Journal "A standing ovation is the only reasonable response to Dov Waxman's The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: What Everyone Needs to Know, as well as heartfelt thanks for addressing all the questions we are afraid everyone knows the answers to but us."- Foreword ReviewsTable of ContentsPreface Acknowledgments List of Maps and Figures Chronology Ch. 1 - The Basics Ch. 2 - The Origins of the Conflict Ch. 3 - The Arab-Israeli Wars Ch. 4 - The Peace Process Ch. 5 - The Occupied Territories Ch. 6 - The Future of the Conflict Suggestions for Further Reading Index

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Book Synopsis*FULLY UPDATED WITH A NEW FOREWORD*THE SUNDAY TIMES TOP TEN BESTSELLERWINNER OF THE BRITISH ARMY MILITARY BOOK OF THE YEAR 2016''Truly essential'' Simon Sebag MontefioreThe final destruction of the Ottoman Empire - one of the great epics of the First World War, from bestselling historian Eugene RoganFor some four centuries the Ottoman Empire had been one of the most powerful states in Europe as well as ruler of the Middle East. By 1914 it had been drastically weakened and circled by numerous predators waiting to finish it off. Following the Ottoman decision to join the First World War on the side of the Central Powers the British, French and Russians hatched a plan to finish the Ottomans off: an ambitious and unprecedented invasion of Gallipoli...Eugene Rogan''s remarkable book recreates one of the most important but poorly understood fronts of the First World War. Despite fighting back with

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Book SynopsisA superb account of the 1860 Damascus massacresmuch neglected nowadays but central to the creation of the modern Middle East' - Simon Sebag MontefioreA stunning portrait of the Ottoman Empire and of Damascus during a time of crisis. Absolutely riveting' - Peter FrankopanAn accessible, enlightening and ultimately surprising account of an episode of which most western readers will be unaware' - Christopher de BellaigueThis remarkable book recreates one of the watershed moments in the history of the Middle East: the ferocious outbreaks of disorder across the Levant in 1860 which resulted in the massacre of thousands of Christians in Damascus.Eugene Rogan brilliantly recreates the lost world of the Middle East under Ottoman rule. The once mighty empire was under pressure from global economic change and European imperial expansion. Reforms in the mid-nineteenth century raised tensions across the empire, nowhere more so than in D

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Book SynopsisTHE ARK BEFORE NOAH: Decoding the Story of the Flood by Dr Irving Finkel is a compelling investigation of one of the most famous myths in the world - and how the re-discovery of an ancient tablet challenges our view of ancient history in a new and exciting way.Trade ReviewA serious book, but rarely a heavy one: in a sprightly, good-humoured way, Finkel communicates the thrill of true scholarship...it feels fresh and exciting here. * The Sunday Times *The charged thrill of Finkel's chase permeates the book - the pages don't just join dots, they supply new pieces for a beautiful, Bronze-Age jigsaw-puzzle... Scholarly and droll, Finkel's writing is also eccentrically vivid... it is a joy. * The Times *One of the most important human documents ever discovered... his conclusions will send ripples into the world of creationism and among ark hunters. * The Guardian *A painstaking and lively investigation ... there are remarkable scholarly insights to admire ... brilliant. * Literary Review *Finkel is a master at deciphering these ancient cuneiform clay tablets, but this book is far more than a fine piece of detective work: it is a humane work of scholarship that enlarges the soul. -- Richard Holloway * The Observer *Delightful...a digressive, amusing personal book for the general reader, a book that is willing to ask big questions. -- Stephen Moss * The Guardian *Finkel's account is wryly and entertainingly told. -- Tom Holland * The Guardian *Exudes the enthusiasm of an expert deeply absorbed in his subject. * Times Literary Supplement *A gem of a book. * The New Yorker *Engaging and informative . . . Finkel is an enthusiast and shows evident delight in bringing this find to the wider public. * The Wall Street Journal *Immensely erudite (I assume) and very funny. Anyone with the odd 45 years to spare should seriously think of retraining in Assyriology. * The Spectator *

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Book Synopsis''An outstanding history ... one of the best writers on the First World War'' Simon Sebag MontefioreShortlisted for the Duke of Westminster Medal for Military LiteratureThe Ottoman Endgame is the first, and definitive, single-volume history of the Ottoman empire''s agonising war for survival. Beginning with Italy''s invasion of Ottoman Tripoli in September 1911, the Empire was in a permanent state of emergency, with hardly a frontier not under direct threat. Assailed by enemies on all sides, the Empire-which had for generations been assumed to be a rotten shell-proved to be strikingly resilient, beating off major attacks at Gallipoli and in Mesopotamia before finally being brought down in the general ruin of the Central Powers in 1918. As the Europeans planned to partition all its lands between them and with even Istanbul seemingly helpless in the face of the triumphant Entente, an absolutely unexpected entity emerged: modern TTrade ReviewThere are many histories of World War One; few are as important or as readable as this one -- Walter Russell MeadIt is an enormous story, and McMeekin is a worthy chronicler of it ... The Ottoman Endgame is the most satisfactory and thought-through of the recent books on the subject that I have seen -- Norman StoneA wry, delightful book, which fills in a neglected face of the war and traces the emergence of the modern Middle East -- Geoffrey WawroA tour de force -- Philip ManselMasterful and sympathetic ... superb -- Charles King * Literary Review *Original and passionately written * Economist *A marvellous exposition of the historian's art -- Christopher de Bellaigue * Guardian *This readable, much-praised and opinionated work chronicles the Ottomans' entry into the war on Germany's side, its eventual defeat and its final dismemberment -- Gerard Russell * The Times *A well-timed, well-researched exploration of the empire whose dissolution continues to complicate making sense of the contemporary Middle East. Herein are explanations of how modern Turkey, Iraq, and Syria came to be, as well as how the division of the rest of the region affected its future. Scholars and practitioners alike will benefit from reading it -- Henry Kissinger

