Conflicts in the Middle East Since 1945
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Review
'The tone of the book is one of detachment based on a deep understanding of the situations in the Middle East ... [A] masterly synthesis.' - The Old Radleian
'[A] rigourous but accessible overview.' - BBC History Magazine
'My students are really enjoying the 'Conflicts' book. I have had a number of them email me to specifically say how much they are enjoying reading it as a textbook.' - Dr Victoria Mason, University of Wellington, New Zealand
Product Description
This third edition of Conflicts in the Middle East since 1945 analyzes the nature of conflict in the Middle East, with its racial, ethnic, political, cultural, religious and economic factors. Throughout the book Peter Hinchcliffe and Beverley Milton-Edwards put the main conflicts into their wider context, with thematic debates on issues such as the emergence of radical Islam, the resolution of conflicts, diplomacy and peace-making, and the role of the superpowers.
The book is brought fully up to date with events in the Middle East, covering, for instance, developments in Iraq in 2006 where a democratically elected government is in place but the insurgency show no sign of coming under control. The analysis of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict is also brought up to the present day, to include the election of the Hamas government and the 2006 conflict between Israel and Lebanon’s Hizballah.
Including a newly updated bibliography and maps of the area, this is the perfect introduction for all students wishing to understand the complex situation in the Middle East, in its historical context.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
13 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
THe timing is good for such a book which covers the major conflicts in the Middle East since 1945 focusing primarily on the Arab Israeli dispute. The book is slim but covers a lot of ground including the Iraq/Iran war, Saddam's invasion of Kuwait and on going problems in the Lebanon and with the Kurds. Essential reading for anyone interested in the background to 11th September. It is simply written and is for the general reader rather than the academic specialist. At its price its a snip.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
3 reviews
7 of 8 people found the following review helpful
A timely guide to a world of conflict
30 Nov 2001
Format:Paperback
This book which covers the main mid east arenas of conflict since World War 2 (Palestine/lebanon/the Gulf/ the Kurds/Iraq/Kuwait) is a very valuable background to the events of September 11th (2001). Usama bin Laden needs to be put into the context of Middle East disputes: especially Arab/Israel to understand his motivations. 'Conflicts' includes studies on Islamic fundamentalism, 'Holy Terror' and big power confrontation.
This is a timely publication. Slim and concise-good maps and bibliography. For both the scholar and the general reader. (...)
This is a timely publication. Slim and concise-good maps and bibliography. For both the scholar and the general reader. (...)
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Objective and timely
30 April 2006
Format:Paperback
Unless you are a zionist or a radical islamist you will appreciate Dr Milton Edward's useful and penetrating analysis of the problems of the Middle East. She has managed to bring academic objectivity to a highly sensitive subject and the chapters on Palestine and Israel are particularly useful for understanding the background to this long standing conflict. Neither the Palestinian Authority nor the State of Israel escape responsibilty for the present impasse and inevitably some of the criticisms of recent actions by the Israeli government have raised hackles in Academe especially in the US where any criticism of the Jewish State arouses ire in certain quarters-the first review above is a classic example of this phenomenon. The section on Iraq is also timely and penetrating and I srtongly recommend this work which, Iam told, is about to go into a third edition.
4 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Misinformation
15 Feb 2005
Format:Paperback
The region I know most about in the Middle East is Israel. So let me focus on how poorly this book deals with that nation.
It starts by explaining that the Arab-Israeli conflict is the result of competing nationalist agendas. Even this is misleading, given that the Israelis are not trying to get rid of the Arab nations, while the Arab foes of Israel are trying to get rid of Israel. We then are treated to a statement about how sad it is that both Jewish and Arab nationalism appeared at the same time, and that this is why they fought. Well, they did not appear simultaneously. Arabs had been oppressing Jews for centuries. When some Jews became liberated, that annoyed some Arabs, but a desire to get rid of Jewish rights is not the same as nationalism. Israel became a nation in order to defend Jewish rights (and, in particular, to repeal the British White Paper of 1939, which almost completely restricted Jewish immigration to the Levant). If a Levantine Arab nation comes into existence, even now, it will be explicitly to get rid of Israel, not for some positive purpose. That is not true nationalism. It is a bogus claim of nationalism, such as the one made by the Sudeten Germans in the 1930s.
