Middle East Books

Dude, H.W.F. Saggs you are THE MAN (Notice how THE MAN is capitalized). This book really dishes out the skinny on ancient Mesopatamia, and homey take it from me this civilization is DOPE!! He begins by describing the studs(archaeologists, historians,etc.)who rediscovered a lot of the ancient Mesopotamian stuff. Then he breaks it down from the neolithic all the way to the end of the superfly Neo-Babylonian Empire. Saggs style is quite lucid and the pics add a lot to the material Saggs presents in this work. He really does an awesome job at introducing the amazing civilizations that made up ancient Mesopotamia. I especially like the part with the III Ur that dude Shulgi was totally sweet!! Saggs you must be butta' cause you on a roll!! In other words I highly recommend this book.

Saggs puts together a very intriguing review of life in Early Mesopotamia, using archaeological evidence and historical texts. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, even though the title is a bit misleading. I highly recommend this book to any student doing research on the early settlements in the Sumer and Akkad region. The book covers briefly the Uruk period and in much more detail the Agade , Ur III, and old babylonian periods. Another book that you would also find of great interest is H. Crawfords book called "Sumer and the Sumerians". She examines the Uruk period in more detail than Saggs. Both books are of great value Professor, Student, and novelist alike.

I found myself unable to put this book down. However, I feel that the title is a bit misleading in that while it does cover the Babylonians it also covers a whole lot more. To me the book served as an excellent summary of the history of ancient Mesopotamia from the Sumerians right on through the Babylonians. I borrowed it from the university library and ordered my own copy after I had read it. mwp

The goosebumps started to appear when I reached the last pages of the preface. The author calls it a pre-chapter....I felt really close to Iraqi farmers and felt their extreme depression and confusion.

The documents the author saves from a burning police station helped me understand the depth Saddam went to mesmerize his people and control them. What a skank!

I am very glad someone shed a light on Ahmed Chalabi, the man of many faces. His FIF are a joke! The way this first-time author weaves his personal feelings and the facts and the emotions of the people he interviews is marvelous.

I am sure in the future he will implement his experience in another book. Chapter six is out of this world. Its title, Baghdad Bound Fragmented is very appropriate. He takes us through the zoo, the schools, palaces, hospitals, banks, and gives a clear picture on the reconstruction of Iraq. My all time favorite..was his disguise as a business man to buy a gun and supply us readers with an itemized price list of the weapons available on the black market in Iraq and their prices.

The CIA informants he meets are labeled Mutt and Jeff.in the book....very hilarious...I wonder what happend to them?

Its a user-freindly must read. Very Gutsy!..Shalom!

The Book starts with a bang as the author reveals his detailed experience with a masked CIA recruitment in Kuwait.

As a translator for the Times, the writer displays how print media conducted their reporting and takes the reader into a detailed edgy ride all the way from Southern-Iraq, Nasiriyah, and Baghdad and finally into Saddam's palaces. I felt like I was on the ground reporting with LA Times.

A daily timely choronicle displaying interviews with POW's, conversations with families of dead innocent civilians, and details on the death of journalists by U.S. freindly fire.

The author dissects the looting of banks, hotels, secrets of CIA informants trying to track down Saddam, and even goes on an arms shopping spree just to shed light on the unbelievable amount of weapons on the Iraqi black market.

I caught myself tearing,laughing, then tearing again as he weaves deep into the agony of Iraqis, the confusion of the coalition soldiers, and finally the minds of the Shia leaders, Coalition generals, and the Iraqi man on the street.

He describes his emotions and his teams' vulnerability as they get shot at and threatened by mortar attacks. He gets caught in the crossfire with the women and children of Basra who were used as human sheilds by Saddam.

Detailed documents and classified files presented in the book reveal the real face of Saddam's ruthless Ba'ath party, the nature of their executions, recruitments, and above all their manipulation of the noble IRAQI PEOPLE.

My favorite line: "Who will pay for Iraq's funeral" I also enjoyed the SADDAM PHOTO ALBUM.

before i begin the review, i must say that i am a bit biased. i worked with the international media in kuwait during the build up and subsequent war, and had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Fahmy. that out of the way... Great book!! for someone that lives right next door to iraq and being of the same culture, it was very refreshing to read baghdad bound from the eyes of an arab. the authors written experiences where not foreign to me in the sense that i could see those things happening in my part of the world, case in point, the way the farmers, poor as they are, would not accept any compensation for the food they gave mohamed and the crew of the Times. another example would be the wandering woman dressed to the 9's looking to get out of iraq, being trapped there while on a visit. i could go on and on, but i won't. suffice it to say, this book hits home in a major way, and i can't wait to see a movie version!

