Middle East Books

The diary is wonderful, and Dr. Mack's "A Prince of Our Disorder, describes this year very well. I recommend that those who have not yet seen the full 1922 text edition of Seven Pillars of Wisdom get their copy of that first from Castle Hill Press in the UK, sold on their website. As Dr. Mack notes, Lawrence once admitted that his writing was at times "written with the allusiveness that hints at knowledge refusing to betray itself between the lines." It took quite a man to impress Winston Churchill.

This book is a insight into the world at the dawn of the 20th century. This is a sweeping comprehensive factual account that should be in the collection fo any book reader.

Update notes: (a) the full title is "Dictionary of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Culture, History, and Politics". (b) there are 2 volumes..."Volume 1: A-J" (pages 1-259) and "Volume 2: K-Z" (pages 260-517). (c) there are 4 different ISBNs: ISBN 0-02-865977-5 (2 vol. set hardcover); ISBN 0-02-865978-3 (vol.#1); ISBN 0-02-865979-1 (vol.#2); ISBN 0-02-865996-1 (e-book). This revised 2005 English-language edition was originally issued in French in 2002. By "revised" I mean that its "Yasir Arafat" article even mentions his death in November 2004, and printed in December, just before the start of the early 2005 Sharon-Abbas rapprochement. A very impressive compilation of about 1,500 articles relating to the overall Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some articles contain only two sentences of commentary; others are two pages long. It details not only dozens of political parties throughout the Middle East, but it also provides short biographies of even obscure politicians involved in the Palestine controversy throughout the world -- past and present. It provides the names and dates of various Israeli military operations throughout Palestine. It lists the relevant UN resolutions. It details the main issues at the annual Arab League summits between 1964-2004. Obscure Islamic terrorist (err, "liberation") groups are noted in separate articles. It has that "European" writing style: each sentence is written tightly, void of wordiness and each most informative. It is written in an unbiased, neutral manner. Islamic militants will be disappointed that it doesn't editorialize in condemning everything regarding Israel (err, "the Occupied Zionist Territory"). If there is a shortcoming to this dictionary, it fails to allow the strident "intensity of belief" flavor of the militant Palestinian perspective to come through. But then this is a dictionary, not a passionate political tract. I find that some of the "why" is missing besides the listed "fact." For example: (a) While "Rashidun" is defined as the first four "rightly guided caliphs" who followed the Muslim Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), it is not mentioned "why" the first four are called the "rightly guided"...that is because they were the only caliphs to personally know Muhammad and thereby are considered amongst all of the caliphs to possess the best understanding of his teachings. (b) Regarding its "Arab-Israel War (1948)" article it notes that Palestinians objected to the creation of the state of Israel because they considered it a "violation of their right to self-determination." Okay, that is a Western "politically correct" statement; too bad they didn't give the true reason: that Muslims know that Muhammad expelled the Jews from the Arabia region and therefore no independent Jewish state can be birthed from Muslim territory. (c) Regarding its article on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, while it notes that "His visit to the Temple Mount...in September 2000 sparked Muslim riots", it fails to give "why" the Jew wanted to cross the road: Sharon believed that the 1948 cease-fire guaranteed that Jews could visit the Temple Mount, and so he requested and obtained approval from the Palestinian Authority prior to his stroll (Bodansky, "The High Cost of Peace," p.353-4). But, this is a dictionary, not an encyclopedia. There are few photographs; you get your money's worth in the well-written words. Fortunately it does not provide much "ancient" Biblical history to the Palestinian conflict; concentrating instead on events developing since the start of the 1880s Zionist movement to settle Jews in Palestine, and primarily since the 1940s -- but strong even in the 2000-2004 Intifada era. It concentrates on the "political" disputes and personalities, rather than on any lengthy analysis of the religious chasm between the peoples. Given its price, you will probably want to view it at your library before buying it. I don't know of a substitute for it.

