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War and peace in the Middle East
A Concise History
151 pages
A shrewd and highly readable untangling of the complex historical forces that have shaped the modern Middle East.
What it feels like
Reading this concise history feels like sitting in on a masterclass with a particularly witty and insightful Oxford professor. The pace is brisk, moving swiftly through centuries of complex geopolitical shifts without ever getting bogged down in academic jargon. Instead, the prose remains highly readable and shrewd, cutting through the mysteriousness of modern diplomacy to reveal the clear historical currents beneath. The mood is deeply intellectual yet accessible, offering a contemplative space to understand the recurrent myopia of superpowers and the region's long quest for self-determination. It is a book that delights both serious students of international relations and curious general readers who want to decipher the volatile forces shaping global politics.
- Mood
- intellectual
- contemplative
- serious
- Tone
- shrewd
- witty
- analytical
- authoritative
- accessible
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- geopolitical shifts · historical context of conflict · external intervention · quest for self-determination · shifting power dynamics
- The writing
- Highly readable, shrewd, and witty, translating complex international relations into an accessible historical narrative.
- The arc
- Moves from a sense of overwhelming geopolitical complexity to a state of clarified historical understanding.
- Who it's for
- Students of international politics and general readers seeking a clear, historical lens on Middle Eastern diplomacy and conflict.
Content notes
- war
- geopolitical conflict
About the book
The recent Israel-PLO accord is only the most recent surprise in a region whose politics often seem complex to the point of mysteriousness. How can Americans decipher the latest diplomatic tilt, rumor of war, or threat to oil supplies? Where will the Middle East's centuries-old quest for self-determination lead?
An Oxford professor of international relations finds answers in a historical context that is often overlooked. With a special focus on the last half-century, he illuminates the four phases of external involvement - the Ottoman, the European, the Superpower, and the American - that have molded the political evolution of the Middle East.
He assesses the past roles of Britain, France, and the former Soviet Union, clarifies how power and influence have shifted in the aftermath of the Cold War, and appraises both the recurrent myopia of the United States and its essential function as a mediator. Shrewd, witty, and highly readable, War and Peace in the Middle East offers invaluable insights, for the student and the general reader, into one of the most volatile subsystems of international politics.
Description from Open Library.
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