Getting to simultaneously see how the extremely different spheres of influence of Egypt, Persia/Iran, the Ottoman Empire/Turkey, Syria/Palestine/Israel, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia each grew and exerted different types of influence in their own unique situations at different times was helpful. It attempts to give a fair hearing to the major events within all regions of the Middle East from the time shortly before Islam until the book’s publication in the mid-1990s. On the positive side, the book is very readable. Nor a single Copt, not even a Coptic pope or, amazingly, UN Secretary General Boutrous-Boutrous Ghali. ![]() ![]() Sudan and Afghanistan are mentioned, but not any Sudanese or Afghanis that I can remember. I don’t remember if a single Kurd or Awasi (persecuted Iraqi people) is mentioned by name in the entire book. And even leaders, if they didn’t lead a national government or independent political movement, tend to get shafted. It would be interesting to go from beginning to end of the book and count the # of names mentioned who were not political or military leaders…aside from a few poets and a rare religious leader who didn’t also lead a political movement, the total numbers would be few indeed. The people that matter to the author are the world leaders and their actions, especially their actions in expanding their territory and consolidating their reign. It’s clear that, while the author laments the focus of history on wars and conflicts, it is still an extremely traditional text. Having not read any other full Middle Eastern histories, it’s hard for me to compare this book to others from a content perspective. On a personal note: I finally understand what the Crimean War was about! For further study elsewhere, the Suez affair, the Six Days War, and the Yom Kippur War. in securing stability for the region due to their own interests. The author appear to me as fairly balanced in discussing the failures of France, Russia, and particularly Britain and finally the U.S. Of equal importance during this section is the meddling by more modernized nations who seek to control, or at least ensure access to, ports, straits, and canals with which to transport commercial goods and ultimately oil. Half of the book is concerned with the rise of Middle Eastern nations that occurred with the decline of the Ottoman Empire, and how the practice of religion and nationalism often get intertwined in practice or confused by outside observers. I also gained some understanding of the marginalized forms of Eastern Christianity. At times it was hard to keep everything straight and I had to consult wikipedia, but I did finally understand the difference between Sunni and Shiite Muslims, and what Sufism is. ![]() The first third of the book is a sprint through 1300 years of history. This is a great place to start if you want to become acquainted with currents and issues in the history of the Middle East. The eighth edition brings new discussion to the post-9/11 political developments and surveys terrorism in the Middle East, the Iraq War, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. It focuses on the evolution of Islamic institutions and culture, the influence of the West, the modernization efforts of Middle Eastern governments, the struggle of various peoples for political independence, the course of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the reassertion of Islamic values and power, the aftermath of the Gulf War, and issues surrounding the Palestinian Question. Written for undergraduate college students, the text assumes no prior knowledge of Middle Eastern history. As an introduction to the history of this turbulent region from the beginnings of Islam to the present day, the book is distinguished by its clear style, broad scope, and balanced treatment. The eighth edition of Arthur Goldschmidt's widely acclaimed text has been extensively revised to reflect the latest scholarship and the most recent events in the Middle East.
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