"Every day another person's life ends.
But He passes me by.
I hope that He won't also take me.
It's unknown. It's unforeseen."

This is the first stanza of one of the more moving poems left to us by Bat-Chen Shahak in a new English language compilation entitled The Bat-Chen Diaries. This book is a diverse compilation of diary entries and letters written by Bat-Chen Shahak who was killed by a suicide bomber on her 15th birthday on Purim 1996. Taken in this context this poem in particular is quite moving and can be quite powerful to those of any age who read it. The entries and poetry span from her third grade school assignments through the day she was killed. Together they help piece together her life, that of an average teenager in Israel. Select entries may be useful to teachers of middle school and high school students to help them relate to an individual who tragically died so young. It is not a cohesive volume in that one would sit down and read it straight through. The level of the writing is appropriate to the age level at which it was written making it effective as a psychological thought provoker, but less so for its literary value. The translation was done with regard to the words and not the style as noted by the translator, hence much of the rhymes and rhythm are lost. This may have affected the literary quality of the work. With the proper background, support and insight, this book would be appropriate for youth ages 12-16. Reviewed by Drora Arussy

When I first saw the title of this book, I had no idea what I was getting into and how MUCH I would be moved by this author, who was all of 15 years old in 1996. The writer in me was absolutely astounded and in awe of the gift this young girl has with the written word. Her diaries cover every thought young people everywhere think, and she endeared herself to my heart forever by the time I finished the book and put it down amidst my tears. As a grandmother, I was deeply moved by the wisdom shown through these words that this young girl had for all of us reading her diaries.

I urge every parent out there to read this book with your kids, and be available for tons of questions. Bat-Chen was named after a beautiful flower that dots the hillsides of Israel. Like her namesake, Bat-Chen was also beautiful, inside and out. No thought on anything was left out of her diaries. She had a wisdom well beyond her 15 years at the time of these writings.

When Prime Minister Yizhak Rabin was assassinated in 1995, Bat-Chen was so moved by it that she wrote a poem (she was 14) and a condolence letter, then sent these to his widow, Leah. Leah wrote a moving afterward at the end of Bat-Chen's book. The reason? Bat-Chen and two of her best friends were killed in March, 1996, four months after Rabin's death, in a suicide bombing at a bus stop in which 13 people were killed. It was the holiday of Purim, and it also happened to be Bat-Chen's 15th birthday. Ironically, Bat-Chen firmly believed that peace could be possible one day in her part of the world. Oh, how I wish that were true, and that we didn't lost this promising young lady and all that she would have offered to us on this earth.

Her writings are full of the hope of a young girl for a peaceful future, and includes several cards to her Arab pen pal, a thank you note to her ear doctor, she wrote about a typical teen's anger towards her parents for something she wasn't allowed to do, and then love towards her siblings and parents, in this diary that ran the gamut of every emotion that is part of life. This young girl was so full of life, and so full of wisdom, it is uncanny. As a writer, I envy the simplicity and clarity of her words, and their strength, and their purpose. She also wrote about the terror she felt living in Israel, where there is never really peace for either side. Her one desire was for everyone to get along - that is one of the reasons she had an Arab pen pal - so that they could learn from each other not to hate.

We hear about the suicide bombings on the news all the time. In our part of the world, I think we get immune to them because they aren't happening here, and there are so many of them "over there". This young girl, through her diaries, letters, poems, and drawings, put a name and a face to this terrible tragedy our world endures, and she will never be forgotten, at least by me, for the rest of my life. As a writer, I cannot even begin to describe the incredible talent of Bat-Chen Shahak, and how much her eloquent words have moved me forever - I'll never be the same.

I thank Bat-Chen's family for opening their personal wounds, and letting the rest of us in to celebrate the short life of their incredible daughter.

This book is a lesson to all of us - to be thankful for what we have, and to work harder as individuals, to make world peace a reality. This is a must-read for all of us to wake up and become more proactive in our own personal lives to make our own lives count for whatever amount of time we are gifted with here on earth.

an amazing book about an israeli girl who was killed in a terrorist attack. the book is great for any teacher who wants to teach and encourage writing and expression. it is great for youth groups and encounter groups dealing with cross-cultural differences and conflict. sensitive insights into life. wonderful gift for anyone over 9 years old.

Sangat menarik! Very interesting! berisi foto foto tua Jakarta dari Abad 17; 18; 19 dan 20.