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Book SynopsisThe conflict between Palestine and Israel is one of the most highly publicized and bitter struggles in history. In this accessible and stimulating Very Short Introduction, Martin Bunton clearly explains the history of the problem, reducing it to its very essence - a modern territorial contest between two nations and one geographical territory.Adopting a fresh and original approach, each section covers a twenty-year span, to highlight the historical complexity of the conflict throughout successive decades. Each chapter starts with an examination of the relationships among people and events that marked particular years as historical moments in the evolution of the conflict, including the 1897 Basle Congress; the 1917 Balfour Declaration and British occupation of Palestine; and the 1947 UN Partition Plan and the war for Palestine.Providing a clear and fair exploration of the main issues, Bunton explores not only the historical basis of the conflict, but also looks at how and why partition has been so difficult and how efforts to restore peace continue today. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewThe book brings forward a short (but not shallow), balanced, factual and easily read review of the topic. If other booklets in this series - on issues ranging from musicology to biology - are as practical as this one, the publishers should be thanked for providing a good platform for distributing and diseminating scientific knowledge beyond the walls of academia. * Dan Tamir, Political Studies Review *Table of ContentsIntroduction ; 1. Ottomon Palestine, 1897-1917 ; 2. Mandate Palestine, 1917-1937 ; 3. Partioning Palestine, 1937-1947 ; 4. Zamut and Nakba, 1947-1967 ; 5. Occupation, 1967-1987 ; 6. Peace process, 1987-2007 ; Conclusion ; References ; Further reading ; Timeline

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Book SynopsisA Second Edition of Thomas Friedman's stunning book, the first edition of which won the American National Book Award.If you're only going to read one book on the Middle East, this is it.' Seymour HershIn this lucid, incisive and memorable book, acclaimed on both sides of the Atlantic, Friedman reaches deeper into the traumatic and complex recent history of the conflicts in the Middle East than any previous writer.For this new edition, Friedman has added a further two chapters that bring the book up to 1995 and the unfolding and stalling of the Middle Eastern peace process.From Beirut to Jerusalem is wonderully shrewd, surprisingly funny and indispensable to anyone seeking a fuller understanding of the political causes and psychological effects of the seemingly endless strife which besets this embattled region.Trade Review‘Jubilantly intelligent – a dashing hybrid of autobiography and journalism… a lifeline to the sane, a beacon to the hopeful.’Michael Coren, The Times ‘Friedman fills the yawning gap between verbiage and understanding with grace, precision and insight.’Economist. ‘A striking achievement.’Financial Times.

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Book SynopsisDina Esfandiary is Senior Advisor in the Middle East and North Africa department of the International Crisis Group (ICG), Belgium. She worked previously at The Century Foundation, U.S and the Harvard Kennedy School's Belfer Center, U.S. She is the co-author of Triple-Axis: Iran's Relations with Russia and China (I.B Tauris, 2018) and Living on the Edge: Iran and the?Practice of Nuclear Hedging (2016). She has also published in Foreign Affairs, The Atlantic, The Guardian, The Washington Post, The New York Times among others.Trade ReviewA masterful overview of the UAE’s increasing assertive regional and international relations. Drawing on a vast range of sources, and impeccably referenced, this is required reading for everyone with a scholarly and practitioner interest in the region. -- Christopher DavidsonThe rise of the UAE has reshaped the balance of power and the regional order within the broader Middle East. New Order in the Gulf expertly guides us through the thinking of its leadership and the contours of its evolving foreign policy. Esfandiary is fair-minded and judicious in her assessments of both the strengths and the failings of the UAE's new strategies. Her accessibly written text ranges broadly across political, economic and ideological issues, and will make for an essential text for those seeking to understand how and why the Gulf has changed. * Marc Lynch, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University, USA *Brilliantly provides an overview of the last 12 years of regional developments. * International Affairs *Table of ContentsIntroduction Defining the change and situating it in the context of a rapidly changing region Historical overview of relations between states in the Persian Gulf, including the 2003-2011 period A discussion of domestic dynamics in the UAE: the rise of MBZ Chapter One: The Arab Uprisings: a key moment for the UAE Summary of the events An Arab Uprisings in the Persian Gulf? The impact of the Arab Uprisings on the UAE Collapse of Arab powerhouses The Perceived Rise of Iran The Perception of US influence and Power in the Region Changes in the region following the Arab Uprisings Chapter Two: The US Pivot to Asia: proof of a US departure from the region The History of the US presence in the Persian Gulf region The Pivot The impact of the Pivot on the region Chapter Three: The Iran nuclear deal: the final straw The deal itself The Gulf Arabs and the Iran nuclear crisis The impact of the deal on the UAE Chapter Four: The UAE’s Assertiveness – what does it look like? Growing capabilities Military Political and diplomatic clout Economic and Cultural influence Intent, including the UAE’s deployment in regional arenas Chapter Five: Assertiveness: The UAE’s perception of success Case Study: Yemen Post 2020: Emirati over-reach? Chapter Six: The impact of the UAE’s assertiveness for the Persian Gulf: The 2017 split Driven by the UAE Entrenchment of assertiveness for others Did Al Ula resolve the dispute? Conclusion and recommendations for the West

