The Continuum Political Encyclopedia of the Middle East [Hardcover]

Avraham Sela (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0826414133 | ISBN-13: 978-0826414137 | Publication Date: October 2002 | Edition: Revised and Updated Edition

This new and updated second edition includes 35 all new entries, including Afghanistan, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Bin Laden, Abdallah Ibn Hussein, Islamic Movements, Northern Alliance, Palestine/Palestinian Territories, Qa-ida Organization, Edward Said, and Western Wall. In addition, dozens of entries are updated from the first edition to reflect the myriad changes in the Middle East and surrounding nations.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 10 Up-This revised edition of The Political Encyclopedia of the Middle East (Continuum, 1998) contains entries on countries ranging from Afghanistan to Yemen; political movements and leaders; major foreign nations that impact this area, such as the United States and Russia; religions and religious movements; and regional topics of concern including "Oil," "Terrorism," "Water Politics," and "Women, Gender and Politics." A clearly written foreword explains that this new edition addresses events with global implications, particularly the September 11 attacks and the breakdown in the Arab-Israeli peace process. The focus remains on the development of the Middle East and its political history during the 20th century with emphasis placed on the last few decades. Alphabetical entries range from a few paragraphs to lengthy commentaries. In fact, the article examining the "Arab-Israel Conflict" runs over 50 pages. Longer pieces are followed by short bibliographies and are initialed by contributors who are identified with their titles and positions. Most come from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel Aviv University, Bar Ilan University, and other Israeli organizations. Cross-references, a few black-and-white maps, and an "index" with no page numbers are also provided. Large libraries serving older students will find this a useful, though not necessarily indispensable, source of objective information on the history and issues affecting the contemporary Middle East.
Alicia Eames, New York City Public Schools
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

"Written by twenty Middle East specialists, this volume contains a wealth of political and historical information....Recommended for academic and public libraries."--Library Journal

"Extremely useful reference tool, featuring 600 entries spread over more than 800 pages."--NOD and Conversion

"An excellent overview of the area."--Canadian Jewish News

"Addresses key issues in contemporary Middle East politics."--Midwest Book Review

"It is not often that current events and publishing intersect nicely to produce a truly remarkable volume. All too often, sound bite mentality dominates and the result is a book about September 11th on the book shelves on September 12th. This does not r

"The revised edition of The Political Encyclopedia of the Midde East (1999) covers...all the Arab states, as well as Afghanistan, Iran, Israel and Turkey. Recommended for all reference collections" --Choice

"useful...source of objective information on the history and issues affecting the contemporary Middle East."--Alicia Eames, School Library Journal, April 2003

"a useful reference work...Its 560 articlescover the political - and, to a lesser extent, economic and social - history of the twentieth century Middle East, including entries on most major political, and some military and religious, leaders. There are substantive articles on Arab nationalism, Islamic radicalism, oil, women, military forces, and the Arab-Israeli conflict...a user-friendly guide to important data." - Middle East Studies Association Bulletin

(Philip Mattar )

"a useful reference work...Its 560 articlescover the political - and, to a lesser extent, economic and social - history of the twentieth century Middle East, including entries on most major political, and some military and religious, leaders. There are substantive articles on Arab nationalism, Islamic radicalism, oil, women, military forces, and the Arab-Israeli conflict...a user-friendly guide to important data." - Middle East Studies Association Bulletin

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 944 pages
• Publisher: Continuum International Publishing Group; Revised and Updated Edition edition (October 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826414133
• ISBN-13: 978-0826414137
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 6.9 x 2.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.9 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,204,068 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars In depth information but bias suspected., December 15, 2002

By 

Travis C. Ward "C. William Anderson" (Silverton, OR United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Continuum Political Encyclopedia of the Middle East (Hardcover)

I have found this book useful with one caveat: It appears each contributor is of Israeli or Jewish descent. I recommend the book, but also recommend that readers balance out the information with Encyclopedia of Palestinian History.

The book would also greatly benefit by inclusion of those Palestinians and Israelis who worked together against the 'establishment' to improve their wages. One such individual was Rafiq Habib Jabbour.