Sangat bagus dan buku ini boleh dianggap sebagai BUKU ACUAN deh!..

TOP BANGET!

I'm an "amateur" collector of Dutch-Indies photo books, and have a number of photo books mainly in the Dutch language. Aside from the famous Woodbury-Page classic book on the old photographs of Java, this is perhaps the only other substantial English language photo-book on old Batavia in the 19th century.

The book is well organized, according to how an old Batavia resident might view the city. The four parts of the book cover the four major parts of the city Batavia of the 19th Century. These are Downtown Batavia, Molenvliet (Jl. Gajah Mada & Hayam Wuruk), Uptown Batavia (Weltevreden area) and Tanjung Priok.

The photographs are page-size and each is accompanied by interesting historical facts, information and quotes from other sources regarding the location in question.

The book is truly a masterpiece and worth every penny.

(Note: I do not know the author, but wish he would do an equivalent treatment of the city of Bandoeng).

For those of us who love books--the sensuous heft of their weight, the feel of the paper, the sheen of a beautifully printed page--this book is a treasure. It's a treasure for more than its physical being: it's a treasure in the way it is written. The text takes the reader on a "time capsule" tour of Old Batavia, making clear sense of the topography and the sociology of this city now lost to modern Djakarta. This was an expensive book, but I don't regret a penny of the purchase price.

Aneesa wondered if she would be able to enjoy Eid al-Adha, the big Muslim holiday marking the end of the Hajj pilgrimage. This year her parents had decided to travel to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage, and the house seemed so quiet with just Aneesa and her grandmother. But Nonni had a surprise to cheer up her granddaughter: a large gift-wrapped box containing three gorgeous sets of clothes from Pakistan, complete with matching bangles and handmade shoes. She had also prepared Aneesha's favorite curried lamb dish to enjoy after returning from prayers. It took an encounter at the prayer hall with two refugee girls for Aneesha to realize just how fortunate she was. The girls had fled their war-torn country with little more than the clothes on their backs, and their father worked long hours, even on Eid, to try to make ends meet.

An outstanding book, The Best Eid Ever provides readers with an interesting account of the Eid holiday and Muslim culture as seen through the eyes of a young child. Wrapped into the story is an important lesson about the economic hardships associated with war, and a child's growing awareness of the difference between wants and needs. The lush colors and expressive features in the pastel pencil illustrations add a rich dimension to this enjoyable story.

I truly enjoyed reading this book. The illustrations brought it to life. I donated the book to the local elementary school and they loved it. What a nice way to make young students understand other cultures and traditions.

This is a wonderful story about the joy and happiness that comes from giving. It teaches children that true celebration comes from sharing what you have with others. These values are common to Islam, Judaism and Christianity. This book has particular meaning at this time of the year as all three of these faiths celebrate special holidays this December. Indeed, it is better to give than receive.

I have read numerous books on the "situation" in the Middle East but they all read like History books. This is the exception. Salhani writes about his memories of war with humour and yet realism that makes you understand the life of a journalist in these situations. It was a page turner and I enjoyed it immensely.I do not hesitate to recommend it to anyone.For a comprehensive look at the Lebanese civil war et al,this is the book. Enlightnening, informative, humorous and yet touching. Salhani opens his heart to us in print and one cannot help but respond.

I thought Black September to Desert Storm was a fascinating look at 15 years of unrest in the Middle East through one reporter's eyes. The fact that the author seems to be smart, funny, observant and versatile makes the book easy to read and the complex political and social situations that form the backdrop to his adventures simpler to understand. No one book can capture the entire scope of the Middle East's continuing conflicts, but Salhani is able to show the ludicrous side of these myriad struggles as well as the human tragedies they engender. He does so with compassion and empathy as well as the cold eye of a cynic who has seen too much to be easily fooled. I found myself caught up in the human stories, fascinated and amused by the bizarre cast of characters which populate these pages, but I also felt anger and frustration at the bullheadedness and stubborn pride of the politicians and military leaders whose fault it is these conflicts will seemingly never end. Also, his candid insider's descriptions of the life of a war correspondent and the antics of the foreign press corps were astonishing and often hilarious. If you want to read an enjoyable book that's easy to understand but will still and enlighten you about the Middle East and foreign journalism, I strongly recommend Black September to Desert Storm.

Black September to Desert Storm is a book about the backstage of war.

It is easy to read and instructive not only about the comlex issue of the Middle East but also about Middle Easterns themselves. Most of all it shows through one journalist what covering comlex news events could look like.