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Book Synopsis'Andrew North has a deep empathy and understanding for Afghanistan and has seen sides of it - both good and horrifying - that very few international observers have encountered' - Rory Stewart'By weaving personal stories into a modern history of Afghanistan, Andrew North provides a touching and intimate portrait of the country he grew to love. His beautiful illustrations add a unique perspective on how war has destroyed or transformed generations of Afghans' - Lindsey HilsumIn early 2022 ,veteran journalist Andrew North was kidnapped by the Taliban. By the time he found himself imprisoned in a jail cell, he had been reporting from Afghanistan for two decades, coming to know hundreds of Afghans along the way. This book brings together both his and their stories.Farzana was banned from attending school as a child, but education would take her further than she could have imagined.Bilal's dream of becoming a journalist

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Book SynopsisThe story of the struggle to control Gaza, from the mid-19th century to the present.

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Book Synopsis'Heresy is a brilliant book' - The Times'Enthralling' - The Sunday Telegraph‘In the beginning was the Word,’ says the Gospel of John. This sentence – and the words of all four gospels – is central to the teachings of the Christian church and has shaped Western art, literature and language, and the Western mind.Yet in the years after the death of Christ there was not merely one word, nor any consensus as to who Jesus was or why he had mattered. There were many different Jesuses, among them the aggressive Jesus who scorned his parents and crippled those who opposed him, the Jesus who sold his twin into slavery and the Jesus who had someone crucified in his stead.Moreover, in the early years of the first millennium there were many other saviours, many sons of gods who healed the sick and cured the lame. But as Christianity spread, they were pronounced unacceptable – even heretical &nda

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Book SynopsisFrom the best-selling author of The Circle - the gripping true story of a young Yemeni American man, raised in San Francisco, who dreams of resurrecting the ancient art of Yemeni coffee but finds himself trapped in Sana''a by civil warMokhtar Alkhanshali is twenty-four and working as a doorman when he becomes fascinated with the rich history of coffee and Yemen''s central place in it. He leaves San Francisco and travels deep into his ancestral home to tour terraced farms high in the country''s rugged mountains. He collects samples and organizes farmers and is on the verge of success when civil war engulfs the country. Saudi bombs rain down, the U.S. embassy closes, and Mokhtar has to find a way out of Yemen with only his hopes on his back.The Monk of Mokha is the story of this courageous and visionary young man following the most American of dreams.''Extraordinary... No story is more urgent'' Observer''Dramatic, aspiTrade ReviewReaders will never take coffee for granted or overlook the struggles of Yemen after ingesting Eggers's phenomenally well-written, juggernaut tale of an intrepid and irresistible entrepreneur on a complex and meaningful mission, a highly caffeinated adventure story * Booklist *A most improbable and uplifting success story... Eggers offers an appealing hybrid: a biography of a charming, industrious Muslim man who has more ambition than direction; a capsule history of coffee and its origins, growth, and development as a mass commodity and then as a niche product; the story of Blue Bottle, the elite coffee chain in San Francisco that some suspect (and some fear) could turn into the next Starbucks; an adventure story of civil war in a foreign country... It is hard to resist the derring-do of the Horatio Alger of Yemenite coffee * Kirkus *The remarkable true story of a Yemeni coffee farmer... A vibrant depiction of courage and passion, interwoven with a detailed history of Yemeni coffee and a timely exploration of Muslim American identity * Entertainment Weekly *Works as both a heart-warming success story with a winning central character and an account of real-life adventures that read with the vividness of fiction * Publishers Weekly *It'll open your eyes - very wide - to the singular origins of your single origin * Esquire (UK) *Definitely one for book club * Elle (UK) *Eggers's narrative is guaranteed to be every bit as compelling as that of any novel * The Observer *Dave Eggers returns to his "factional" mode with The Monk Of Mokha, in which a Yemeni immigrant to the US discovers an obsession with coffee, returns home, and is caught in a war. Given his previous form with What Is The What and Zeitoun I have high hopes of this book * The Scostman *This is a book that celebrates ethnic diversity and the exuberance of the human spirit * Mail on Sunday *[Dave Eggers] is on a mission to use the platform he has created as a writer/activist to give direct voice to the marginalised or unheard... No story is more urgent * Observer *Bridgemakers such as Mokhtar courageously embody America's reason for being - as a place of radical opportunity and ceaseless welcome... a blended people united not by stasis and cowardice and fear, but by irrational exuberance, by global enterprise on a human scale * The Guardian *It's hard to imagine ALkhanshali's story being told with more pace, scope or sensitivity. An extraordinary adventure * The Times *Mokhtar's story is a remarkable one, full of derring-do, tenacity and exceptional luck * Metro *It is impossible not to root for Mokhtar. And as with all good bildungsromans, it is as much the reader as the hero who receives an education * The Daily Telegraph *

