The arabisraeli conflict has proven to be one of the most protracted and bitter struggles of modern times, and has been extraordinarily resilient in the face of all efforts to resolve it. The complete idiots guide to middle east conflict, 4th. Christian perspectives on the israelipalestinian conflict. List of modern conflicts in the middle east wikipedia. Best nonfiction war books, 100 best books of all time. The middle east, explained in one sort of terrifying chart. A reading list an agreement has been reached to evacuate civilians and opposition fighters from the besieged eastern districts of the city of aleppo, a senior turkish official and rebel officials have told the guardian. Its a history of oil on all continents, not just the middle east. This sometimes obsessive search for authenticity does not fit the neat models of the political scientists and has left the politics of the middle east difficult to understand and predict. Apr 22, 2015 middle east web gateway is produced by a nongovernment organization in israel and offers much in the way of news and views on the middle east. The languages, cultural, religious and sectarian communities of the region, and selected turning points and. Exploring conflict through teen and ya books childrens.
Top ten books for beginners on the middle east the conflict. Research by flora hughesonslow jerusalem by simon sebag montefiore the bestselling nonfiction masterpiece from awardwinning british journalist, historian and author simon sebag montefiore, jerusalem, is the. Thus if you really want to understand pulse of the middle east you need to start from its ancient histor. Mar 08, 2020 trying to understand the middle east is complicated at best and impossible at worst.
It currently encompasses the area from egypt, turkey and cyprus in the west to iran and the persian gulf in the east, 1 and from turkey and iran in the north, to yemen and oman in the south. Bard has appeared on fox news, msnbc, and other television and radio outlets. Im trying to look at different aspects of the conflict, but need to get it from one source. The middle east, explained in one sort of terrifying.
Dec 03, 2014 exploring conflict through teen and ya books. I would like to recommend these 2 books by robert fisk. Yergins conversational style is a good fit whether hes explaining opecs imperium on western economies or the first hints of peak oil theory. The middle east is a fascinating region with complex cultures, religions, and relationships. The middle east is perhaps the most tumultuous area on earth, with ancient battles still being fought. The middle east conflict is difficult to solve, but it is among the simplest conflicts in history to understand. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Wonderfulno book published in recent years has more lasting relevance to our understanding of the middle east. This book is intended for readers who have never studied the middle east, or experts who may wish to fill gaps in their knowledge of the region from other disciplines. What are the best books to understand middle east war. My middle east politics summer reading picks the washington. But you need to understand the preisrael history thoroughly first.
The untold story of the westeastern divan, an orchestra reaching across the israeliarab divide. News stories give conflicting views of developments on the ground and much of the mainstream media coverage is steeped in stereotypes and lacking in nuance. Amid the bending shelves, a few themes can be discerned. Learn about the israelipalestinian conflict in a nutshell and read various articles and editorials on the middle east. The middle east, old and new in 1902, theodor herzl, the father of political zionism, pub lished a utopian novel entitled altneuland oldnew land. Its rather rare for a book on the middle east to have much of an influence in america and britain. Jared kushner, who crafted president donald trumps controversial middle east peace plan, said hes read 25 books about the israelipalestinian conflict. Albert hourani, a history of the arab peoples, middle east, book. Middle east history 5 books you must read why to read. Jared kushner says hes read 25 books on the israeli. The influential blogger and journalist tells us why theres so much misinformation about the arab world, and suggests what we should read to improve our understanding of the regions history and current turmoil. Whether for establishing or deepening ones knowledge of the region, these fundamentals are important to know. The middle eastern conflicts are protracted, complex and interwoven. A list of 10 of the most useful books on the middle easts history, society, religion, and economy.
If youre interested in this area of the world, youll want to know the heads of state in the region, acronyms people use in the middle east, and some basic islamic terms, because many although by no means most of the worlds muslims. As the title implies, houranis book is a comprehensive history of the arab people as a society. This updated guide offers an intense look through the lens of presentday knowledgeat current events and the everchanging political. The confused persons guide to middle east conflict. As the crisis in gaza deepens, culture whisper lines up history, context and passionate argument on both sides of the divide with the ten best books on the israelipalestinian conflict. Part of a series called contesting the past, this evenhanded study is by a canadian academic who has spent his whole career researching and teaching the history of the israelpalestine conflict. Middle east policy and the author of 14 books, including the complete idiots guide to world war ii. Addressing the complexity of responsibility when it comes to the arabs and the continuation of the conflict, as well as various other thoughtprovoking topics, this is essential reading for anyone attempting to understand the situation in the middle east today.
Bringing together young musicians from palestine, israel and other countries of the middle east, the westeastern divan orchestra is both one of the most acclaimed youth orchestras in the world and a rare note of hope in a wartorn region. The best books on understanding the arab world five. Anup shah, the middle east conflicta brief background, global issues, updated. But as such, it is also forcibly a history of the middle easts most powerful economic and political engine of the 20th century. The greatest problem of writing historically about the middle east is that the.
Pack these insightful new books on the middle east, islam and politics as. The chart is a spinoff of the most amazing letter to the editor ever written, which appeared in thursdays financial times. There are many books which i have read over the past five years on the middle east and these key books are the ones which have given me a solid introduction to the region and the people who live and breath the historical events unfolding from the first world war to the arabisraeli conflicts to 911 to the arab uprisings in 2011. One of his best books, by the way, is about music, although orientalism will. Others choose books that deal with conflicts in the middle east. The middle east is traditionally defined as the fertile crescent mesopotamia, levant, and egypt and neighboring areas of arabia, anatolia and iran. To understand the middle easts current woes, we must look at the region through a historical prism. But america is on the opposite side of the conflict in yemen.
