A Concise History of the Middle East by Al-Marashi, Ibrahim; Goldschmidt Jr., Arthur;

Short description:

This book provides a comprehensive introduction to the history of this turbulent region. The twelfth edition has been fully revised to reflect the most recent events in, and concerns of, the region, including the presence of ISIS and other non-state actors, the civil wars in Syria and Yemen, and the refugee crisis.

Long description:

A Concise History of the Middle East provides a comprehensive introduction to the history of this turbulent region. Spanning from pre-Islam to the present day, it explores the evolution of Islamic institutions and culture, the influence of the West, modernization efforts in the Middle East, the struggle of various peoples for political independence, the Arab?Israel conflict, the reassertion of Islamic values and power, the issues surrounding the Palestinian Question, and the Middle East post-9/11 and post-Arab uprisings.

The twelfth edition has been fully revised to reflect the most recent events in, and concerns of, the region, including the presence of ISIS and other non-state actors, the civil wars in Syria and Yemen, and the refugee crisis. New parts and part timelines will help students grasp and contextualize the long and complicated history of the region.

With updated biographical sketches and glossary, and a new concluding chapter, this book remains the quintessential text for students of Middle East history. 

"Arthur Goldschmidt Jr. and Ibrahim Al-Marashi have refined, updated, and ultimately revamped the scholarly edifice that Goldschmidt first crafted more than thirty-five years ago. This edition makes the complexities of Middle East?s history accessible to yet another generation of students in the light of new scholarship and momentous recent developments in the region." - Hasan Kayali, University of California, San Diego, USA.

"A clear and concise guide to the complex history of the Middle East from the rise of Islam to the fall of ISIS, Goldschmidt and Marashi have written the essential text for all newcomers to Mid-Eastern studies." - Eugene Rogan, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction  2. The Middle East Before Muhammad  3. Muhammad and the Rise of Islam  4. The Early Arab Conquests  5. The High Caliphate  6. The Rise of the Shi?a and the Influx of the Turks  7. The Crusader and Mongol Invasions  8. Islamic Civilization  9. Firearms, Slaves, and Empires   10. European Interests and Imperialism  11. Westernizing Reform in the Nineteenth Century  12. The Rise of Nationalism  13. The Roots of Arab Bitterness  14. Modernizing Rulers in the Independent States  15. Egypt and the Fertile Crescent Under European Control  16. The Contest for Palestine  17. Israel?s Rebirth and the Rise of Arab Nationalism  18. War and the Quest for Peace  19. Reassertion of Islamist Power  20. The 1991 Gulf War and the Peace Process   21. The Post-9/11 Decade in the Middle East   22. In the Season of Arab Discontent   23. The Regional Cold War in the Twenty-First Century   Appendix I  Appendix II