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Book SynopsisThe Dhufar Revolution was fought between 1965–1976, in an attempt to depose Oman's British-backed Sultan and advance social ideals of egalitarianism and gender equality. Dhufar, the southernmost governorate in today's Sultanate, captured global attention for its revolutionaries and their liberation movement's Marxist-inspired social change. But following counterinsurgency victory, Oman's government expunged the revolution from sanctioned historical narratives. Afterlives of Revolution offers a groundbreaking study of the legacies of officially silenced revolutionaries. How do their underlying convictions survive and inspire platforms for progressive politics in the wake of disappointment, defeat, and repression? Alice Wilson considers the "social afterlives" of revolutionary values and networks. Veteran militants have used kinship and daily socializing to reproduce networks of social egalitarianism and commemorate the revolution in unofficial ways. These afterlives revise conventional wartime and postwar histories. They highlight lasting engagement with revolutionary values, the agency of former militants in postwar modernization, and the limitations of government patronage for eliciting conformity. Recognizing that those typically depicted as coopted can still reproduce counterhegemonic values, this book considers a condition all too common across Southwest Asia and North Africa: the experience of defeated revolutionaries living under the authoritarian state they once contested.Trade Review"Afterlives of Revolution destabilizes triumphant narratives of counterinsurgency and advances a brilliant critique of reductionist perceptions that often define revolutions merely with references to their success or failure. Ethnographically rich and theoretically sophisticated, Alice Wilson shifts the question of 'what makes a revolution' to that of how the lasting values, hopes, promises, and social networks of a revolutionary moment continue to inform peoples' political and kinship relations."—Behrooz Ghamari-Tabrizi, Princeton University"Alice Wilson has produced a stunning ethnography exploring the ideals and social relationships forged in a revolutionary movement and lived after its formal defeat. She describes the struggles and connections of those whose hopes have been constrained but not erased. This beautiful work serves as a model for the best of anthropological research and writing."—Mandana Limbert, Queens College and the Graduate Center, CUNY"An extraordinary study. By uncovering the survival strategies and legacies of armed insurgencies in Oman, Afterlives of Revolution sheds light on an important, yet under-explored aspect of post-war politics. This pathbreaking work is of great relevance to scholars of autocratic regimes, and peace and conflict studies."—Gyda Sindre, University of York and the Politics after War Network"Afterlives of Revolution is an important addition to our understanding of revolutions and their outcomes. There is much insight here into Dhufar—its history, politics, and social developments, in addition to the revolution itself."—Tugrul Mende, The Markaz Review"Oman in general, and the Dhufar Rebellion in particular, have tended to be neglected in studies of the Middle East and of the Arabian Peninsula for a variety of reasons. Afterlives of Revolution is a very welcome addition to that literature, illuminating on its own merits and pointing the way towards a wider set of possibilities in the study of frustrated revolutions which should prove quite fruitful for scholars focused on the aftermath of the 2011 failures and frustrations."—Marc Lynch, Abu Aardvark"The triumph of Wilson's Afterlives of Revolution: Everyday Counterhistories in Southern Oman is that it begins where most books end, with defeat and demobilization. Wilson takes a different approach than the well-worn path of tracking defeated revolutionaries' disillusionment, or retreat in rosy-eyed recollections of the past. By giving form to the evocative yet inchoate notion of afterlives, she urges us to think again about what it means to say that a social process or idea has died or failed."—Mona El-Ghobashy, Public BooksTable of ContentsIntroduction: Former Revolutionaries, Lasting Legacies Chapter 1: Anti-colonialism and Counterinsurgency Chapter 2: The Messiness of Social Change Chapter 3: Patronage, Coercion, and Transformed Spaces Chapter 4: Kinship, Values, and Networks Chapter 5: Everyday and Extraordinary Interactions Chapter 6: Resources of Unofficial Commemoration Conclusion: Postrevolutionary Platforms for Progressive Politics

