Middle Eastern history Books

Book SynopsisJosephus' account of a war marked by treachery and atrocity is a superbly detailed and evocative record of the Jewish rebellion against Rome between AD 66 and 70. Originally a rebel leader, Josephus changed sides after he was captured to become a Rome-appointed negotiator, and so was uniquely placed to observe these turbulent events, from the siege of Jerusalem to the final heroic resistance and mass suicides at Masada. His account provides much of what we know about the history of the Jews under Roman rule, with vivid portraits of such key figures as the Emperor Vespasian and Herod the Great. Often self-justifying and divided in its loyalties, The Jewish War nevertheless remains one of the most immediate accounts of war, its heroism and its horrors, ever written.Table of ContentsThe Jewish War - Josephus Foreword to This EditionIntroductionJosephus' LifeJosephus' WorksJosephus as a HistorianTHE JEWISH WARPreface1. Herod's Predecessors2. Herod's Rise to Power3. Herod Master of Palestine4. Herod's Murder of Mariamme and her Children5. Herod's Murder of his Heir, and Death6. The Rise and Fall of Archelaus7. Judaea under Roman Rule8. War Clouds9. The Outbreak of War10. Josephus Governor of Galilee11. The Coming of Vespasian and Titus12. Josephus the Prisoner of Vespasian13. Vespasian's Conquering Advance14. Factions in Jerusalem15. Atrocities in the City. Vespasian's Intervention16. Vespasian Emperor17. The Siege of Jerusalem - First Stages18. Two Walls Captured19. The Horrors of the Siege20. Antonia Captured and Destroyed21. The Temple Burnt and the City Taken22. Jerusalem Destroyed: Roman Celebrations23. Cleaning-up OperationsNotesAppendixes:A. Bandits, Terrorists, Sicarii and ZealotsB. Roman Provincial Administration and DefenceC. MoneyD. Josephus' CalendarE. QumranF. The Slavonic Versions of The Jewish WarChronological TableMaps and Plans:The Eastern MediterraneanPalestineJerusalem in A. D. 70Herod's Temple EnclosureHerod's TempleThe Herodian FamilyGlossary of Technical TermsBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisAhron Bregman is the author of four books about Israel and the Arabs: The Fifty Years War (with Jihan el Tahri), Israel's Wars, A History of Israel and Elusive Peace. He teaches at the Department of War Studies, King's College London.

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Book SynopsisAvi Shlaim''s The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World is the outstanding book on Israeli foreign policy, now thoroughly updated with a new preface and chapters on Israel''s most recent leadersIn the 1920s, hard-line Zionists developed the doctrine of the ''Iron Wall'': negotiations with the Arabs must always be from a position of military strength, and only when sufficiently strong Israel would be able to make peace with her Arab neighbours.This doctrine, argues Avi Shlaim, became central to Israeli policy; dissenters were marginalized and many opportunities to reconcile with Palestinian Arabs were lost. Drawing on a great deal of new material and interviews with many key participants, Shlaim places Israel''s political and military actions under and uncompromising lens.His analysis will bring scant comfort to partisans on both sides, but it will be required reading for anyone interested in this fascinating and troubled region of the world.''The Iron Wall is strikingly fair-minded, scholarly, cogently reasoned and makes enthralling ... reading'' Philip Ziegler, Daily Telegraph''Anyone wanting to understand the modern Middle East should start by reading this elegantly written and scrupulously researched book'' Trevor Royle, Sunday Herald''A milestone in modern scholarship of the Middle East'' Edward Said''Fascinating ... Shlaim presents compelling evidence for a revaluation of traditional Israeli history'' Ethan Bronner, The New York Times Book ReviewAvi Shlaim is Professor of International Relations at St. Antony''s College, Oxford. His previous books include Collusion Across the Jordan (1988) and War and Peace in the Middle East (1995).

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Book SynopsisA comprehensive introduction to Yemen''s current crises, major players, and potential solutions to an ongoing civil war.In 2014, a tribal alliance from Yemen''s northern regions seized the capital city of Sana''a and overthrew a republic that had ruled since 1962. Known as the Houthi Movement, these rebels are today vying for control, sparring with southern separatist movements and former President Ali Abdullah Saleh''s political party. Indeed, Yemen--located in the southwest corner of the Arabian peninsula--has become synonymous with civil unrest, sectarian conflict, famine, and rampant disease in recent years. Yet the country has a much deeper history--one that stretches back centuries.In Yemen: What Everyone Needs to Know, Asher Orkaby provides a broad-ranging, historical overview of the country and its peoples that focuses in particular on the contemporary situation. He covers the country''s major political figures and ethnic groups, explaining the origins of each and their impact on contemporary national politics. Throughout, he focuses on tribalism, religious dynamics, regional identities, Yemen''s African and Jewish minorities, and the social impact of the Arab Spring on the country''s women and youth. Orkaby also offers readers a window into Yemen''s rich past: its archaeological treasures, its ancient economic prosperity, and its tribal and religious history. He also looks to Yemen''s future, identifying potential avenues through which Yemen can use its promising geographic location, natural resources, and economic potential to achieve stability.Trade ReviewThis broad survey is organized according to a series of questions with answers that would yield excellent grades in any course on Yemen * C.M. Henry, Choice *Yemen has much to teach the non-specialist. ... Orkaby proves a reliable guide to its complexities, pointing out important but little-known facts. ... [T]he volume leaves the reader with a sense of Yemen's history and culture, one of the world's more insulated and interesting. * Middle East Quarterly *Turning to the current civil war and the desperate humanitarian situation accompanying it, Orkaby proves a reliable guide to [Yemen's] complexities, pointing out important but little-known facts... reading through the volume leaves the reader with a sense of Yemen's history and culture, one of the world's more insulated and interesting. * Middle East Forum *Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Regions, Sects, and Tribes Chapter 2: Arabia Felix - An Early History of Yemen Chapter 3: Imperial Yemen - Ottoman and British Empires Chapter 4: An Era of Modernization - the Formation of the Yemeni Republic Chapter 5: Ali Abdullah Saleh's Regime, Unification, and al-Qaeda Chapter 6: The Houthi Wars (2004-2010) Chapter 7: Agriculture and Economy Chapter 8: Arabian Minorities Chapter 9: Education and Society Chapter 10: The Arab Spring in Yemen Chapter 11: Yemen's Modern Civil War

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Book SynopsisHistories you can trust.The Oxford History of the Holy Land covers the 3,000 years which saw the rise of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - and relates the familiar stories of the sacred texts with the fruits of modern scholarship. Beginning with the origins of the people who became the Israel of the Bible, it follows the course of the ensuing millennia down to the time when the Ottoman Empire succumbed to British and French rule at the end of the First World War.Parts of the story, especially as known from the Bible, will be widely familiar. Less familiar are the ways in which modern research, both from archaeology and from other ancient sources, sometimes modify this story historically. Better understanding, however, enables us to appreciate crucial chapters in the story of the Holy Land, such as how and why Judaism developed in the way that it did from the earlier sovereign states of Israel and Judah and the historical circumstances in which Christianity emerged from its JewiTrade ReviewFor those interested in the Bible, history or spiritual pilgrimage, this is a captivating guide and will be a great asset to anyone who has travelled, or will travel, to the Holy Land. * Mark W. Scarlata, Journal for the Study of the Old Testament *The Oxford History of the Holy Land is full of ... remarkable details. Thirteen fact-packed chapters, each by an expert in his or her field, take us on a tour from the earliest recorded history onwards. It is a remarkable, readable, and useful achievement, one that will illuminate a thousand sermons and provide much to think about for anyone interested in the subject. * William Whyte, Church Times *Three great world faiths have invested so many hopes and passions in one relatively small part of the eastern Mediterranean seaboard and its hinterland, that there are risks even in calling it by a single name. This collective study of the "God-trodden land" is a richly informative, reliable, and sane guide to its troubled history: one valuable contribution to crafting it a more peaceful present and future. * Diarmaid MacCulloch, Professor of the History of the Church, University of Oxford *Table of ContentsIntroduction 1: Avraham Faust: The Birth of Israel 2: Lester L. Grabbe: Iron Age: Tribes to Monarchy 3: André Lemaire: Israel and Judah: c. 931-587 BCE 4: H. G. M. Williamson: Babylonian Exile and Restoration: 587-325 BCE 5: John J. Collins: The Hellenistic and Roman Era 6: Konstantin Klein: A Christian Holy Land: 284-638 CE 7: Milka Levy-Rubin: The Coming of Islam 8: Carole Hillenbrand: The Holy Land in the Crusader and Ayyubid periods: 1099 - 1250 9: Nimrod Luz: The Holy Land from the Mamluk Sultanate to the Ottoman Empire: 1260-1799 10: Robert Fisk: From Napoleon to Allenby: the Holy Land and the wider Middle East 11: Robert G. Hoyland and Peter Walker: Pilgrimage 12: Richard S. Hess and Denys Pringle: Sacred Spaces and Holy Places 13: Adam Silverstein: Scripture and the Holy Land Further Reading Index