Update notes: (a) the full title is "Dictionary of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: Culture, History, and Politics". (b) there are 2 volumes..."Volume 1: A-J" (pages 1-259) and "Volume 2: K-Z" (pages 260-517). (c) there are 4 different ISBNs: ISBN 0-02-865977-5 (2 vol. set hardcover); ISBN 0-02-865978-3 (vol.#1); ISBN 0-02-865979-1 (vol.#2); ISBN 0-02-865996-1 (e-book). This revised 2005 English-language edition was originally issued in French in 2002. By "revised" I mean that its "Yasir Arafat" article even mentions his death in November 2004, and updates to just before the start of the early 2005 Sharon-Abbas rapprochement. A very impressive compilation of about 1,500 articles relating to the overall Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Some articles contain only two sentences of commentary; others are two pages long. It frequently provides both Arabic and Hebrew words for various subjects. It details not only dozens of political parties throughout the Middle East, but it also provides short biographies of even obscure politicians involved in the Palestine controversy throughout the world -- past and present. It provides the names and dates of various Israeli military operations throughout Palestine. It details the main issues at the annual Arab League summits between 1964-2004. Obscure Islamic terrorist groups are noted in separate articles. It has that "European" writing style: each sentence is written tightly, void of wordiness and each most informative. It is written in an unbiased, neutral manner. Islamic militants will be disappointed that it doesn't editorialize in condemning everything regarding Israel. If there is a shortcoming to this dictionary, it fails to allow the strident "intensity of belief" flavor of the militant Palestinian perspective to come through. But then this is a dictionary, not a passionate political tract. My one criticism regarding its article on Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon is that while it notes that "His visit to the Temple Mount...in September 2000 sparked Muslim riots", it fails to give the background that Sharon's visit had been approved by the Palestinian Authority (Bodansky, "The High Cost of Peace," p.354). Fortunately there are few photographs; you get your money's worth in the well-written words. Fortunately it does not provide much "ancient" Biblical history to the Palestinian conflict; concentrating instead on events developing since the start of the 1880s Zionist movement to settle Jews in Palestine, and primarily since the 1940s -- but strong even in the 2000-2004 Intifada era. It concentrates on the "political" disputes and personalities, rather than on any lengthy analysis of the religious chasm between the peoples. Given its price, you will probably want to view it at your library before buying it. I don't know of a substitute for it.

In my studies of Mesopotamia, I had never really known much about Dilmun and Magan, places which are mentioned in several Mesdopotamian texts. My choice was between Geoffrey Bibby's book on Dilmun published in 1972, and this book which was published in 1998. Having read Professor Crawford's book `Sumer and the Sumerians' I finally decided on her book primarily because it was more recent.

The book, which focuses on the period 5000-1700BC, is a detailed survey of the findings from about 125 archaeological sites on the Arabian side of the Persian Gulf from the island of Falaika at the head of the Gulf, the `Eastern Province' of Arabia including Tarut Island and the Bahrain Islands, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates to the Musandum at the Straits of Hormuz, the interior sites of Oman and the coastal sites along the east side of that peninsula down to the most easterly point of the Arabian Peninsula at Ras al Junayz.

Chapter 1: The Setting, describes the physical setting of the area, and provides the rationale for identifying Dilmun with the Eastern Province and the islands of Bahrain, while noting that references to Dilmun in the Mesopotamian texts may have referred to different parts of this area at different times The copper rich sites in Oman is the reason for identifying it with Magan whose copper mines were of considerable importance to the Sumerian and Akkadian dynasties.

Chapter 2: The Earliest Settlements, covers the archaeological sites for the earliest period period of human settlement in the Eastern Province and Bahrain from about 5000BC to 3000BC which is the time of the Ubaid, Uruk, and Jemdat Nasr periods in Mesopotamia. Current archaeological evidence is sparse, but it seems that after the initial settlement phase during the 5th millenium, these were largely deserted during most of the 4th millenium until the Jemdat Nasr period when contacts between these areas and Mesopotamia revive.

Chapter 3: The Development of Dilmun, covers the archaological sites and textual evidence of the 3rd millenium. There is little evidence of settlement in the Eastern Province and Bahrain until about 2500BC, when the first urban settlement developed on Tarut Island where workshops for pottery manufacture, and other material such as lapis lazuli, copper, and steatite have been excavated. On Bahrain Island itself, the vast area of ancient burial mounds at Saar date from around 2500BC and were built and often reused over a period of about 2000 years lasting into the Hellenistic age. Professor Crawford points out that over the past 30 years surveys and excavation of newly identified towns and villages show that enough local people lived on the island to fill the graves, arguing against the hypothesis that Bahrain was a necropolis for Mesopotamian royalty and aristocracy.

Chapters 4 and 5 cover the period 2000-1750BC when there was a dramatic expansion of settlement on Bahrain This is the so-called period of `Early Dilmun', when it appears that Bahrain traders acted as the middlemen between the states of lower Mesopotamia and the mining businesses of the Oman Peninsula. The evidence for settlement, the architecture of domestic, workshop, and temple buildings, graves, and artefacts is described in considerable detail.

Chapters 6 and 7 cover the same things for the Oman Peninsula, where direct contact with Mesopotamia seems to have been replaced by contacts with cities in Central Asia and with the Harappan cities on the Indus River.

Chapter 8 provides an overview of the Development and Decline of Dilmun.

