Book recommendation on Middle East

Deer

Hi all - I need a book on the Middle East crisis. It has to cover how it all came about from the very start as I'm extremely ignorant on the whole thing. It also needs to be non high brow as my little novel reading brain will not be able to process it. In fact if you also know of a book on the Balkans that would also be great. Simplicity is the key here!:D

Shaybo

Robert Fisk's new(ish) one might be worth buying.

The Great War for Civilisation : The Conquest of the Middle East

'Decorated British foreign correspondent Robert Fisk has been based in the Middle East for the last twenty-five years, reporting from the world's worst trouble-spots. This is his first-person account of fifty years of bloodshed and tragedy in the area, from the Palestinian-Israeli bloodbath to the shock and awe of the recent war against Iraq. The Great War for Civilisation is written with passion and anger, a reporter's eyewitness account of the Middle East's history. All the most dangerous men of the past quarter century in the region -- from Osama bin Laden to Ayatollah Khomeini, from Saddam to Ariel Sharon -- come alive in these pages. Fisk has met most of them, and even spent the night out at a guerrilla camp with bin Laden himself. In a narrative of blood and mass killing, Fisk tells the story of the growing hatred of the West by millions of Muslims, the West's cynical support for the Middle East's most ruthless dictators and America's ever more powerful military presence in the world's most dangerous lands as well as its uncritical, unconditional support for Israel's occupation of Palestinian land.It is also a story of journalists at war, of the rage, humour and frustration of the correspondents who spend their lives reporting the first draft of history, their weaknesses and cowardice, their courage and truth-telling. After reading The Great War for Civilisation the reader grasps just why those 19 suicide pilots changed the world on September 11th. Brought right up to the current day and reporting from the heart of a bombed-out Baghdad, Fisk examines the factors leading up to the coalition forces entering Iraq, and discusses possible outcomes of long-term involvement there. '

BossArky

A few weeks back I read "Pirates and Emperors - International Terrorism in the 21st Century" by Noam Chomsky.

A friend had recommended it, plus I thought it would be an interesting background on Israel etc, as the war with Lebanon was just starting.

It was a difficult read and took a while to wade through the detail. There was one really good chapter(2nd or 3rd last one - only about 20 pages) about the Middle East, i.e. Israel. I would recommend the book for that one chapter... whilst the rest of the book was tedious.

However, like yourself I am still looking for the definitive guide. Perhaps the politics forum may give some good suggestions.

p.pete

It won't give you a definitive guide and it'll be dramatised and probably biased to one side (actually I'm interested in people's opinions on the guy) but you could check out some Leon Uris novels. I find them very readable with a historical setting.

Deer

p.pete wrote:

It won't give you a definitive guide and it'll be dramatised and probably biased to one side (actually I'm interested in people's opinions on the guy) but you could check out some Leon Uris novels. I find them very readable with a historical setting.

Well it's not the first time I've heard of him. I presume his characters are fictional against an accurate historical background? I'll check him out whether or which. Edward Rutherford also does a good line in that genre. Check out Russka which gave me a good background on russian history from the year dot.

Thanks boss and shay - I'm going to post this in politics and we might be able to find something!

diadhuit

Honeymoon in Purdah, An Iranian Journey ---by far the best book I have read it is by Alison Wearing........

Scottish

I finished the Robert Fisk book earlier in the year. Its a big undertaking (over a 1000 pages), but it does an exceptionally good job of humanising the region (versus the detached, "collateral damage" approach of most western media). The scope of the history, political and personal within the book is quite something and it will give you a real feel for what it must be like on the ground. Some brilliant anecdotes in their as well.

I'd recommend, but make sure you aren't squeamish and have plenty of time to devote to it.

Scottish

I finished the Robert Fisk book earlier in the year. Its a big undertaking (over a 1000 pages), but it does an exceptionally good job of humanising the region (versus the detached, "collateral damage" approach of most western media). The scope of the history, political and personal within the book is quite something and it will give you a real feel for what it must be like on the ground. Some brilliant anecdotes in there as well.

I'd recommend, but make sure you aren't squeamish and have plenty of time to devote to it.

nacho libre

A History of the Middle East by Peter Mansfield

p.pete

Deer wrote:

I presume his characters are fictional against an accurate historical background?

Yeah, that's pretty much it. Regarding Uris's potential bias, I found this comment in someone's amazon review:

Sure, Leon Uris is a bit biased.What would you expect from an anti- British, pro-Irish Jew?

That was for the book The Haj, also Exodus would be related to the Middle East, both centred around Israel.

Shaybo

p.pete wrote:

Yeah, that's pretty much it. Regarding Uris's potential bias, I found this comment in someone's amazon review: That was for the book The Haj, also Exodus would be related to the Middle East, both centred around Israel.

The reviewer had obviously read Trinity too, hence the anti-British comment!

Fisk has some harsh critics as regards his biases and doom-laden 'prophecies' but he's undoubtedly very knowledgeable about the area.

Deer

I've just seen one on amazon - The Middle East for Dummies by M Clarke - that sounds promising.....

toomevara

Deer wrote:

In fact if you also know of a book on the Balkans that would also be great. Simplicity is the key here!:D

The Balkans, 1804-1999: Nationalism, War and the Great Powers by Misha Glenny

This is THE book on the recent Balkans conflict, it is relatively complex, but it rewards perseverance. I couldn't recommend it highly enough.

tHE vAGGABOND

books in this direction, explaining where they are all coming from - as people have said further up the page..

Exodus and The Haj both by Leon Uris..

Exodus is about the period around the foundation of Israel [from the Jewish POV]

The Haj is the same time frame and general events, but from the Arab POV

They are historical fiction, but both are considered classics. They are good to get an idea how it all started and why they feel like they do! Dont read them as the be all and end all, but they are great books and good to get a 'grounding' in the basics..[ie: where does all the arab anti-zionist hate come from? what the **** is the west bank - and how did it get so messed up etc etc etc]

I trust his POV, as his book Trinity is spot on about Ireland IMHO [at least it was when it was written!]