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Book SynopsisIn 1967 the future of the state of Israel was far from certain. But with its swift and stunning military victory against an Arab coalition led by Egypt in the Six Day War, Israel not only preserved its existence but redrew the map of the region, with fateful consequences. The Camp David Accords, the assassinations of Anwar Sadat and Yitzhak Rabin, the intifada, and the current troubled peace negotiations--all of these trace their origins to the Six Day War.Michael Oren''s Six Days of War is a gripping account of one of the most dramatic and important episodes in the history of the Middle East. With exhaustive research in primary sources--including Soviet, Jordanian, and Syrian files not previously available--he has reconstructed the tension-filled background and the dramatic military events of the conflict, drawing the threads together in a riveting narrative, enlivened by crisp characters sketches of major characters (many of whom, from Ariel Sharon to Yasser Arafat, are still leadingTrade ReviewThis admirable book is likely to be the last word on the six-day war for a long time * The Sunday Times June 2002 *the most detailed, the most comprehensive and by far the best-documented history that we have on this short but fateful war * The Guardian *most comprehensive history yet... Six Days of War scores highly in telling an extremely complicated story within a narrative which despite being loaded with a crushing volume of research reads at times like the breeziest blockbuster... Oren's narrative is at its most gripping during the day-by-day account of the war * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisBrothers Behind Bars tells the harrowing, yet fascinating, story of the imprisonment of the Muslim Brotherhood--the largest Islamist movement in Middle Eastern history--in Egypt stretching from the Palestine war in 1948 to the consolidation of President Anwar al-Sadat''s rule in 1975. Drawing on more than three hundred prison memoirs written by Muslim Brothers and Sisters, Mathias Ghyoot takes the reader on a rare journey behind the prison walls to show how radicals and moderates, ministers and intelligence officers, clerics and jailers were embroiled in an epic battle to define Islam in modern Egypt.Ghyoot argues that Egypt''s state institutions played a crucial role in shaping ideologies within the Muslim Brotherhood, demonstrating how the institution of the prison became a critical site for the formation of political resistance in modern Egypt. Although prison severely encroached on the freedom of the Muslim Brothers, it also spurred reflection and conversations among them as well as with political prisoners of other ideological convictions, most notably communists and Zionists. By emphasizing not what state repression restricted the Muslim Brothers from doing, but rather what it allowed them to do, Ghyoot shows how the ideology of the Muslim Brothers was shaped not only by internal debates but also by encounters--good and bad--with leftist intellectuals, religious clerics, and intelligence officers inside Egypt''s prisons.Ghyoot recounts how, amidst crushing state repression, the Muslim Brothers established an underground prison society that came to serve as a template for the utopia they envisioned for an Islamic Egypt. Brothers Behind Bars offers a new understanding of Islamism in twentieth-century Egypt.

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Book SynopsisIn AD 70 the city of Jerusalem was destroyed by Roman forces after a 6 month siege, the world-famous temple burnt to the ground. This was the disastrous outcome of a Jewish revolt against Roman domination beginning in AD 66 with high hopes and early success, but soon became mired in factional conflict, at its most extreme within Jerusalem itself.Trade ReviewThis paperback is now the best choice for anyone who wishes to read through the most impactful text of western antiquity, outside the Bible, in English... This accessible Josephus will both satisfy and stimulate the considerable interest in this author. * Steve Mason, Expository Times *Hammond's fluent, colloquial translation does considerable justice to Josephus' fastpaced, scandal-filled narrative... This new translation brings the modern reader closer to Josephus and equips us to understand him. * The Tablet *The great strength of this excellent addition to the Oxford World's Classics series lies in the way that a flowing translation is supported by an introduction, copious notes, maps and a first class expanded index, which enable the readers to find their way through a maze of similar sounding individual, family and place names. * Classics for All *Table of ContentsIntroduction Select Bibliiography Chronology Maps The Jewish Wars Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe targeted destruction of ancient sites and monuments in the Middle East provokes widespread outrage in the West. But what is our connection to the ancient Near East? In this updated edition of What Makes Civilization? archaeologist David Wengrow investigates the origins of farming, writing, and cities in ancient Mesopotamia (Iraq) and Egypt, and explores the connections between these two civilizations. It is the story of how people first created kingdoms and monuments to the gods and, just as importantly, how they pioneered everyday practices that we might now take for granted, such as familiar ways of cooking food and keeping the house and body clean. Wengrow asks why these ancient cultures, where so many features of modern life originated, have come to symbolize the remote and the exotic. Today, perhaps more than ever, he argues, the beleaguered cultural heritage of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia stands as a warning for the future. A warning of the sacrifices people will tolerate to preserve their chosen form of life; of the potential for unfettered expansion that exists within any cultural tradition; and of blood perhaps yet to be spilled, on the altar of a misguided notion of civilization.Trade ReviewFor any student studying the question of what civilisation actually is this is valuable reading. * John Bulwer, Euroclassica *Convincingly concludes that the parallel development of Mesopotamia and Egypt demonstrates the deep attachment of human societies to the concepts they live by, and the inequalities they are prepared to endure in order to preserve those guiding principles. * Nature *What Makes Civilization? [...] is expertly grounded, thoughtfully written and discreetly radical in its findings. * Dominic Green, Minerva01/01/2019 *What Makes Civilization? is well written for a student or educated lay-person audience...when the past is being employed to understand the present or predict the future of human societies, archaeologists must be part of the discussion. * Current Anthropology *This book promises a lot and delivers even more...It guides readers into the heart of the sources of civilization. * Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institue *Provocative....stimulating... * Steven Snape, History Today *Lively and insightful work. * Geoff Ward, Western Daily Press *Table of ContentsPART ONE: THE CAULDRON OF CIVILIZATION; PART TWO: FORGETTING THE OLD REGIME

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Book SynopsisIn the popular imagination, Islam is often associated with words like oppression, totalitarianism, intolerance, cruelty, misogyny, and homophobia, while its presumed antonyms are Christianity, the West, liberalism, individualism, freedom, citizenship, and democracy. In the most alarmist views, the West's most cherished valuesfreedom, equality, and toleranceare said to be endangered by Islam worldwide. Joseph Massad'sIslam in Liberalismexplores what Islam has become in today's world, with full attention to the multiplication of its meanings and interpretations. He seeks to understand how anxieties about tyranny, intolerance, misogyny, and homophobia, seen in the politics of the Middle East, are projected onto Islam itself. Massad shows that through this projection Europe emerges as democratic and tolerant, feminist, and pro-LGBT rightsor, in short, Islam-free. Massad documents the Christian and liberal idea that we should missionize democracy, women's rights, sexual rights, tolerance,

