Customer Reviews

A History of the Modern Middle East

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1 star:		(2)

 

 

William Cleveland's "A History of the Modern Middle East" is without a doubt an essential book for anyone interested in or studying Middle East history.

Cleveland presents the history of the region from the late Ottoman Empire through to the more recent struggles dominating the airwaves and - and this is the most important thing - explains what on earth is at stake. This is a particularly important thing in Middle East history, as some of the alliances and divisions between different groups are somewhat arcane to the beginner.

Unlike many books covering the history of the region, Cleveland writes in an eminently readable manner. While some readers will be astonished at the lack of diacritics and the like, this serves the purpose of communicating his information much more clearly.

His analysis and sense of history are spot-on. Whether writing about the defeat of the Ottoman Empire or the land-rights struggle between the Palestinians and the Israelis, Cleveland presents the facts clearly and with a wry sense of humour at times - particularly in his discussion of Iran's modernising drive.
Cleveland also has an eye for the anecdote and the illuminating personality, which greatly improves his abilities as a writer. If there's one problem with a lot of contemporary Middle East scholarship, it's the reliance on the dry historical record at the expense of the character sketch.

If there is one criticism which could be made of this work, it's that Cleveland sometimes expects a little more background knowledge from his readers than perhaps he should. Already having an interest in this field, I did not suffer too much from this expectation, although the absolute beginner might have some problems.

That said, this is a book I can highly recommend for anyone keen to learn about the genesis of a region which - for better or worse - looks as though it will be in the news headlines for many years to come. After all, as Winston Churchill (a man who does not come up roses in the history of this region) once said, those who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it. Arguably, this is more true in the Middle East than anywhere else on earth.

The first thing that might come to a student's mind with a history textbook would be the words: tedious, dull and unexciting. And do not worry because Cleveland possesses none of these negative qualities. Cleveland covers every topic on the modern Middle East to Oslo agreements and Muhammad Ali in Egypt. The book explains the history of a foreign culture and region that many people do not understand and he writes it in an easy to read format. I promise that it will not be the most exciting book in the world to read, but it will offer you knowledge on the Middle East that only a few actually understand and know. I am a history major at Indiana State University and took a course on modern Middle Eastern history taught by Robert Hunter that wrote "The Palestinian Uprising: A War by Other Means."

I considered Cleveland's textbook on the Modern Middle East a great source of history. After reading this book, I guarantee that you will better understand the present-day crisis in the Middle East than over ninety-five percent of the people in the United States.

The Middle East is such a multi-faced region with such a rich historical legacy that even people who strive to be well-informed cannot help but feel bewildered at its cultural, political, and religious complexity. Given the blustering aggressiveness of the post-September 11 U.S. policy toward the region, however, Americans owe it to themselves to become far more familiar with the complexities of the Middle East than has been our wont up to now.

Popular magazine articles that attempt to "explain" Islamic rage as the result of a "fear of modernity" or "jealousy of the west's freedoms" may as well bear a stamp proclaiming their authorship by the "Ministry of Propaganda." As an alternative, I recommend Professor Cleveland's textbook, which serves as a brief but remarkably thorough introduction to the history of this volatile part of the world.

No, the book does not cover Afghanistan or Pakistan, but clearly political currents in these nations are closely linked with what has transpired in Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, and the rest of the Middle East proper. At the heart of the current crisis is, of course, the Israeli-Palestinian condundrum, and here the author's explanations and analyses are clear, balanced, and incisive. His discussions of the evolution of Saddam Hussein's Iraq and the background *and consequences* of the 1991 Gulf War are also invaluable. In his recounting of the Iranian revolution, Cleveland offers a fascinating analysis of the apparent Islamicist rejection of "modernity," showing that those in the Middle East who reject the West do not crave a return to the ancient past, but instead wish to follow a modernization pathway that is guided by indigenous cultural principles, including the precepts of Islam.

Perhaps most impressive, however, is what Cleveland has to say toward the end of the book regarding the dangers of an overly intrusive and domineering presence in the Islamic Middle East by the lone remaining planetary superpower, the U.S. He does not prophesy the recent terrorism that has afflicted this country, but he does criticize the U.S. for policies that seem to rely more upon aerial bombardment than careful diplomacy. The application of Cleveland's conclusions to a reevaluation of the likely long-term consequences of "America's new war" is not a comforting process, but it's one that perhaps more Americans need to undertake.

Asside from being one of the most interesting and capturing professors at Simon Fraser University, Cleveland is an outstanding author! His book travels through modern Middle Eastern affairs in an unbias manner which is especially appealing for people new to the study of middle eastern history. His chapters use many subtitles which helps the reader along, and keeps them interested in the chapters events. Pictures and Maps give help to people who like view certain events they are reading about. This book is simply an easy one to read, and FINISH! I definitly recomend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the Middle East.

