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Title: A Concise History of the Middle East (7th Edition) by Arthur Goldschmidt Jr. ISBN: 0-8133-3885-9 Publisher: Westview Press Pub. Date: 01 July, 2001 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $45.00 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.33 (12 reviews)
Rating: 5
Summary: Essential background to understand events today
Comment: This extremely readable textbook by Arthur Goldschmidt, Jr. was assigned reading for my course at NYU about the history of the Middle East. This latest edition was published in 1998. Naturally there have been changes since then. But this, after all, is a history textbook. I can read about current events in the newspapers. What this book did was to give me that background. And it certainly is a rich background, one that I never knew before.
In clear descriptive language the author describes the Middle East before and after Muhammad and the basic beliefs of Islam. He talks about the early Arab conquests and the differences between Islamic sects. He describes the various empires and discusses the role of European interests and westernizing influences. And he gives the reader a really good understanding of the various the countries and their shifting borders. Finally, he brings us up to date on the causes and conflicts of the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Gulf War. It is all fascinating stuff and I soaked it all up, reading quickly and absorbing the context, rather than the details. Not a shabby accomplishment for only 362 pages. Recommended.
Rating: 5
Summary: Perfect beginner's book
Comment: I've read Bernard Lewis and so many others, I can't remember them all. I spend a lot of my free time reading about the Middle East, as my family comes from Iraq. This is the one I recommend for those interested in a general overview of the Middle East without being bogged down by all the caliphs and names of tribes that make other books more complicated (and dull). Read this first, then if you want to delve into more detail this book will guide you to more in-depth reading material. If you know the Middle East very well, and understand its history, then move on. Most people do not know the M. East history as well as Goldschmidt, however, and his balanced view is refreshing.
I have given this book away as gifts and the recipients who read it have praised it.
Rating: 5
Summary: Great Intro to Middle East
Comment: This book does a lot in 408 pages. The first half of the book is more the base to understanding more modern happenings. The first half discusses Muhammad's life and influence; it sprints through the early caliphs and their influence; it briefly discusses the effect of Mongolian khans; and much more. The second half of the book is easier to follow and remember. It focuses on the creation of the present day nation-states and problems of the Middle East. If you want an understanding of people of the Middle East, their culture and their religion, their history as a people and as a mixture of people, this is a fine choice to start with.
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Title: The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf, Jon Rothschild ISBN: 0805208984 Publisher: Schocken Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 1989 List Price(USD): $16.00 |
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Title: Politics and Change in the Middle East: Sources of Conflict and Accommodation (6th Edition) by Roy Andersen, Robert F. Seibert, Jon G. Wagner ISBN: 0130260096 Publisher: Prentice Hall Pub. Date: 07 November, 2000 List Price(USD): $55.00 |
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Title: Understanding Islam: An Introduction to the Muslim World, Third Revised and Updated Edition by Thomas W. Lippman ISBN: 0452011604 Publisher: Plume Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 1995 List Price(USD): $14.00 |
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Title: The Prophet and the Age of Caliphates Near East from the Sixteenth to the Eleventh Century, The (History of the Near East) by Hugh Kennedy ISBN: 0582493137 Publisher: Pearson Education Pub. Date: 01 January, 1989 List Price(USD): $47.00 |
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Title: A History of the Modern Middle East by William L. Cleveland ISBN: 0813334896 Publisher: Westview Press Pub. Date: 01 November, 1999 List Price(USD): $51.00 |
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