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Book SynopsisAttitudes toward homosexuality in the premodern Arab-Islamic world are commonly depicted as schizophrenic. This title argues that this apparent paradox is based on the anachronistic assumption that homosexuality is a timeless, self-evident fact to which a particular culture reacts with some degree of tolerance or intolerance.Trade Review"Meticulously researched, lucidly written, nuanced, and brilliantly conceived, the book forthrightly takes on complex issues surrounding the culture of same-sex eroticism that existed in the Arabic-speaking lands of the early modern Ottoman Empire.... An important book by an excellent scholar." - Journal of Religion "Rectifies many... prejudices and misinterpretations in a masterly fashion." - Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies "A remarkably learned volume that provides an excellent introduction to a long-neglected area of study in the English-speaking world.... A trenchant, insightful, and even brilliant book." - Gay and Lesbian Review"

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Book SynopsisThe incredible and inspirational true story of one young man''s struggle to find peace during war, and the power of music to bring hope to a desperate nation. ''Ahmad has created a moving and visceral account of conflict, hope and the power of music'' Hannah Beckerman, Observer____________ One morning in war-torn Damascus, a starving man drags a piano into a rubbled street. Everything he once knew has been destroyed by war.Amidst ruin and despair, he begins to play. He plays of love and hope, he plays for his family and his fellow Syrians. He plays even though he could be killed for doing so. As word of his defiance spreads around the world, he becomes a beacon of hope and even resistance. Yet he fears for his wife and children - the more he plays, the more he and his family are endangered until, finally, he must make a terrible choice . . . Aeham Ahmad''s spellbinding and uplifting true story tells of the triumph of love and hope, the incredible bonds of family, and the healing power of music in even the very darkest of places.___________''In amongst the wreckage scenes of hope. An amazing man - Ahmad played the piano just to spread love'' Jeremy Vine, BBC Radio 2 ''An extraordinary, beautiful book about a man who in the midst of utter terror wheeled his piano in to the street and played for Yarmouk. He is amazing'' Nihal Arthanayake BBC 5 Live ''The music of Aeham Ahmad became a symbol of resistance'' Today, BBC Radio 4 ''So inspiring'' ITV News''Aeham Ahmad is a talented and brave man of peace. Please read his book and pass it on to anyone who doesn''t know or understand the plight of today''s refugees'' Stanley Tucci BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week Trade ReviewAhmad has created a moving and visceral account of conflict, hope and the power of music * Hannah Beckerman, Observer *An epic story * RTE Guide *Suddenly opened a hidden door to reality * The Sunday Times *Aeham Ahmad is a talented and brave man of peace. Please read his book and pass it on to anyone who doesn't know or understand the plight of today's refugees * Stanley Tucci *If ever confirmation that music and love will always defeat misery and tyranny was needed, Ahmad's testimony delivers it in the humblest and most moving way

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Book SynopsisTrade Review"A rich and highly readable interdisciplinary study that draws together the Great Arab Revolt and the Palestine campaigns into a larger whole."—Justin Marozzi, Spectator "Neil Faulkner’s book is caustic, richly detailed and provocative . . . he skewers his main subject exactly."—James Barr, BBC History"Neil Faulkner goes beyond psychohistory and places Lawrence’s endeavour in a wider political and cultural context. He gives the best short account I’ve read of Gallipoli: dramatic, vivid but still subtly inflected; and he explains the strategic battle in London between military Westerners and political Easterners."—Brian Morton, Glasgow Herald"The book expertly describes the politics that led to these wartime alliances . . . really comes into its own with the detailed accounts of the military forces the strategic and tactical considerations of the combatants, the alliances and each of the battles in the region. . . . This is a book that brings a seminal period of history to life and is worthy of study by all who wish to gain an in-depth understanding of the background to its current political impasse."—Dr. Stephen Leah, Methodist Recorder"A landmark in archaeological study of modern conflicts. . . . This is an attractive and very readable book with a worrying degree of relevance in the contemporary world."—Gabriel Barkay, Archaeology Today"Though closely interlinked, the Great Arab Revolt and the Palestine campaigns are generally studied separately. Neil Faulkner?'s eminently readable account treats them in parallel, opening up a much wider context for Lawrence?'s Seven Pillars."—Jeremy Wilson, author of Lawrence of Arabia: The Authorised Biography"A lively history of the Arab Revolt that sheds important new light on Lawrence’s Seven Pillars as a reliable source. Essential reading."—Eugene Rogan, author of The Arabs: A History

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Book SynopsisThe Prophet and the Age of the Caliphates is an accessible history of the Near East from c.600 to 1050 AD, the period in which Islamic society was formed. Beginning with the life of Muhammad and the birth of Islam, Hugh Kennedy goes on to explore the great Arab conquests of the seventh century and the golden age of the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates when the world of Islam was politically and culturally far more developed than the West. The crisis of the tenth century put an end to the political unity of the Muslim world and saw the emergence of the Fatimid caliphate in Egypt and independent dynasties in the Eastern Islamic world. The book concludes with the advent of Seljuk Turkish rule in the mid-eleventh century. This new edition is fully updated to take into account recent research and there are two entirely new chapters covering the economic background during the period, and the north-east of Iran in the post Abbasid period. Based on extensive reading of the oriTable of Contents1 The matrix of the Muslim world: the Near East in the early seventh century 2 The birth of the Islamic state 3 Conquest and division in the time of the Rāshidūn caliphs 4 The Umayyad caliphate 5 The early ‘Abbasid caliphate 6 The middle ‘Abbasid caliphate 7 The early Islamic economy 8 The structure of politics in the Muslim commonwealth 9 The Buyid confederation 10 The Kurds 11 The Hamdanids 12 Bedouin political movements and dynasties 13 The Eastern Iranian world in the tenth and early eleventh centuries 14 Early Islamic Egypt and the Fatimid empire Postscript: the coming of the Seljuks

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Book SynopsisDeconstructing the Myths of Islamic Art addresses how researchers can challenge stereotypical notions of Islam and Islamic art while avoiding the creation of new myths and the encouragement of nationalistic and ethnic attitudes. Despite its Orientalist origins, the field of Islamic art has continued to evolve and shape our understanding of the various civilizations of Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Situated in this field, this book addresses how universities, museums, and other educational institutions can continue to challenge stereotypical or homogeneous notions of Islam and Islamic art. It reviews subtle and overt mythologies through scholarly research, museum collections and exhibitions, classroom perspectives, and artistsâ initiatives. This collaborative volume addresses a conspicuous and persistent gap in the literature, which can only be filled by recognizing and resolving persistent myths regarding Islamic art from diverse academic and professionaTable of ContentsForeword, Wendy M. K. Shaw Introduction (Onur Öztürk, Xenia Gazi and Sam Bowker); Part 1: Deconstructing the Myths of Islamic Art in Scholarship; 1. Deconstructing the Myths and Mysteries of the Mosque: West African Marginality, Transculturation, Vernacularization (Cleo Cantone); 2. Cross-culturation with Classical Hellenism in Late Antique Arabia (Juan de Lara); 3. Debunking the Regionalistic Myth in the Discourse on Islamic Ornament (Valerie Gonzalez); 4. The Islam in Europe Exhibition and the World of Islam Festival: Curatorial Aporia and Failure as Methodology (Nur Sobers-Khan); 5. Fiber Fragments: The Divided Histories of Textiles from the Islamic World (Patricia Blessing); Part 2: Deconstructing the Myths of Islamic Art in Museums and Classrooms; 6. Influencing Presentation and Interpretation of Islamic Art in Museum Settings: The Myths of Inclusivity, Didacticism, and Provincialism (Xenia Gazi); 7. Approaches to Arts of Asia and Islamic Cultures in Mid-Atlantic Museums (Ashley Dimmig); 8. Islamic Art Exhibition, Orientalism, and Contemporary Socio-politics: Demystifying Connections (Melissa M. Forstrom); 9. Decolonizing and Demystifying Islamic Art in American Undergraduate Education (Onur Öztürk); 10. The Myth of Center and Periphery (Sam Bowker); Part 3: Deconstructing the Myths of Islamic Art in Contemporary Art Practice; 11. Translating Mughal History: Hamra Abbas and the Contemporary Miniature (Karen Greenwalt); 12. A ‘Layered Lens’ on the Arts of the Islamic World in the Contemporary Pacific (Leslee Katrina Michelsen); 13. Gen Y Speaks: Performing and Unfolding Identity in the Work of Australian Muslim Artists (Hamida Novakovich); 14. Deconstructing Myths via Performance Strategies: Experiences of a Contemporary Practitioner (Sami Ismat); Conclusion (Onur Öztürk, Xenia Gazi, and Sam Bowker)