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Book SynopsisAn alternative reading of the relationship between the state and smallholder peasants in mid-nineteenth-century EgyptThis book examines the rural history of Egypt during the middle years of the nineteenth century, a period that is often glossed over, or altogether forgotten. Drawing on a wide array of archival sources, some only rarely utilized by other scholars, it argues that state policy targeting the peasant land tenure regime was informed by the dual economic principles of the Ottoman, or traditional, philosophy of statecraft, and that the workings of the relevant regulations did not produce extensive peasant land loss and impoverishment.Maha Ghalwash presents a rich, detailed analysis of such crucial issues as land legislation, tax impositions, the system of tax collection, modes of land acquisition, large-scale peasant abandonment of land, the emergence of surplus lands, the formation of large, privileged estates, distribution of village land, female land inheritance, and the nature of peasants’ political activity. In investigating these issues, she highlights peasant voices, experiences, and agential power.Traditional interpretations of the rural history of nineteenth-century Egypt generally specify an avaricious state, so indifferent to peasant well-being that it consistently developed harsh policies that led to unremitting, extensive peasant impoverishment. Through an examination of the relationship between the absolutist state and the majority of its subject population, the peasant smallholders, during 1848–63, this study shows that these ideas do not hold for the mid-century period. State, Peasants, and Land in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Egypt will be of interest to students of Middle East history, especially Egyptian rural history, as well as those of peasant studies, subaltern studies, gender studies, and Ottoman rural history.Trade Review"Through examination of a remarkably rich collection of land registers, court records, government documents, and more, Maha Ghalwash weaves a nuanced and compelling narrative about Egyptian peasants during the mid-nineteenth century. She draws on the voices of the villagers, and how they negotiated with a centralized government, to introduce an alternative perspective on the nature of their relationship with the state. This book is a must read for anyone interested in the history of rural Egypt during a decisive period in the country’s modern state formation.”—Zeinab Abul-Magd, Oberlin College"An impressively thorough and meticulous book, which challenges the conventional wisdom and breaks new ground in our understandings of peasant land tenure and peasant–state relations in mid-nineteenth century Egypt."—John Chalcraft, London School of Economics and Political Science"This empirically driven study weaves together a critical reading of state policies with a close attention to peasant voices. Maha Ghalwash offers a vivid picture of rural society in mid-nineteenth-century Egypt that invites us to rethink the role of global markets, dynastic politics, notions of justice, and peasant agency. The result is a truly revisionist account of Egypt in the middle decades of the nineteenth century."—Khaled Fahmy, Tufts University“In this cogently argued and extensively documented survey, Maha Ghalwash sheds new light on a period of Egyptian history that is usually dismissed as static if not retrograde. Equally important, she enhances our understanding of the institutions and procedures of governance in Egypt’s agrarian provinces at a moment when private landholding and market dynamics were superseding communal property rights and overtly regulated transactions. Anyone who wishes to explore the multifaceted economic transformation that reconfigured the Middle East during the mid-nineteenth century can now complement path-breaking scholarship on Ottoman Syria and Anatolia with the arguably more consequential case of Khedival Egypt.”—Fred H. Lawson, Mills College“It is refreshing and reassuring to find a historian who bases her work on detailed archival research and who is unafraid to go against the political tides which see the rich and powerful—and modern capitalism—as an all-powerful evil force.”—Patrick Clawson, Middle East QuarterlyTable of ContentsPreface List of Abbreviations Note on transliteration, spelling and dates Introduction 1. The Land Laws 2. Peasants and Taxes 3. System of Tax Collection 4. Land Tenure in Peasant Villages 5. Peasant Women and Inheritance of Land Conclusion Appendix I: The Distribution of Land in the Sample Villages:Distribution According to Different Categories Appendix II: The Impact of the Major Tax Codes on the FourSample Villages Appendix III: Egyptian Archival Sources Select BibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisKhalil Maleki (1901–1969) was a selfless campaigner for democracy and social welfare in twentieth-century Iran. His was a unique approach to politics, prioritising the criticism of policies detrimental to his country’s development over the pursuit of power itself. An influential figure, he was at the centre of such formative events as the split of the communist Tudeh party, and the 1953 coup and its aftermath. In an age of intolerance and uncompromising confrontation, Maleki remained an indefatigable advocate for open discussion and peaceful reform – a stance that saw him jailed several times. This work makes a compelling case for him to be regarded among the foremost thinkers of his generation.Trade Review'The combination of Katouzian’s firsthand knowledge of some of the episodes on which he reports, his detailed record of Maleki’s associations with other prominent intellectual and political figures of the mid-twentieth century, and his wide-angle account of social and political life in modern Iran makes the book a unique and valuable resource for scholars of modern Iranian history and political thought.' -- Iranian Studies‘Khalil Maleki is not only an authoritative and insightful account of the political life and ideas of Iran’s foremost democratic socialist during the middle decades of the twentieth century, but an erudite and incisive analysis of the country’s intellectual and political history through that fateful century. It is based on a wealth of primary sources and the author’s own lifetime of prodigious scholarship.’ -- Ali Banuazizi, Professor of Political Science, Boston College‘A major contribution to the recovery of the rich, but lesser-known, tradition of the Iranian Left. Khalil Maleki’s life, and his intellectual journey, tell the story of the complicated road Iran travelled in its desire to achieve a “national” modernity, and to be at “home” with the modern world. In this context, Dr Katouzian’s work deserves considerable scholarly attention for its achievement.’ -- Ali Mirsepassi, Professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, New York University‘Drawing on his lifetime’s work on Iranian modern history, Homa Katouzian has provided us with a rich and authoritative account of Khalil Maleki’s political and intellectual life.’ -- Roham Alvandi, Associate Professor of International History, London School of Economics and Political ScienceTable of ContentsAcknowledgements A Note on Transliteration Introduction: The Age of Khalil Maleki 1 Khalil Maleki and the Fifty-Three 2 The Tudeh Party 3 Power Struggles and Oil Nationalisation 4 The Toilers Party 5 The Third Force 6 The 1953 Coup and After 7 Power Struggles, 1960–1963 8 Maleki: The Last Phase Epilogue: Maleki’s Success and Failure Select Bibliography Notes Index

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Book SynopsisLike the Dublin of Joyce and Jan Morris'' Venice, Orhan Pamuk''s bestselling Istanbul: Memories of a City is a triumphant encounter of place and sensibility, beautifully written and immensely moving.Since the publication of Istanbul, Pamuk has continued to add to his collection of photographs of Istanbul. Now, he has selected a range of photographs for Illustrated Istanbul, linking each new image to his memoir.This lavish selection of 450 photographs features contributions from Ara Güler, Henri Cartier-Bresson and Istanbul''s characteristic photography collectors, and contains previously unpublished family photographs from the author''s archives.