The best books on the israelpalestine conflict recommended by robin yassinkassab. It currently encompasses the area from egypt, turkey and cyprus in the west to iran and the persian gulf in the east. What are some good books to read and understand the. In a rebuttal to my initial column, robert gutman, a cochair of the durham chapter of voice for israel asserted that greater historical context is necessary to truly understand the conflict. So i suppose we have to say that any fit reader of the middle east must read edward said. Apr 12, 2018 right now, were all experiencing a major case of information overload. Caplan provides a brisk and balanced account of it. Disputed areas may be the greatest threat to stability in the middle east and the world. A good book for understanding middle east conflict. Top ten best books on the israelipalestinian conflict. The middle east conflicta brief background global issues. Jul 18, 20 ive included both palestinian and israeli works. July 18, 2006 mideast conflict hard to solve, easy to explain by dennis prager.
The world library list, books on the israel palestine conflict, best middle east fic. My middle east politics summer reading picks the washington post. I honestly wasnt going to include my own book this year, despite my publishers expectations. Middle east web gateway is produced by a nongovernment organization in israel and offers much in the way of news and views on the middle east.
Discover the best middle eastern politics in best sellers. The best books on the israelpalestine conflict five books. While explaining the historical details behind the regions multiple conflicts, the author does not pull. Aimed at western readers, the texts are the kind youd expect to find on a middle eastern studies course at university. Mar, 2010 so i suppose we have to say that any fit reader of the middle east must read edward said. Israel palestine conflict for dummies middle east headlines. Top ten books for beginners on the middle east the. Mar 27, 2015 the confused persons guide to middle east conflict. Understand the middle east since 1945 examines the origins and development of the events which have dominated the headlines for the last six decades. Nov 02, 2017 neil caplan, the israelpalestine conflict. The confused persons guide to middle east conflict the. Middle east eye staff and writers plough through a fair few books each year, from fiction to politics, poetry to history. This is a list of modern conflicts in the middle east ensuing in the geographic and political region known as the middle east. The best books on understanding the arab world five books.
Can you please recommend a good book, fiction or nonfiction, to explain how the middle east got so complicated and violent. If you want to understand alqaida, try this for size. Alternatively, copypaste the following mla citation format for this page. Try this reading list if you want to understand the middle east.
The pieces at first, were embarrassingly simple, black and white and did not understand many of the subtleties and nuances of the geopolitics and cultural factors shaping the battlefields. As one of the most contentious and controversial relationships in the world, the israelpalestine conflict has found its way into the headlines for various reasons over the last few decades. Often, those reasons are tied to the reignition of tensions or the crumbling of peace talks. However with time, i became hooked on the multigenerational conflict for the greater middle east. These are the 6 books about the middle east everybody. Qatar, saudi arabia and the uae suddenly escalated into an intense crisis. We turn on the news and see images from the syrian civil war, with different groups trying to seize control of the country. And then theres the tendency to look at enemies of the west as irrational actors, kind of villains, without understanding their motives. This book takes a conflictbased approach to the middle east.
Over recent years, middle eastern literature has been making great strides in the international book market, with many authors and works receiving widespread attention and praise. Books to understand the israelpalestine conflict penguin. Apr 21, 2017 there are many books which i have read over the past five years on the middle east and these key books are the ones which have given me a solid introduction to the region and the people who live and breath the historical events unfolding from the first world war to the arabisraeli conflicts to 911 to the arab uprisings in 2011. I have also included some overtly proisrael works to understand that veiw. The conflict between israelis and palestinians is the longest conflict in the world. In this crisis of identities, the prospects for democracy, eco. The middle east has been at war for thousands of years because of its strategic location. What are some good books to read and understand the history.
The following list of podcasts are essential listening if youre interested in the region they. Written by a distinguished team of authors comprising an israeli, a palestinian, and an egyptian presenting a broader arab perspective, this textbook offers a balanced and nuanced introduction to this highly. The presidents senior white house adviser and soninlaw told sky news arabia wednesday about the work hes put in to develop the proposal for the region. Aug 26, 20 the chart is a spinoff of the most amazing letter to the editor ever written, which appeared in thursdays financial times. Dec 23, 2019 middle east eye staff and writers plough through a fair few books each year, from fiction to politics, poetry to history. These are the 6 books about the middle east everybody should read. Keys to understanding the middle east open textbook library. Trying to understand the middle east is complicated at best and impossible at worst. It also explained the entire middle east, in a few short sentences. Aug 27, 2010 understand the middle east since 1945 examines the origins and development of the events which have dominated the headlines for the last six decades. Learn the history to understand the middle east conflict. Middle east, however, politics is also the competition of identities. The best middle east books of the year picked by middle. Palestinian arabs and israeli jews both are fighting over the same land.
One of his best books, by the way, is about music, although orientalism will always be on the setbook list. Realclearpolitics articles mideast conflict hard to solve. Understanding the disputed areas of the middle east dummies. Essential podcasts to help you understand the middle east. The gulf region has been the subject of conflict since its integration into the modern world.
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