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Book SynopsisA riveting story about the murder that changed a nation: the assassination of the Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.Trade Review"...a riveting new book about the prime minister and his murderer." -- Ian Black - The Guardian"Vividly written and sharply insightful, Killing a King is an important and valuable addition to our understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict." -- Literary Review"A clear-eyed account…captures the way politics in this young and tiny country are uniquely and deeply personal." -- The Economist"Exceptional...an electrifying political narrative twinned with an old-fashioned crime story—of the sort that ought to be taught in journalism schools for its restraint, pacing and expert creation of suspense...The book is a Greek tragedy told in split screen, a frame-for-frame chronicle of a deplorable death foretold." -- Jennifer Senior - The New York Times"...compelling..." -- Jewish News"... Ephron's fascinating study..." -- The Jewish Chronicle

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Book SynopsisArab nationalism has been one of the dominant ideologies in the Middle East and North Africa since the early twentieth century. However, a clear definition of Arab nationalism, even as a subject of scholarly inquiry, does not yet exist.Arab Nationalism sheds light on cultural expressions of Arab nationalism and the sometimes contradictory meanings attached to it in the process of identity formation in the modern world. It presents nationalism as an experienceable set of identity markers in stories, visual culture, narratives of memory, and struggles with ideology, sometimes in culturally sophisticated forms, sometimes in utterly vulgar forms of expression. Drawing upon various case studies, the book transcends a conventional history that reduces nationalism in the Arab lands to a pattern of political rise and decline. It offers a glimpse at ways in which Arabs have constructed an identifiable shared national culture, and it critically dissects conceptions aboTable of Contents1. Introduction: A Critique of Arab Nationalism2. The Trials and Tribulations of the Poet Fu’ad al-Khatib: A Biographical Essay on the Origins of Arab Nationalism3. Holding Up the Mirror: Imperialism and the Poetics of Cultural Pan-Arabism3.1. Saladin the Victor: National Saints, Great Men, and the Rise of the Individual 3.2. From the Glory of Conquest to Paradise Lost: Al-Andalus in Arab Historical Consciousness4. Of Kings and Cavemen: Museums and Nationalist Museology in Twentieth Century Egypt5. Damascus Transfers: Dead Bodies and their Translocal Meanings6. Nearly Victorious: The Art of Staging Arab Military Prowess7. Arab Nationalism, Fascism and the Jews8. Epilogue and Conclusion: Broken Narratives

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Book SynopsisAncient Near East: The Basics surveys the history of the ancient Middle East from the invention of writing to Alexander the Greatâs conquest. The book introduces both the physical and intellectual environment of those times, the struggles of state-building and empire construction, and the dissent from those efforts. Topics covered include: What do we mean when we talk about the Ancient Near East? The rise and fall of powerful states and monarchs Daily life both in the cities and out in the fields The legacy of the Ancient Near East: religion, science and writing systems. Featuring a glossary, chronology and suggestions for further reading, this book has all the tools the reader needs to understand the history and study of the Ancient Near East.Table of Contents1. What We Mean When We Talk About the Ancient Near East 2. The Early Millennia 3. The Second Millennium 4. The First Millennium 5. Legacies 6. The Rediscovery of the Ancient Near East 7. Limits of the Future

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Book SynopsisFor eighteen centuries pious Jews had prayed for the return to Jerusalem, but only in the revolutionary atmosphere of nineteenth-century Europe was this yearning transformed into an active political philosophy: Zionism. In The Making of Modern Zionism, the distinguished political scientist Shlomo Avineri rejects the common view that Zionism was solely a reaction to anti-Semitism and persecution. Rather, he sees it as part of the universal quest for self-determination. In sharply-etched intellectual profiles of Zionism''s major thinkers from Moses Hess to Theodore Herzl and from Vladimir Jabotinsky to David Ben Gurion, Avineri traces the evolution of this quest from its intellectual origins in the early nineteenth century to the establishment of the State of Israel. In an expansive new epilogue, he tracks the rise of religious Zionism since the 1970s, explaining its pernicious effect on the nation that secular Zionism created. The result is a book that enables us to understand, as perhaps never before, one of the truly revolutionary ideas of our time.

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Book SynopsisProvides a general introduction to the cultural history of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt. It then presents a translation of the only known native narratives, written in Greek, of the histories of these two civilizations. This volume will appeal to all people interested in ancient Israel, Greek history, and ancient history in general.

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Book SynopsisThe Assassins'' Gate recounts how the United States set about changing the history of the Middle East and became ensnared in a guerrilla war in Iraq. The consequences of that policy are shown in the author''s vivid reporting on the ground in Iraq, where he made several tours on assignment for The New Yorker. We see up close the struggles of individual American soldiers and civilians and Iraqis from all backgrounds. Here is the full range of ideas and emotions stirred up by America''s most controversial foreign-policy venture since Vietnam.Trade Review"* probably the most valuable book about the lead-up to the war, and the period before the Iraqi election of January 2005 - The Times * informative and lively... An excellent reporter, Packer emerges as one of the few Western journalists who developed a feel for Iraq. - Mail on Sunday * absorbing... It's a riveting tale of mixed motives, willful connivance, skewed ideology and sheer incompetence... Meanwhile, the invasion of Irq seems to defy analysis, although Pakcer does an excellend job here. He has trodden the dusty ground, talking to countless Iraqis, and he knows how awful Saddam really was. - Guardian * Packer's strengths in telling this story are fastidious research and his parallel career as a novelist... he is drawn to the intimacy of human experience... He is an intellectual too but, unlike most of the Iraq war intellectuals, Packer came to Iraq burdened neither by the rigid certainties of the pro-war camp, not the absolutism of the anti-war camp... Instead, Packer admits he was an ambivalently pro-war liberal. And it is exactly this sense of ambivalence... that allows him to cross-examine so powerfully what unravelled in Iraq. - Observer"