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Book SynopsisThe Six-Day War was an extraordinary human drama. It swept up a generation of Israelis and Arabs whose children still cannot live peacefully in the world the war created. Today, Israel is the superpower of the region. It has nuclear weapons but has never been able to digest the land it swallowed in 1967. However big its army, it will never be at peace or feel secure until the future of this land is settled.Forty years after the end of the six days of fighting, after thousands more deaths and the failure of years of negotiation to try to reach a political settlement, Israelis and Palestinians are fighting once again on the streets in the West Bank and Gaza. It is still a low-level conflict, but if another full-blown Middle East war breaks out, its roots will lie in those six days in June 1967. Drawing on his experiences as the BBC's former Middle East correspondent, and building on extensive original research and interviews with some of the key participants, Jeremy Bowen uses his vast array of contacts to weave together a completely convincing and compelling account, hour by hour, of the 1967 war between Israel and Egypt, Jordan and Syria. As insightful as the best modern history writing and as gripping as fiction, this is a deeply personal book.Trade Review'Gripping... You emerge from the book feeling you have been as close an observer of a war as you are ever likely to be' * Literary Review *'A fast-paced history... Bowen provides an hour-by-hour narrative of the war, which is surely the most gripping military tale since the fall of France in the Second World War' * Daily Telegraph *'Impeccably accurate... Meticulous... Jeremy Bowen has performed a service by reminding us how we got here' * Guardian *

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling historian Norman Stone, whose work has been described by Andrew Roberts as âstunning â no one else quite writes history like he doesâ.Trade Review'A fanfare for modern Turkey and a vivid, provocative, often funny, always insightful account of how it came about … If you really don’t know why a portrait of Ataturk hangs in almost every shop in Turkey, read this book' - Guardian'Arresting … Stone’s Turkey breaks the popular mould and introduces its readers to a place beyond their presumptions' - Sunday Times'Absolutely splendid … pithy, straightforward, superbly argued' - Country Life'Constantly exhilarating …. However many histories of Turkey you have read, you will never have read one as incisive, combative and sure-footed as this one' - CornucopiaTable of ContentsPrelude; 1. Origins; 2. World Empire; 3. Zenith; 4. Shadows; 5. The Eighteenth Century; 6. The Long Defensive; 7. End of Empire; 8. Crash; Epilogue

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Book SynopsisSituated in an area roughly corresponding to present-day Iraq, Mesopotamia is one of the great, ancient civilizations, though it is still relatively unknown. Yet, over 7,000 years ago in Mesopotamia, the very first cities were created. This is the first book to reveal how life was lived in ten Mesopotamian cities: from Eridu, the Mesopotamian Eden, to that potent symbol of decadence, Babylon - the first true metropolis: multicultural, multi-ethnic, the last centre of a dying civilization.

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Book SynopsisWINNER OF THE BARBARA JELAVICH BOOK PRIZE''Sean McMeekin has written a classic of First World War history ... This superb and original book is the reality behind Greenmantle'' Norman StoneThe Berlin-Baghdad Express explores one of the big, previously unresearched subjects of the First World War: the German bid for world power - and the destruction of the British Empire - through the harnessing of the Ottoman Empire. McMeekin''s book shows how incredibly high the stakes were in the Middle East - with the Germans in the tantalizing position of taking over the core of the British Empire via the extraordinary railway that would link Central Europe and the Persian Gulf. Germany sought the Ottoman Empire as an ally to create jihad against the British - whose Empire at the time was the largest Islamic power in the world.The Berlin-Baghdad Express is a fascinating account of western interference in the Middle East and its lamentablTrade ReviewIn this excellent, well-researched and fascinating book, Sean McMeekin has given us a welcome and stimulating perspective on a highly important but neglected part of the First World War. His account of the Turco-German war effort is a tale of high adventure, ambition and political chicanery with a cast of colourful, brave and sometimes ruthless characters. -- Lawrence James * Literary Review *An exciting new book by a talented young historian -- Niall Ferguson * Observer *McMeekin adds a wealth of documentation...[t]he result is a captivating new history of the Eastern Front in the first world war -- Eugene Rogan * Financial Times *McMeekin has written an engaging history peopled with larger-than-life characters in exotic settings -- Eugene Rogan * Financial Times *McMeekin has written a powerful, overdue book that for many will open up a whole new side to the first world war. -- George Walden * Observer *In addition to bringing to life a fascinating episode in early 20th-century history, The Berlin-Baghdad Express contains several timely lessons and cautionary tales. * Wall Street Journal *Sean McMeekin's account possesses the large merit that it tells a story little known to Western readers, drawing extensively upon German sources. It depicts a splendid cast of characters heroic in their endeavors if absurd in their lack of accomplishments. -- Max Hastings * New York Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisIran has rarely been out of the headlines. Yet media interest and extensive coverage has tended to hinder rather than help our understanding of Iran as an idea, an identity, and a people, leading to a superficial understanding of what is a complex and nuanced political culture and civilization. This Very Short Introduction presents a radical reinterpretation of Iranian history and politics, placing the Islamic Revolution in the context of a century of political change and social transformation. By considering the various factors that have contributed towards the construction of the idea of Iran and the complex identity of Iranians themselves, Ali Ansari steers a clear path towards a more realistic understanding for us all. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Trade ReviewIt is a considerable challenge to sum up the essense of Iran, with its recorded history of more than 2,500 years, in only a little more than a hundred pages. But Ali Ansari does so effectively by focusing on the multi-layered identity of the Iranians. * David Blow, The Times Literary Supplement *This book is written in a lively and accessible style. It is full of insights into modern Iran, the most important of which is the continuing impact of Iran's mythology and long history on the present. It should be required reading for anyone proposing to negotiate with Iranians, whether in politics or business. * Geopolitics and Security, Francis Robinson *Table of Contents1. Preface ; 2. The West and Iran ; 3. Iran and Persia ; 4. Iran and Islam ; 5. Iran and the West ; 6. Conclusion ; Further reading ; Index