This is a thorough and up to date study of the findings from the archaeological sites along the south side of the Arabian (Persian) Gulf and the Oman Peninsula. Of the 250+ references in the bibliography, fully two thirds were published in the 15 years immediately prior to the publication of this book in 1998. The descriptions of the architecture of buildings and tombs is well supported by photographs and illustrations, and the differences and similarity in styles between the two areas is also very clear. There are several maps showing the general area of most settlements, but only about half of the named sites are shown on any map. I eventually found a more detailed map of Oman and the UAE on the web, but still had to resort to Internet searches for information on those sites which I couldn't find on this map. Even so, this left about a dozen which were not listed in the index, and for which I have no idea as to even their general location. A small point perhaps, but I find that knowing where things are is helpful to my understanding.

A similar observation can be made about dates. I recognize that it is obviously very difficult to pinpoint 3rd - 5th millenium dates with any certainty, but it would have helped if the author had included some kind of dating line even if it was broken down into every 250 years. I eventually developed one for myself but I still have some doubts about its accuracy.

This is a fairly short book (the main body of the text is only 156 pages), but the level of detail is such that I found a single reading was insufficient for me to truly absorb what I was reading. As a result I had to reread it several times and make copious notes on the findings by site and time period. While this is not a criticism of the book it does mean that if you want to get the most from this book, then a quick read through is not going to do it unless you are very familiar with the latest archaelogical information.

In this book, professor Crawford provides an excellent, up-to-date report on what is presently known about the ancient society of Dilmun and others in the Persian Gulf area. Three areas are reported upon: North-western Arabia, Bahrain (Dilmun), and Oman (Magan). The author exhaustively reports on archaeological findings (including architecture, burial items, pottery, and more), analyzing their significance, but avoiding any broad speculation.

I can't say enough about this book. If you want to know what is presently known about Dilmun and Magan, but wish to avoid the extreme speculation (if not outright guesswork) of many books, then this book is for you!

This book is a gem. Eschewing the conventional historical narrative/survey approach, the author weaves a tapestry of anecdotes and vignettes tied to events and artifacts, thus creating a fascinating historical pastiche of the Caspian region. This book is a particular achievement in how it manages to reveal Iran's (Persia's) view of itself -- its role and relationships with other players in the region's power politics through the centuries. Mirfendereski, in an erudite but engaging writing style, provides not only interesting information but a nuanced glimpse into a world view.

This is a good read. For those who know the Caucasus and Central Asia, it is a fascinating look at the rivalry betwwen the Tsars of Russia and the Shahs of Iran over almost three centuries. For international oilmen concerned with petroleum development in the Caspian, it is must reading. Furthermore it is timely because of the discussion of Afghanistan in the history of Iran. And finally, for those who lived and travelled in Iran, it is a return to a beautiful nostalgia that is, alas, no more.

For anyone interested in understanding the depth of the poetry of Hafiz, Clarke's translations are a must. His comprehensive knowledge of Sufism and the hidden meanings in Hafiz' poetry is superior to any renderings that have come before these translations or after. Well worth reading whether for pleasure or research.

This book is an excellent tool for learning Persian. What could be added, if anything, is the book in farsi of which the author speaks. But since one is supposed to study, is kind of fun to search through the web or with the help of Iranian friends, in libraries or wherever, the texts in persian.

One or two originals (texts in persian) are certainly enough for at least six month's study. So with a book like this all that one needs is to work with patience, pleasure, and with the hope that the spirit of Hafiz will come to whisper into the student's heart.

A fantastic book on the subject of animal mummies in ancient Egypt. It is written by some of the top Egyptologists in this field of study and can provide huge amounts of information on all that you would want to know about this ancient practice...from the reasons behind animal mummies (why they were scared etc.), the actual process of making them and the areas where these votive offerings were placed (i.e. holy sites such as Saqqara, Tuna al-Gebel and so fourth). It's a highly academic book and perfect for all Egyptologists out there or those who immerse themselves in the study of ancient Egypt. There are a number of beautiful picture within the book as well. Overall, it's a wonderful book!

An excellent book by a professor of Egyptology at the American University of Cairo. It deals with all the reasons why animals were mummified in ancient Egypt, why these mummies acccmpanied their masters into their tombs, and also the hoaxes that were sometimes perpetrated on unsuspecting pilgrims who thought that they were actually purchasing mummies of animals to offer to the gods. Salima Ikram is the leading authority on the subject of animal mummies. She has written widely on the subject, lectured on it at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the British Museum in London, and several other well-known institutes, and appears frequently on TV (I have seen her on the Discovery Channel, the History Channel, the National Geographic Channel, etc, etc.) She has established a room for animal mummies in the Egyptian museum in Cairo, the first of its kind in the world.