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Book SynopsisThis book is a broad, interpretive account of Byzantine strategy, intelligence, and diplomacy over the course of eight centuries that will appeal to scholars, classicists, military history buffs, and professional soldiers.Trade ReviewThe Grand Strategy of the Byzantine Empire is written with a profound knowledge of the field, a thorough mastery of the sources and secondary literature, and a lively and engaging style that both specialists and general readers will appreciate. -- Peter B. Golden, Rutgers UniversityEdward Luttwak makes a persuasive, well-documented argument that the Byzantines--given the continuity of their institutions, their sense of a historical mission, and their own manuals on statecraft and warfare--had a coherent strategy that enabled them to preserve an empire shielded by few geographical barriers and surrounded by a host of hostile neighbors. -- Eric McGeer, author of Sowing the Dragon's Teeth: Byzantine Warfare in the Tenth CenturyOne of America's leading strategic minds...The traditional stereotype of the Byzantine Empire, established by Edward Gibbon in his Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, has undergone considerable revision of late, thanks to a renaissance of Byzantine studies, to which Edward Luttwak has now made an important contribution. Luttwak had long promised a sequel to Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire covering the Roman Empire in the East from the fourth through the fifteenth centuries, and finally it is here. -- Stuart Koehl * Weekly Standard *This book is good history as well as being an insightful commentary on strategy...American soldiers and diplomats who helped turn enemies into allies in creating the Sunni Awakening in Iraq will recognize and empathize with what the Eastern Romans did for centuries. This is a timely and relevant work...Luttwak does an excellent job of describing the intelligence system of the Eastern empire, from its tactical use of scouting and patrolling to its strategic use of spies and double agents in the courts of its enemies...Luttwak does a great service in giving us a readable account of how the Byzantines managed national-security strategy in a way that should be useful to contemporary soldiers and civilian policymakers. It is also a very good read. -- Gary Anderson * Washington Times *Luttwak tells his story well. He is especially good on fine detail. Whether describing the lethal "composite reflex bow" used by Hun archers or the complex but surprisingly efficient Byzantine tax system, he is both vivid and exact...Though no Hun bows survive, Luttwak's meticulous descriptions convey their deadly efficiency. It is through such details that a modern reader captures some sense of the sheer terror that those ancient raiders inspired. Even on obscure theological matters, such as the wrangles over "monotheletism"--the proposition that Christ had two natures, human and divine, united by a single will--he is refreshingly lucid...Notwithstanding its erudition, this is an impassioned book, and all the better for that...Historically remote as they are, the Byzantines may have something to teach Americans about long-term survival. -- Eric Ormsby * Wall Street Journal *If there's a single overriding lesson for Americans from Byzantium in Luttwak's fine and definitive work, it is that we ought to make use of Byzantine methods so that we may never be in Byzantine straits. -- Joshua Trevino * New Ledger *Nothing Luttwak writes is uninteresting...His ventures into the military history of antiquity and the Middle Ages are unlike the work of academic historians and equally unlike the superficial surveys produced by journalists for the general public. Thanks to his polyglot reading, his many scholarly contacts and his opinionated style, he succeeds wondrously in reaching both specialists and the public...If the practicality of what he suggests is less than obvious in any given contemporary crisis, the historical analysis which has brought him to his conclusions is exciting, challenging and erudite. It is rare and refreshing to find such deep research on a great empire of the past deployed so eloquently for the guidance of the beleaguered governments of the present. -- Glen Bowersock * London Review of Books *When students of grand strategy search the past for lessons, rarely do they look to the Byzantine Empire. Luttwak, who wrote a well-regarded history of the grand strategy of ancient Rome, thinks this is a mistake. In this exhaustive study, he shows how the rulers of the eastern half of the late Roman Empire were the true masters of the craft. Although the Byzantine Empire occupied a more vulnerable geographic position than its western counterpart, it lasted almost 1,000 years longer. Luttwak argues that the Byzantines survived by relying less on brute military power and more on allies, diplomacy, and the containment of their enemies. They were able, he claims, "to generate disproportionate power from whatever military strength could be mustered, by combining it with the art of persuasion, guided by superior information." The book makes this argument through fascinating chapters on religion and statecraft, envoys, dynastic marriages, and the Byzantine art of war, as well as through evocative details about weapons, military tactics, and taxes. Although the Byzantine Empire did not have a foreign minister, intelligence agencies, or theories of "smart power," it certainly acted as if it did. -- G. John Ikenberry * Foreign Affairs *The volume's grand sweep is appealing. It unpicks the hard-nosed considerations underpinning the Byzantine complexities of the strategies that permitted the eastern Empire to outlast its western counterpart by almost a millennium, introducing key diplomatic factors such as Christianity, prestige and marriage, surveying the tradition of Byzantine military analysis, and highlighting the issues at the heart of Byzantine survival. -- Michael Whitby * Times Literary Supplement *Table of Contents* List of Maps * Preface * I. The Invention of Byzantine Strategy *1. Attila and the Crisis of Empire *2. The Emergence of the New Strategy * II. Byzantine Diplomacy: The Myth and the Methods *3. Envoys *4. Religion and Statecraft *5. The Uses of Imperial Prestige *6. Dynastic Marriages *7. The Geography of Power *8. Bulghars and Bulgarians *9. The Muslim Arabs and Turks * III. The Byzantine Art of War *10. The Classical Inheritance *11. The Strategikon of Maurikios *12. After the Strategikon *13. Leo VI and NavalWarfare *14. The Tenth-Century Military Renaissance *15. Strategic Maneuver: Herakleios Defeats Persia * Conclusion: Grand Strategy and the Byzantine "Operational Code" * Appendix: Was Strategy Feasible in Byzantine Times? * Emperors from Constantine I to Constantine XI * Glossary * Notes * Works Cited * Index of Names * General Index

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Book SynopsisJack Shenker is a journalist based in London and Cairo, whose reporting has spanned the globe. Formerly Egypt correspondent for The Guardian, his coverage of the Egyptian revolution received multiple prizes. In 2012, his investigation into the deaths of African migrants in the Mediterranean was named news story of the year at the prestigious One World media awards.Trade ReviewRefreshing... What distinguishes his writing from others' is his presence in the slums, factories and homes where Egyptians first began questioning their relations with their rulers. Mr Shenker evokes despair at the economy of this badly run country, but also surprising hope for its future, thanks to a young generation that says it is "no longer prepared to put up with the old crap". * Economist, Books of the Year *I started reading this and couldn't stop. It's a remarkable piece of work, and very revealing. A stirring rendition of a people's revolution as the popular forces that Shenker vividly depicts carry forward their many and varied struggles, with radical potential that extends far beyond Egypt -- Noam ChomskyThis superbly written book documents the great victories - and terrible setbacks - of a people thirsting for democracy and social justice. A courageous writer who gives voice to the hopes and fears of the people of Egypt -- Owen JonesMeticulous, carefully researched and passionately argued... The Egyptians is not just about the revolution, it is an act within it -- Ahdaf Soueif * Guardian *Well-researched and absorbing... a people's history of the revolution that avoids the drama of high politics to foreground instead the activists and campaigners who laid the foundations for Tahrir Square... A refreshing, original take on a country with an uncertain future -- Sameer Rahim * Daily Telegraph *Shenker's book understands the Egyptian Spring, and the counter-strikes against it, as a deeper social process that, far from being over, will continue driving revolutionary upheaval in the years to come. He reframes political events as the products of social and technological change. And, above all, he refuses to give up hope. This is the deepest and most comprehensive account of Egypt's revolution in the English language, and it will set the agenda for debate throughout the Arab world -- Paul MasonJack Shenker cuts through the complacent clichés and self-flattering illusions of foreign correspondents and experts to produce an intimate and comprehensive portrait of contemporary Egypt, which is as historically informed as it is politically shrewd -- Pankaj MishraInspirational... [Shenker's] analysis is acutely clear-sighted, given the chaos of recent events. The book mixes a hawk's eye view of the forces of global capitalism as applied to Egypt with a vivid worm's eye view of what it is like to be caught up in a revolution. This is a passionate book, but not an unbalanced one... it tells stories that need to be told, and which have been widely ignored -- George Arney * Independent *Riveting and elegantly written... an immense and humane portrait of the trials and aspirations of the Egyptian people - -- Gerald Butt * Literary Review *Shenker has written what amounts to a contemporary history of injustice... Shenker is a sensitive interlocutor; the stories he relates comprise a stirring mise en valeur of a struggle for human dignity -- Maria Golia * TLS *Shenker is one of the best observers of the current scene in Egypt -- Khaled Fahmy, Professor of history at the American University in Cairo

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Book SynopsisA revealing study the damaging nature of Lebanese sectarianism.Trade Review'Well-researched and theoretically rigourous ... highly recommended' -- Choice'A very thoughtful account of sectarianism. The authors' theoretically rich post-culturalist lens offers considerable insight into the role played by institutions, discourse, clientalism, economic power, political mobilisation and regional context' -- Rex Brynen, Professor of Political Science, McGill University'A must read for anyone interested in what is going on in Lebanon and the Middle East today' -- James Tully, Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Political Science, Law, Indigenous Governance and Philosophy at the University of Victoria, Canada.'An important contribution to the study of identity politics in the Middle East. Offers a far more compelling treatment than many journalistic accounts' -- Melani Cammett, Professor of Government, Harvard UniversityA judicious and well-argued case for why sectarianism continues to dominate the Lebanese political system, even though there is nothing inevitable about that result' -- F. Gregory Gause, III, John H. Lindsey ’44 Chair, Professor of International Affairs and Head of the International Affairs Department at the Bush School of Government and Public Service, Texas A&M University'The authors of this exceptional volume have added immeasurably to our understanding of the role of sectarian identities in all spheres of Lebanese life' -- Steven Heydemann, Vice President, Applied Research on Conflict, United States Institute of Peace'A rigorous, timely examination of the reproduction of sectarianism' -- Open Democracy'Well-researched and theoretically rigorous ... Highly recommended' -- CHOICETable of ContentsPreface 1. Introduction 2. A Political History of Sectarian Institutions 3. Institutions, Sectarian Populism and the Production of Docile Subjects 4. Neoliberal Sectarianism and Associational Life 5. Sectarianism and Struggles for Socio-economic Rights 6. Elections, Electoral Laws and Sectarianism 7. Between Sectarianism and Military Development: The Paradox of the Lebanese Armed Forces 8. The Postwar Mediascape and Sectarian Demonizing 9. Overlapping Domestic/Geopolitical Contests, Hizbullah and Sectarianism 10. Conclusion Notes Index