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Book SynopsisIn 1909, US courts set out to decide whether a Turkish citizen shall be naturalised as a white person. Turkish elites had already undertaken to portray the Turks as the historic source of Western civilization, white racial stock, and human language. Examining this interaction between global racial discourses and local responses, Ergin recentres Turkish modernisation on imaginings of race.Table of ContentsACKNOWLEDGEMENTS INTRODUCTION CHAPTER 1: WHY THIS BOOK SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN WRITTEN Race and the Turkish Case Why Care About the Turkish Case? The West = Theory; The Rest = “Mere” Case Cases and National Boundaries CHAPTER 2: THE REPUBLICAN CONVERSION NARRATIVE Rewriting History CHAPTER 3: ENCOUNTERS WITH THE “WEST” Becoming White The Ghosts of the Past: Ottoman Modernization and Encounters with the West The Ottoman Interest in Race Ziya Gökalp: The Official Ideologue of the Republic? The Formation of the “Terrible Turk”: Western Perceptions The Problem of Periodization CHAPTER 4: RACE IN EARLY REPUBLICAN TURKEY Racial Vocabularies Mermaids, Fish, Humans: The Taxonomic Discourse Biometric Mobilization to Protect and Improve the Race Anthropometric Mobilization to “Discover” the Turkish Race CHAPTER 5: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS AND RACIAL DISCOURSES Intellectual Exchange and Historical Contingency The University Reform and Émigré Scholars Conflicting Loyalties: Expertise in the Service of Local and Universal Agendas Afet Inan and Eugène Pittard: Personal Interaction in Search of Anthropometric Essences CHAPTER 6: RACE IN CONTEMPORARY TURKEY Race, and Ethnicity, and Nation Race in Contemporary Turkey CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION BIBLIOGRAPHY INDEX

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Book SynopsisThis remarkable book recreates one of the watershed moments in the history of the Middle East: the ferocious outbreaks of disorder across the Levant in 1860 which resulted in the massacre of thousands of Christians in Damascus. Eugene Rogan brilliantly recreates the lost world of the Middle East under Ottoman rule. The once mighty empire was under pressure from global economic change and European imperial expansion. Reforms in the mid-nineteenth century raised tensions across the empire, nowhere more so than in Damascus. A multifarious city linked by caravan trade to Baghdad, the Mediterranean and Mecca, the chaos of languages, customs and beliefs made Damascus a warily tolerant place. Until the reforms began to advantage the minority Christian community at the expense of the Muslim majority. But in 1860 people who had generally lived side by side for generations became bitter enemies as news of civil war in Mount Lebanon arrived in the city. Under the threat of a French expeditionary force, the Ottomans dealt with the disaster effectively and ruthlessly - but the old, generally quite tolerant Damascene world lay in ruins. It would take a quarter of a century to restore stability and prosperity to the Syrian capital. This is both an essential book for understanding the emergence of the modern Middle East from the destruction of the old Ottoman world, and a uniquely gripping story.

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Book SynopsisConflict or concord? Histories of Islam from its early seventh century beginnings in Arabia often portray its explosive growth into the wider Middle East as a story of struggle and conquest of the Christian people of Greater Syria, Palestine and Egypt. Alternatively these histories suggest that as often as not the conquerors were welcomed by the conquered and their existing monotheistic faiths of Christianity and Judaism tolerated and even allowed to flourish. In this short but in depth survey of the almost nine centuries that passed from the beginning of the spread of Islam up to the Ottoman Turkish conquest of Syria and Egypt beginning in 1516, Constantin Panchenko offers a more complex portrayal that opens up fresh vistas of understanding of these centuries focusing on the impact that the coming of Islam had on the Orthodox Christian communities of the Middle East and in particular the interplay of their Greek cultural heritage and experience of increasing Arabization.This work is drawn from the author's much larger work, Arab Orthodox Christians Under the Ottomans, being an updated and expanded version of the first chapter of that book which set the historical context for the period after 1516. It will deepen the readers understanding both of the history of the Middle East in these centuries and of how the faith of Orthodox Christians in these lands is lived today.Table of ContentsForeword The Arab Conquest: Christians in the Caliphate. The Late Umayyads: Pressure Mounts The Culture of the Melkites The ʿAbbasid Revolution The First Crisis of the Christian East The Dark Ages The Byzantine Reconquista Christians and the Fatimids Byzantine Antioch The Banishment of the Patriarchs The Kingdom of Jerusalem The Principality of Antioch Interregnum (1187–1250) Mongols and Mamluks The Century of Persecution The Second Crisis of the Christian East Middle Eastern Monasticism of the Mamluk Period The Melkites and Byzantium The Shadow of the West An Epilogue Glossary Timeline