It is with some reluctance that I offer this review. It is meant only as constructive criticism of a book written by an extremely knowledgeable author. I think this book would be great as a textbook for a formal class or for someone already somewhat familiar with the history and geography of the region. However, I started with neither. I only had only the desire to learn the background of a region that figures prominently in today's events. For me, the book delved into too much detail, the author describing all the intricacies of each transition of influence and power. There was more detail than I could comprehend outside of a classroom environment.

If I could put the rest of my life on hold and go into study mode, perhaps I could absorb more. In my opinion, this is one of those books where the author is so intimately familiar with the material that he forgets just how ignorant the reader may be. I also thought the book contained far too few maps. I finally purchased some additional maps but with all the boundary and name changes, maps are required much more frequently to illustrate what is occurring.

I carried this book with me for a year trying to get through it. I had to force myself to read it and I never did complete it. I have now ordered another book that I hope will be easier reading.

I did learn many things from the portion of the book I read and I have a vague Idea what happened from the beginning of Islam through the period prior to World War 1. However, that is where I finally gave up.

I am not saying this is a bad book. In the right hands, I think it would be a wonderful book. That said, I believe the book is not for people looking for background that cannot study it as a textbook. The target audience of this book may not be people such as myself and I may have selected a totally inappropriate text.

There are many aspects of the history of the Middle East that do not lend themselves to easy reading. However, some authors can make history live, for nothing is as interesting as history. No novel can spin a wilder tale than history itself. This book just did not make history live for me. I will save it and perhaps one day when I have more background, I will read it again.

For those who want basic knowledge about the Middle East from the Ottoman Empire til today, there is no better source that than William Cleveland's A HISTORY OF THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST 3rd Ed. The book is readable and well organized. The subdivisions of chapters along with their titles facilitate the readers understanding of the topics. At first glance a work of over 500 pages looks extremely challenging however, I actually got to points where I could not put the book down.

If there is one thesis that runs through the book I would say it is found in the final conclusion. It is that we fail to understand the legacy spawned by the disemberment of the Ottoman Empire early in the 20th century. "The end of the Ottoman order created new Arab states separated by new borders drawn by British and French officials to serve European imperial interest." Coupled with the desire of Eurpe and America to maintain its supply of oil and the creation of the State of Isreal, there exist a formula for disorder and confusion that will probably never be settled.

Cleveland fairly gives both sides of the extremely controversial picture that pits two religions - Islam and Judism - against each other. He shows how both religions are also greater than the concept of religion held by most Americans. In both cases, religion is also a part of the government and law.

There are not answers in the book, but for the thinking person who wants to understand the Middle East, Cleveland goes a long way in terms of helping each person come to their own conclusions.

I have lived in the Middle East for several years. This book is by far the BEST I have ever read at explaining "why" to many of the problems that we face today. It is not a cheerful book to read, in fact it almost makes one ashamed. It definitely made me ask "why is it that so very few people in the United States have NO clue as to the history in this part of the world?" This is a book that should be read by politicans and those in the news media. It is incredible that with all the news coverage since 9/11 that there has been so little attempt to learn, understand, and accept responsibility for the shameful and self-serving roles that Britian, France, and the United States have historically played and continue to play in molding this part of the world to fit the needs of the west. This book should be required reading for President Bush and his staff. At the same time I wish those at CNN, FOX, and the other news organizations would read the book as well. How can we call ourselves a "free country" when we don't take responsibility or are even taught about our role and motives in the history of this part of the world? We ARE a great country, but I am appalled that so many Americans (my friends and family included) could be in favor of a war without even the slightest understanding of OUR role in creating much of the current mess. I will "require" this book as reading for any of my friends and family who want to discuss the issues of this part of the world. It's a shame that I can't require it to those in the news media and government. The lack of historical understanding by the American population is truly frightening. If you can only read one book about the Middle East, this is the book to read. If you can read two, then read Thomas Friedman's "From Beirut to Jerusalem" as well. It is very rare to find balanced/honest accounts of Middle East history. Why?

This was a book I had to read for an introductory history of the middle east class and it is excellent. With all the bias floating around esp. now, this book provides an objective history of the region. I made the mistake of selling it back (was broke college student) and I regret it. But I am buying it again just to have it for reference which should give you some insight to what a great book it is.

Dr. Cleveland is an amazing professor of history, and the guy can write! For an introductory history course I was not expecting great things, and having been inundated with dry histories this was refreshing. I like both the organization which effectivly show patterns and connections in the events dealt with. This is a huge body of information and the presentation does justice to both the events and their contexts.

The most refreshing part of the work is that it takes a non-ethnocentric view and antagonizes no one with the stereotyping prevailent in works about this region.

As a student of Middle East studies, I highly recommend this book as a good introduction to the dynamics of Middle East history. It not only provides a solid & comprehensive survey of Middle Eastern history, it also explains in sufficient detail the currents of ideologies and prominent social factors that contribute to the historical social and political patterns of the region. Also includes a good bibliography for further study. It is also notworthy to mention the relatively objective approach Cleveland takes to most historical events of the Middle East. Overall, it is a very good book that may be useful for all people interested in studying this region - I know I've used it to reference things numerous times.