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Book SynopsisThe inside story of the sufferings of Christians in Iraq and Syria from 2003 onwards.Table of ContentsCONTENTSMap of Iraq and Syria xiPreface: Pay Money xiiiPART 1 : War and Peace1. Insaf ’s Journey 32. Right of Return 113. No Guarantees 194. Fire like Cold Water 355. The War Before 516. Window of Opportunity 63PART 2 : Chasing Peace7. Vanished 818. Crusaders and the Mujahideen 919. Places of Exile 10510. The Keeper of Nahum’s Tomb 12711. A Church of Martyrs 13912. Fasting and Flight 157PART 3 : Inside the House of War13. The Coming of a New Caliphate 17114. The Death of One American 18515. The New Jihad 19716. Emptying Mosul 21317. Enlisted 22918. The Final Fall 23919. Fighting ISIS 25520. Cities of Refuge 26921. A Garden by Night 285Acknowledgments 299Time Line of Key Events in Iraq and Syria 303Notes 309Index 317About the Author 321

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Book SynopsisReceived an honorable mention at the 2016 British-Kuwait Friendship Society Book PrizeThe Great Seljuk Empire was the Turkish state which dominated the Middle East and Central Asia in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. This book surveys that period, which was one of exceptional importance, witnessing profound demographic, religious, political and social changes in the Islamic Middle East. The Turkish invasions played a role in provoking the Crusades, led to the collapse of Byzantine power in Anatolia and brought about the beginnings of Turkish settlement in what is now Turkey and Iran, permanently altering their ethnic and linguistic composition.Table of ContentsList of box texts; Illustrations and maps; Abbreviations; A note on transliteration, conventions and geographical terminology; Acknowledgements; Introduction; Chapter 1. The Rise of the Seljuk Empire: from the Eurasian Steppe to the Gates of Cairo, c. 965 1092; Chapter 2. Crisis, Consolidation and Collapse: the Great Seljuk Empire and the Sultanate of Iraq, 1092 1194; Chapter 3. Sovereignty, Legitimacy and the Contest with the Caliphate; Chapter 4. The Dargah: Courts and Court Life; Chapter 5. The Kuttab: Bureaucrats and Administration; Chapter 6. The 'Askar: The Seljuk military; Chapter 7. Religion and the Seljuk Empire; Chapter 8. The Economic and Social Organisation of the Seljuk Empire; Conclusion: The Seljuk Legacy; Appendices: Regnal Dates of Seljuk Sultans; 'Abbasid Caliphs, Khwarazmshahs and principal Atabegs; Genealogical chart of the Seljuk Sultans; Chronological Outline; Glossary; Bibliography.

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Book SynopsisWhy have state-building projects across the MENA region proven to be so difficult for so long? Following the end of the Ottoman Empire in the early 1920s, the countries of the region began a violent and divisive process of state formation. But a century later, state-building remains inconclusive. This book traces the emergence and evolution of state-building across the MENA region and identifies the main factors that impeded its success: the slow end of the Ottoman Empire; the experience of colonialism; and the rise of nationalistic and religious movements. The authors reveal the ways in which the post-colonial state proved itself authoritarian and formed on the model of the colonial state. They also identify the nationalist and Islamist movements that competed for political leadership across the nascent systems, enabling the military to establish a grip on the security apparatus and national economies. Finally, in the context of the Arab Spring and its conflict-filled aftermath, thiTrade ReviewThis timely book highlights the under-researched historical dimension of state-making and unmaking... respond[ing] successfully to the promise in [its] title. With this book's demonstration of historical legacies, MENA state-Building analysis is no longer the complex puzzle it was. -- Bahgat Korany , American University in Cairo and University of Montreal, CanadaSheds new light on one century of the state system in the modern Middle East ... A powerful and essential book to understand the failure of the state system and its contribution to a century of conflict in the Middle East. Eugene Rogan, Oxford University -- Eugene Rogan, Professor of Modern Middle Eastern History, Oxford University, UKTable of ContentsAcknowledgements Foreword, Lisa Anderson Part One – Foundations and Legacies 1. A Century of Elusive State-Building in the Middle East and North Africa: From the Balfour Declaration of 1917 to the Deal of the Century of 2020, Mohammad-Mahmoud Ould Mohamedou 2. “The Western Question”, Henry Laurens 3. From the Twilight of the Ottoman Empire to the ‘Caliphate’ Redux: The Tortuous Journey of Arab Statehood, Benoît Challand Part Two – Irresolution and Absences 4. A State in Search of a Nation: The Case of Iraq, Faleh Abdel Jabar 5. One Hundred Years of the Palestinian National Movement, Ahmad Samih Khalidi 6. Permanent Irresolution of the Kurdish Question, Jordi Tejel Part Three – Reinventions and Returns 7. Egypt’s Post-Arab Spring Neo-Authoritarianism, Bruce Rutherford 8. Armed Militancy and Alternative Statehood: Al Qaeda, the Islamic State and the Rise of Revolutionary Islamism, François Burgat 9. “Authoritarianism, Weakness and the New Great Game”, Bertrand Badie Conclusion, “Longing for the State, Mistrusting the State”, Ghassan Salamé

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Book SynopsisKristina Richardson is Associate Professor of History at Queens College and the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, USA. She is the author of Difference and Disability in the Medieval Islamic World (2012) and co-editor of a 16th-century Syrian weaver's notebook (forthcoming). She also serves as an editor for the journal Der Islam.Trade ReviewThis book is nothing short of a radical remapping of the Global Middle Ages that decenters sedentary peoples and refuses territorial partition. Kristina Richardson brilliantly illuminates the sophisticated literary, technological, and intellectual cultures of the Ghuraba' (Strangers), the Roma, and other traveling communities as they moved along the margins of Afro-Eurasian societies between the eighth and the sixteenth centuries. Methodologically wide-ranging and analytically bold, Roma in the Medieval Islamic World will change the way we write medieval history. * Professor of History and International Studies, Zayde Antrim, Trinity College, USA *Fascinating! Like watching a wonderful and unexpected landscape emerge as a master jigsaw puzzler fits the pieces together. * Richard Bulliet, Emeritus Professor of History, Columbia University, USA *"In this brilliant work, Dr. Kristina Richardson illustrates the fundamental importance of studying peoples that transcend geographical and cultural boundaries. Attention to the 'marginal' Ghuraba' across time and space shows them to be anything one of the major groups responsible for facilitating Afro-Eurasian cultural exchange. Of the many notable contributions of this work, her intervention in the history of the printed book is a stunning contribution to the field. Through meticulous linguistic and material analysis, she shows that the Ghuraba' are the most likely candidates for the transmission of 'print culture' from East Asia to the West. Her findings are sure to win many converts and provide a new methodological approach for exploring the vital importance of minority groups to the emergence of Afro-Eurasian material cultures." * Devin Fitzgerald, Curator of Rare Books and History of Printing, UCLA, USA *Table of ContentsList of Figures List of Tables Acknowledgments Abbreviations Introduction 1. The Roma, Banu Sasan, and the Ghuraba’ 2. Sin: The Language of the Banu Sasan and Ghuraba’ 3. Gharib Literary Cultures in Mamluk Cairo 4. Housing, Neighborhoods, and Cemeteries of Urban Ghuraba’ 5. Illustrated Astrological Books (Bulhans) 6. A New Narrative of Premodern Afro-Eurasian Printing 7. Ghuraba’ Astrologers and Print in 15th-Century Central Europe Appendix 1: Appendix 2: Glossary Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisRoss Harrison is Senior Fellow and Director of Research at the Middle East Institute in Washington, DC, USA. He is also a member of faculty at the Department of Political Science in the University of Pittsburgh, USA. His books include Strategic Thinking in 3D: A Guide for National Security, Foreign Policy and Business Professionals (2013) and From Chaos to Cooperation: Toward Regional Order in the Middle East (2017) and he co-edited with Paul Salem, Escaping the Conflict Trap: Toward Ending Civil Wars in the Middle East (2019). He has written numerous articles on Middle East Affairs in Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, The National Interest, Parameters and Orient.