Does the Land Remember Me?: A Memoir of Palestine (Arab American Writing)
This book is a heart-filled memoir of Mr. Aziz's trip to his homeland to visit his elderly mother after 4 decades of absense. His interaction with all of his relatives who were not able to leave Palestine provides a very personal glimpse of their lives and frustrations today. Unfortunately we lost this spokesman to cancer in October 2007.

Palestinian/American Aziz Shihab goes back to his occupied homeland to visit his aging mother and to connect with some land he still owns. While there, he offers us a painful look at this renowned political occurrence. Shihab's passages are full of distressingly endearing encounters with Arabs and Jews (friends, enemies, and in-betweens). Many of these encounters are like dreams where things don't add up, but are pursued for some vestige of logic. Nevertheless, Shihab manages to incorporate a sense of humor into the tidings. One is compelled to turn the page and go on to the next scenario. Who among us has not felt powerless as the political winds shift directions? Aziz Shihab's book produces a lasting impression of this global consternation.

Doing Business with Kuwait is almost an encyclopedia about Kuwait. I wonder if Mr. Kennedy has missed anything about Kuwait. It is a remarkable work as the book talks about the history, politics, economy, and society of Kuwait. It also provides detailed information about religion, weather, demography, and many more topics.

The book contains magnificent data represented in many charts. In addition, the "Visitor Tips" sections are most useful and helpful for foreign visitors to Kuwait, whether the purpose of the visit is business, leisure, or work.

Therefore, if that part of the world, particularly Kuwait, is of an interest to you, this book is of a great great value.

Doing Business with Kuwait is a wide-ranging comprehensive look at how businesspersons from the West and East need to modifify their approach to business in order to be successful in the Kuwaiti environment. A brief skim through this book shows that business rules and practices in Kuwait are in fact very different than they are in the USA and the rest of the world. Indeed, as a successful businessperson operating in Kuwait, I can agree wholeheartedly with the general thrust of Mr Kennedy's book, which accords with my own business experience in Kuwait. I only wish that I had it to hand when I was starting business in Kuwait myself several years ago. Doing Business with Kuwait is logically divided into seven neat sections. These cover the country, the economy, business laws, taxation, finance&industry,the market place, and behavioural aspects. Whether it is background infomation on country, a detailed look at rules and regulations, or tips and hints on how to be successful in the Kuwait market place, it is all to be found in Doing Business with Kuwait. The book puts into words things about Kuwait that I had learned intuitively over the years. One of the striking things about Doing Business with Kuwait is how its wealth of information is presented. The individual chapters are written in a simple flowing style that is a joy to read and in which the exposition opens out gradully and very understandably. But best of all, the text is intrespersed here and there with boxes cintaining advice on how to do certain things and warnings of potential pitfalls. A really great way to present the essentials. In conclusion, I can only heartily recopmmend Doing Business with Kuwait to anyone, whether an executive of an international corporation or a small time entrepreneur like myself, cosidering taking a chance in the Kuwaiti market which, belive me, is not for the faint-hearted. I only hope that this book will be recognised for what it is, the bible on doing business in Kuwait.

A wonderful wonderful book.Although the book was written some 150 year ago, Mary Eliza Rogers takes you into the intimacies of daily life in Palestine in the 1850's as if it was occurring today. She writes from her heart with honesty,integrity and a clear mind. And although written at a time of Victorian prejudicies and colonialism she writes without bias or judgement. From her beautiful and colourful descriptions one can envisage the Holy Land as it was before undergoing the process of modernisation and change. For anyone who has any attachment to this land it is a truly wonderful and personal experience to read this book.

A wonderful wonderful book.Although the book was written some 150 year ago, Mary Eliza Rogers takes you into the intimacies of daily life in Palestine in the 1850's as if it was occurring today. She writes from her heart with honesty,integrity and a clear mind. And although written at a time of Victorian prejudicies and colonialism she writes without bias or judgement. From her beautiful and colourful descriptions one can envisage the Holy Land as it was before undergoing the process of modernisation and change. For anyone who has any attachment to this land it is a truly wonderful and personal experience to read this book.

A fantastic premise and well-designed puzzles hold the interest of a wide range of age groups while educating and fine-tuning motor skills. Very elaborate puzzles -- be warned that dots and numbers are tiny, so kids with vision or coordination problems may be easily frustrated with this series.

What a neat book this is! I was looking for summer fun for a child that has poor handwriting. I knew he would find most dot-to-dots boring and wouldn't do them. This one, well, it's hard to wrestle it away from him. This dot-to-dot actually has a story line, and you have to complete the puzzles to save the day. It has history and adventure, and it's a good activity for travel or quiet times. The puzzles are substantial - they can have over 300 dots, so it takes a long time to work through the book. In fact, we enjoyed the book so much that I ended up at this page searching for more Dotto books.