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Book Synopsis‘A gripping account. Essential reading to understand the roots of the 2011 Arab Spring and the conflicts that have devastated so much of the region' EUGENE ROGAN, author of The Arabs: A History ______________________________________________ President Gamal Abdel Nasser, who ruled Egypt for eighteen years from the coup d'etat of 1952, is best known in the West for wresting the Suez Canal from the British and French empires. He was a larger-than-life figure, loved by his followers for his nationalist ideals and for heralding a period of social change and modernisation. Yet there is a darker side to Nasser’s regime.We Are Your Soldiers examines Nasser’s influence on the politics of seven countries – Egypt, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Yemen, and Libya. Rowell argues that Nasser played a crucial role in the formation of authoritarian regimes as varied as Bashar al-Assad’s Syria, Muam

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Book SynopsisAfter witnessing first-hand the death throes of this rich and captivating tradition, Richard Hamilton has tracked down the last few remaining storytellers of Morocco, recording stories that are replete with the mysteries and beauty of the Maghreb. Marrakech is the heart and lifeblood of Morocco's ancient storytelling tradition. For nearly a thousand years, storytellers have gathered in the Jemaa el Fna, the legendary square of the city, to recount ancient folktales and fables to rapt audiences. But this unique chain of oral tradition that has passed seamlessly from generation to generation is teetering on the brink of extinction. The competing distractions of television, movies and the internet have drawn the crowds away from the storytellers and few have the desire to learn the stories and continue their legacy. Moroccan tales have a huge educational, religious and moral impact on their audience, offering timeless values and guidance to all who listen. With their passing we risk losing something of Morocco's national psyche and also part of the world's tangible heritage. Those who have listened to the storytellers at Marrakech first-hand have witnessed something that is no longer part of this world, a treasure as precious as the planet's most endangered species and of immeasurable importance to humanity.Trade ReviewInspiring . . . brilliantly illustrates an ancient oral tradition in my country. I cannot but commend your untiring, meticulous work. Building on stories gathered directly from some of our most renowned storytellers, you have introduced readers to a time-honoured Moroccan tradition. -- Mohammed VI, King of MoroccoCharming, fantastical and lively collection. Like a genie emerging from a flask, The Last Storytellers produces a startling amount of pleasure from some very small packages.... Both men [author and interpreter] deserve much praise for the successful outcome of this endeavour. * Times Literary Supplement *Hamilton presents readers with a precious gift: a collection of content not quite like anything we have ever heard or seen before. Readers who might never reach Marrakech can find their own oasis by making a cup of mint tea and giving thanks for these enchanting stories rescued from oblivion. * New York Journal of Books *Think of this as a collection of Grimm’s fairy tales with plenty of added North African charm. * Lonely Planet *Hamilton does not only offer his readers a valuable, enchanting, interesting and entertaining read but also launches a cri de coeur to rescue this vanishing and traditional form of storytelling as it slowly falls into the abyss of forgetfulness. * North South Magazine *This is addictive material. * The National *A truly remarkable piece of literature. * Essential Travel Blog *Table of ContentsForeword: Circles in the Jemaa el Fna xiii Author’s Note Acknowledgements Introduction The Red Lantern The King and His Prime Minister The Gazelle with the Golden Horns The Imam and the Wager The Girl Who Fell in Love with the Hermit The Birth of the Sahara The Trials of Noureddine The Sultan and His Vizier’s Wife The Queen and the King, the Son of Amelkani Nour and the Sultan The Laundryman and the Fountain The Man Who Went Against His Father’s Wishes The Vizier and the Chicken The Fakir and the Frog The Two Hunchbacks El-Ghaliya Bent Mansour The Land and the Treasure The Statue and the Robber The Tailor, the Princess and the Eagle The Sultan and the Thief The Eyes of Ben’Adi The Shoemaker and the Bird The Vizier and the Barber Seven Coins and a Donkey The Sultan’s Daughter and the Leper The Nobleman and His Three Sons The Vengeance of Allah The Woman and the Black Cat Aicha Rmada The Traveller and the Pasha’s Daughter The Girl from Fes One Hundred and One Beheadings The Three Figs Suleiman, the Stork and the City of Gold The Woman and the Devil The Bird from the Land of Gabour The Pomegranate and the Talking Drum The Date Gatherers The Rich Woman and the Sacks of Corn Postscript

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Book SynopsisA riveting account of a landmark expedition that left only one survivor, now back in print for the first time in decades.Arabia Felix is the spellbinding true story of a scientific expedition gone disastrously awry. On a winter morning in 1761 six men leave Copenhagen by sea—a botanist, a philologist, an astronomer, a doctor, an artist, and their manservant—an ill-assorted band of men who dislike and distrust one another from the start. These are the members of the Danish expedition to Arabia Felix, as Yemen was then known, the first organized foray into a corner of the world unknown to Europeans. The expedition made its way to Turkey and Egypt, by which time its members were already actively seeking to undercut and even kill one another, before disappearing into the harsh desert that was their destination. Nearly seven years later a single survivor returned to Denmark to find himself forgotten and all the specimens that had been sent back ruined by neglect. Based on diaries, notebooks, and sketches that lay unread in Danish archives until the twentieth century, Arabia Felix is a tale of intellectual rivalry and a comedy of very bad manners, as well as an utterly absorbing adventure.Arabia Felix includes 33 line drawings and maps.

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Book SynopsisThe volume comprises lightly annotated translation of a key medieval Arabic text that bears directly on the Crusades and Crusader society and the Muslim experience of them.

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