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Book SynopsisAhmad H. Sa'di is Associate Professor in the Department of Politics and Government at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. He is the author of Thorough Surveillance: The Genesis of Israeli Policies of Population Management (2014) and Surveillance & Political Control towards the Palestinians (2013), and the co-editor of Nakba: Palestine, 1948, and the Claims of Memory (2007). He was formerly a Visiting Professor at the Universities of Waseda, Japan, as well as The National University of Singapore, Singapore; and Columbia University, US.Nur Masalha is a Palestinian historian and academic based in the Centre for Palestine Studies, SOAS, University of London, UK. He is Editor of the Journal of Holy Land and Palestine Studies. His authored books include Palestine Across Millennia: A History of Literacy, Learning and Educational Revolutions (I.B.Tauris, 2021) and Palestine: A Four Thousand Year History (Zed, 201Trade ReviewThis book makes a groundbreaking contribution to both Palestine studies and settler colonial studies. The life works and scholarly legacy of Elia Zureik is essential for understanding what settler colonialism is and does Palestine. Equally, this volume forefronts Palestinian scholarly voices and, in doing so, establishes the appropriate foundations for decolonizing Palestine studies. -- Somdeep Sen, Associate Professor in International Development Studies, Roskilde University, Denmark.A landmark volume by leading Palestinian scholars and a fitting tribute to the pioneering scholarship of the late sociologist Elia Zureik. Inspired by his insistence on the inseparability of epistemological decolonization and empirical rigor in the study of the colonial situation under which Palestinians live, diverse and eye-opening essays illuminate the value of concepts like internal colonialism while exposing the formidable technologies of rule to which they have been subjected in the past and present. * Lila Abu-Lughod, Columbia University *Table of ContentsIntroduction, Nur Masalha, SOAS, University of London, UK and Ahmad Sa’di, University of the Negev, Israel Part One: Colonial and Decolonial: Conceptualizations of Palestine 1. Towards a Decolonization of Palestinian Studies, Ahmad Sa’di, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel 2. Indigenous versus Colonial-Settler Toponymy and the Struggle over the Cultural and Political Geography of Palestine: The Appropriation of Palestinian Place-Names by the Israeli State, Nur Masalha, SOAS, University of London, UK 3. What’s the Problem with the Jewish State? Raef Zreik, The Van Leer Jerusalem Institute, Israel Part Two: Zionist Settler-Colonialism: Tenets and Practices 4. The Epistemology of Zionist Settler Colonialism and the Ontological Securitization of Palestinians, Amal Jamal, Tel Aviv University, Israel 5. The Unfinished Zionist Settler-Colonial Conquest of its Elusive ‘Last Frontier’, and Indigenous Palestinian Bedouin Arab Resistance, Ismael Abu-Saad, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel 6. The Paradox of Settler Colonial Citizenship in Israel, Areej Sabbagh-Khoury, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel 7. Celebrating Survival: Palestinian Epistemes and Resisting Anti-Palestinian Racism, Yasmeen Abu-Laban, University of Alberta, Canada Part Three: Zionist Settler-Colonialism: Surveillance 8. Secrecy as Colonial Violence: The Case of Occupied East Jerusalem, Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian, Queen Mary University of London, UK and Abeer Otman, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel 9. Israel’s Telecommunications Lines and Digital Surveillance Routes, Helga Tawil-Souri, New York University, USA Part Four: Palestine: Connections, Ruptures and Popular Resistance 10. Settler Colonialism in Palestine: Connections and Ruptures, Magid Shihade, Dar Al-Kalima University, Palestine 11. Popular Resistance in Palestine, Marwan Darweish, Coventry University, UK Part Five: Issues of Bio-Power 12. The Effect of the Separation of the Wall on the West Bank Labour Market, Sami Miaari, Tel Aviv University, Israel and Dorde Miloslav, Trinity College, Ireland 13. Palestinian Refugee Archives UNRWA and the Problem with Sources, Salim Tamari, Birzeit University, Palestine and Eliza Zureik, Queens University, Canada In Lieu of Afterword 14. Liminal Lights in Dark Places: Elia Zureik’s Sociological and Critical Contribution to Palestinian and Surveillance Studies, David Lyon, Queen’s University, Canada Bibliography

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Book SynopsisAn updated edition of this bestselling introduction to the conflictThe essential guide that allows both sides to be heard Rabbi Professor Dan Cohn-Sherbok presents the Israeli perspective, while Dr Dawoud El-Alami presents the Palestinian perspective Updated to cover the most recent events, including the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and the May 2021 fighting in Gaza, this bestselling introduction explores the history, motivations and people behind the Palestine-Israel conflict - and assesses the prospects for peace after almost eighty years.Trade Review‘There are no dispassionate accounts of the conflict that racks the Holy Land, nor should there be. As this intelligent and important book makes clear, it is hard to be dispassionate when you believe that you are fighting for your life; and both the authors remind us that no less than this is what is felt to be at stake. But conflict is always intensified by ignorance. What this book does is to test how far we can go in mapping out a common history and exactly where and how this common history comes to be read differently. It offers no magical solution to this most persistent and harrowing conflict of our times, but it refuses to settle down with slogans, and models the possibility of a painful, honest – even angry – dialogue that does not simply freeze into mutual uncomprehending hatred.’ -- Dr Rowan Williams, Honorary Fellow and Honorary Professor of Contemporary Christian Thought, University of Cambridge‘Offers a rare insight into the Palestine–Israeli dilemma while outlining political, religious, historical and emotional issues in the struggle for peace.’ * Library Journal *'A must for anybody interested in understanding the conflict in the Middle East.' -- George Joffé, Research Fellow, Centre for International Studies, University of Cambridge

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Book SynopsisThe history of cane sugar from its origins in the east to its status as a luxury foodstuff and even medicine in the medieval period to a commodity produced and consumed globally in today's world is well known. Yet archaeologically, sugar is an invisible commodity, its presence usually being inferred from the humble sugar pots used in the last stages of its sophisticated production process. This book attempts to redress the imbalance between history and archaeology by reporting on the excavation of a medieval sugar refinery, Tawahin es-Sukkar near Safi, situated south of the Dead Sea in Jordan. There it was possible to explore many of the steps in the sugar-making process. The book's title refers to the industrial waste whose study has shed light on those steps. To place this refinery in chronological and economic context, excavation was extended to the adjacent support town' of Khirbet Shaykh Isa; the book presents its results. The available archaeological evidence for sugar production

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Book SynopsisExamining the role and influence of news 'fixers' who mediate between foreign journalists and local sources, this book is based on vivid personal accounts and insider perspectives alongside analysis of the role fixers have played in bringing news of Turkey and Syria to international audiences.Trade Review'… a thoughtful and immersive dive into the stories of fixers, the dilemmas they face and how they try to navigate cultural and media expectations.' Usman Butt, Middle East Monitor'In this subtle and reflective book … Arjomand uses novelistic techniques - composite characters in carefully composed circumstances - to both protect his sources and convey a complex and fascinating world with wit, intelligence, and sympathy.' Lisa Anderson, Foreign AffairsTable of ContentsIntroduction: A Tale of Two Fixers; 1. Beginnings; 2. Fitting In; 3. Moral Worlds of Ambivalence and Bias; 4. Translations; 5. From Local to Global; Appendix: Sociological Fiction.