The authors continue by saying that Levantine Arabs stood in the way of Jewish nationalism. That is misleading. In fact, many Arabs happily sold their land to Jews in the region (at very high prices, of course). The presence of Arabs in no way needs to stop Israel from existing, just as the presence of Catholics in no way needs to stop America from existing. There is not an inherent need to expel all Arabs or all Jews from Israel, just as there is not an inherent need to expel all Catholics or all Protestants from the United States. Arabs and Jews can both live in a Hebrew-speaking nation.
The book then gets into the area of "founding myths." Once again, it does poorly. When it deals with Israeli desires for human rights, it tends to group that with "myths" that may serve a purpose. When it deals with Arab claims to be blameless bystanders to a war of aggression that they started, it tends to group these with "myths" that may serve a purpose. Instead, the focus ought to be on truth.
The authors boast that in 1988 Arafat literally delivered an olive branch to the UN General Assembly. So what? His gang was still fighting a war against Jewish rights. If I give an olive branch to the UN General Assembly, do you suppose the authors will support my, um, right to take over the Levant in the name of the Roman Pagans who were displaced from it?
The authors discuss the intifada and the reporting of it, and wonder whether it has brought peace any closer. And they imply that the media did a good job. But in fact, the media happily showed PLO propaganda more often than not, and also gave this propaganda undeserved credibility. I think media dishonesty in fact has made peace more difficult to achieve.
I do not recommend this book.
It starts by explaining that the Arab-Israeli conflict is the result of competing nationalist agendas. Even this is misleading, given that the Israelis are not trying to get rid of the Arab nations, while the Arab foes of Israel are trying to get rid of Israel. We then are treated to a statement about how sad it is that both Jewish and Arab nationalism appeared at the same time, and that this is why they fought. Well, they did not appear simultaneously. Arabs had been oppressing Jews for centuries. When some Jews became liberated, that annoyed some Arabs, but a desire to get rid of Jewish rights is not the same as nationalism. Israel became a nation in order to defend Jewish rights (and, in particular, to repeal the British White Paper of 1939, which almost completely restricted Jewish immigration to the Levant). If a Levantine Arab nation comes into existence, even now, it will be explicitly to get rid of Israel, not for some positive purpose. That is not true nationalism. It is a bogus claim of nationalism, such as the one made by the Sudeten Germans in the 1930s.
The authors continue by saying that Levantine Arabs stood in the way of Jewish nationalism. That is misleading. In fact, many Arabs happily sold their land to Jews in the region (at very high prices, of course). The presence of Arabs in no way needs to stop Israel from existing, just as the presence of Catholics in no way needs to stop America from existing. There is not an inherent need to expel all Arabs or all Jews from Israel, just as there is not an inherent need to expel all Catholics or all Protestants from the United States. Arabs and Jews can both live in a Hebrew-speaking nation.
The book then gets into the area of "founding myths." Once again, it does poorly. When it deals with Israeli desires for human rights, it tends to group that with "myths" that may serve a purpose. When it deals with Arab claims to be blameless bystanders to a war of aggression that they started, it tends to group these with "myths" that may serve a purpose. Instead, the focus ought to be on truth.
The authors boast that in 1988 Arafat literally delivered an olive branch to the UN General Assembly. So what? His gang was still fighting a war against Jewish rights. If I give an olive branch to the UN General Assembly, do you suppose the authors will support my, um, right to take over the Levant in the name of the Roman Pagans who were displaced from it?
The authors discuss the intifada and the reporting of it, and wonder whether it has brought peace any closer. And they imply that the media did a good job. But in fact, the media happily showed PLO propaganda more often than not, and also gave this propaganda undeserved credibility. I think media dishonesty in fact has made peace more difficult to achieve.
I do not recommend this book.
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