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Book SynopsisTehran, the capital of Iran since the late eighteenth century, is now one of the largest cities in the Middle East. Exploring Tehran''s development from the nineteenth to the mid-twentieth century, Ashkan Rezvani Naraghi paints a vibrant picture of a city undergoing rapid and dynamic social transformation. Rezvani Naraghi demonstrates that this shift was the product of a developing discourse around spatial knowledge, in which the West became the model for the social practices of the state and sections of Iranian society. As traditional social spaces, such as coffee houses, bathhouses, and mosques, were replaced by European-style cafes, theatres, and sports clubs, Tehran and its people were irreversibly altered. Using an array of archival sources, Rezvani Naraghi stresses the agency of everyday inhabitants in shaping urban change. This enlightening history not only allows us to better understand the contours of contemporary Tehran, but to develop a new way of imagining, talking about, and building ''the city''.

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Book SynopsisInvites readers into the complex and little-known world of female religiosity and authority in early modern Central Asia, offering a unique analysis of the story of Agha-yi Buzurg. Intended for scholars, educators and students of Islamic studies and Central Asian history, as well as those interested in gender history and Sufism.

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Book SynopsisFocused on the rise of the Justice and Development Party (AKP) over the last two decades, this book discusses and contextualizes key events and developments in Turkish politics, economics and foreign policy.The authors begin by exploring the longer-term historical trends that shaped the country, focusing on Ottoman and Republican legacies, culminating in the formation of the modern state in Turkey. This context, it is argued, is key in understanding the AKP's emergence since 2002 as the preeminent political power. The book further argues that the AKP achieved this position due to political maneuvers aimed at undermining military influence within politics, its management of the economy and its approach to foreign policy. These three domains are dealt with in successive chapters to help explicate how the AKP built broad societal coalitions and consolidated its power. The book concludes by analyzing contemporary developments: in the face of mounting economic and political challe

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Book SynopsisThis book critically analyzes the Palestinian legal arguments against Israeli occupation and in favor of Palestinian statehood.For the past two decades, Palestinians have chosen to pursue their claims against the Israeli occupation through litigation at the international courts. It is therefore appropriate, the author contends, to analyze the merits of the Palestinian legal claims separately from their political claims. To do so, the book comprises five parts: Part I addresses the role of international law in the conflict as well as Palestinian legal framing and lawfare. Part II recounts the relevant legal history, including the crucial legal implications of the Oslo Accords. Part III analyzes Palestinian legal claims regarding the West Bank and the Gaza Strip. Part IV assesses the Palestinian legal case for statehood. Part V analyzes Palestinian legal claims regarding Jerusalem. Ultimately, it is argued that the Palestin

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Book SynopsisThe Fourth Ordeal tells the history of the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt from the late 1960s until 2018. Based on over 140 first-hand interviews with leaders, rank-and-file members and dissidents, as well as a wide range of original written sources, the story traces the Brotherhood''s re-emergence and rise following the collapse of Nasser''s Arab nationalism, all the way to its short-lived experiment with power and the subsequent period of imprisonment, persecution and exile. Unique in terms of its source base, this book provides readers with unprecedented insight into the Brotherhood''s internal politics during fifty years of its history.Trade Review'This superb oral history offers a forensic analysis of the Brotherhood's far from inevitable rise and fall from power in Egypt. Brothers are presented neither as victims nor villains, rather as social actors forced to make difficult choices in unprecedented circumstances. With enviable scholarly impartiality, The Fourth Ordeal is history at its best.' Hazem Kandil, Cambridge University'A highly readable account of the Muslim Brotherhood's modern history, based on a well of primary sources and interviews. Focusing on factional struggles between old-school leaders and younger reformists, the book offers an insightful interpretation of the background to the failed Mursi presidency and the violent movement's suppression in 2013.' Brynjar Lia, University of Oslo'A compelling and dramatic account of the rise of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood from suppressed opposition movement to the pinnacle of presidential power, only to be overthrown by the military in 2013 and banned as a terrorist organisation. An outstanding book, drawing on extensive interviews of Muslim brothers and their opponents, Victor J. Willi tells the story of the Muslim Brothers in their own words and as he himself witnessed events in the 2010s. The best book available on the most influential Islamist movement in the world.' Eugene Rogan, University of Oxford'This is a fresh contribution to the much-studied Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, with a novel concentration on the internal voices of this organization … An impressive merit of the book is the 'oral history' approach.' Chaoqun Lian, China International Strategy ReviewTable of ContentsPrologue; Introduction; 1. The Society of the Muslim Brothers; 2. The Second Founding (1968–1981); 3. The Rise of the Vanguard (1981–1991); 4. Brotherhood Incorporated (1991–2001); 5. Struggle for Leadership (2001–2011); 6. Revolution, Rise and Fall (2011–2013); 7. The Beginning of the Fourth Ordeal (2013–2018); Conclusion; Epilogue.

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Book SynopsisFirst published in 1960, this work describes the lives and labours of six great scholars - Simon Ockley, Sir William Jones, E. W. Lane, E. H. Palmer, E.G. Browne and R. A Nicholson. These men were devoted to building a bridge between the peoples and cultures of Europe and Asia. To these biographical essays, Arberry has added a short autobiography and an eloquent plea for the further encouragement of Oriental studies.This book will be of interest to those studying Middle-Eastern studies and the history of Orientalist study.Table of ContentsForeword; 1. The Pioneer: Simon Ockley 2. The Founder: William Jones 3. The Lexicographer: Edward William Lane 4. The Linguist: Edward Henry Palmer 5. The Persian: Edward Granville Browne 6. The Dervish: Reynold Alleyne Nicholson 7. The Disciple: A. J. Arberry; Index

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Book SynopsisBased on previously untapped sources and innovative research methodologies, this book presents a vivid account of late Ottoman Gaza. It highlights the significance of the city as a hub for people, goods, and ideas, and explores the lives of Gazans, from the traditional Muslim elites to the commoners and minority communities of Christians and Jews.

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Book SynopsisLasting over 120 years, the Arab-Israeli conflict involves divergent narratives about history, national identities, land ownership, injustices and victimhood. Domestic forces and actors as well as international and regional dynamics have ensured the conflict's durability. A distinguished team of authors comprising an Israeli, a Palestinian and an Egyptian present a broader Arab perspective in this innovative textbook that offers a balanced and nuanced introduction to a highly contentious subject. Providing an overview of key developments in the history of the conflict, it explores attempts at resolution, before going on to portray the perspectives of the important parties. It places the events of the conflict within a regional and international context, providing an invaluable insight into the opposing narratives behind the conflict. The much-anticipated second edition of Arabs and Israelis includes:- Up-to-date coverage of key developments since the Arab Awakening, includinTrade ReviewThe tripartite approach of the authors – who write with one voice, rather than making independent contributions – is a powerful testament to the possibility of collaboration and compromise… for anyone craving a readable, no-nonsense analysis of the decades of this continuing crisis, it offers the key – a whole bunch of keys – to a new understanding. * Perspective Magazine *Written by a collection of Israeli, Egyptian and Palestinian scholars, this is a broad and brilliantly executed discussion on the topic. It provides a wider context to the situation in Gaza, situating it within the complex and ever-shifting world of Middle Eastern politics. Views are well-balanced and considered, making this an essential read for anyone new to the subject. * Harper's Bazaar *Table of ContentsPreface About the Authors List of Illustrations Select Chronology: Key Moments in the Arab–Israeli Conflict,1516–2012 Introduction 1 The Formative Years 2 The Partitioning of Palestine: “Nakba” and Independence 3 Under the Cold War: The 1956 Sinai–Suez War 4 The 1967 War: The Victory and the “Naksa” 5 From Limited War to Limited Accommodation 6 Camp David and the Lebanon War 7 From the First Intifada to Madrid and Oslo 8 Failures of Implementation of the Madrid Conference 9 Oslo’s State-building and Peacemaking 10 The Failure of Permanent Status Negotiations 11 The Second Intifada 12 From the Second Lebanon War to the Arab Awakening 13 Conclusion – A Conflict that Never Ends? Appendix: Separation Barrier Map Index

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