Nobody can reveal the absurd and totally surealistic face of war better than a news photographer.

One might find it hard to laugh about events that shook the world with horror, but Salhani shows you how strange enough even in the hardest situations some humour is hidden. Professionals who hop from one war to another mentally survive by cherishing that side.

One might find it even harder to imagine that the most feared terrorist, soldier of fortune or sniper,can also have a human side to him.

If you are someone who reads newspapers and are interested in knowing how news gets to you, this book is a must.

I used to fly with Capt. Grunke. He is an excellent pilot, a great teacher, and an inspiring professional to fly with. This book was a great read, and hard to put down. It brings to light the stresses, problems, fun times, and sometimes bad times we all go through in this career as airline pilots. It is a career that has an image of travel, adventure, and glamour. It is also a career full of stresses and problems at home because of all of the travel, and separation from our families. That is the part of this career that most people don't see. The personal sacrifice.
It gives an insight into the mind that many of us that have chosen this career can relate to. It is a "sobering" reminder of how easy it could be to cross the line, violate the trust we have been given as professionals. And how quickly you can lose everything. It is a reminder that problems in life can be overcome.

I never knew that my father had this gift of writing. Infact this book helped me to understand him and see him in a way that I had never been able to experience. I believe that this book has brought us (my father, brother, and I) closer. I recommend this book to anyone. It's a book that you WILL NOT be able to put down. It looks at how drinking can effect a human being, even those with jobs like my fathers, where he was in charge of hundreds of lives at one time. I believe that many will be able to relate to the life that he has lived, and the stories that he tells in this book. Along with the hardships of drinking he also adds the many humorous stories that he told my bother and I as children growing up. I have let many people read copies of this book, from friends to co workers and all have asked for more than just the little I let them read. Trust me the book is good and you'll love it.

I recently purchased and read your book. You flew with my husband and I thought it would give me insight into the life of a pilot(having been married to one for 15 years) I thoroughly enjoyed your book and could not put it down. What an interesting career you have had.
I commend you for putting your thoughts and your incredible life story into print.
You write so eloquently and paint pictures with words so well.
Your story just may help other pilots who have led a life of drinking as to how quickly a lifetime career could come to a halt too soon.
Thanks for your insight. I wish you luck in the future.

Political violence roiled the Jewish state from its beginning, and Ehud Sprinzak gives context to today's turmoil in Brother against Brother: Violence and Extremism in Israeli Politics from Altalena to the Rabin Assassination.

Sprinzak is a partisan who believes in Labor's two-state solution to the Palestinian question. Nonetheless, his portraits of the Right's early leaders, particularly Begin, often are quite flattering. Even Rabin's assassin is examined in an objective, even-handed way; the portrayal is similar to the treatment of Timothy McVeigh in American Terrorist.

Sprinzak gives a lot of insight into the early struggle for the Jewish state and the excesses that fed the Palestinian hatred that continues to fester. Massacres of Arab villagers at the hands of Jews, and other atrocities committed by Israel's founders, are laid bare. Sprinzak makes the case that the 1967 War both united the country and helped seal the political divide between those who seek accomodation with the Arabs and those who view peace as illusory. Rabin's assassination is seen not as an aberration but a predictable response by the opposition.

Like many of his countrymen, the author exudes a combination of pride and angst over the history and future of Israel. The Altalena incident, in which the Right's attempt to arm its supporters was foiled by violence at the hands of the Laborites, sets the stage and never seems far removed from what is happening 50 years later.

This is a tremendous, instructive book that never becomes a diatribe despite the author's political leanings.

Sprinzak does an excellent job at both presenting and analysing the history of political extremism in Israel. This is helped considerably by the fact that Israel as a modern state has such a relatively short history, so the project is not as epic as it might be if if one was going to attempt a similar catalogue/anthology of the political violence and extremism in France, for instance. Add to that that Sprinzak was one of Israel's pre-eminent scholars and as such, was given tremendous access in terms of what he could see and what information he was privy to.

The book is quite thorough; it gives background on the pre-state militias (Haganah, Irgun, Lehi), as well as discusses their feuds- it opens with the Altalena affair and goes on to examine "The Hunting Season". It then moves forward to describe, in turn, violence and extremism from the ultra-orthodox, the political left, the nationalist-religious right, and Israel's famed quasi-fascist, Rabbi Meir Kahane, who was expelled from the Knesset for having a racist platform. The book culminates in examining the Rabin Assassination.

This book is very interesting as it not only gives much-needed background and context on the extreme right, who dominate much of the current attention given to Israeli politics, but also points out the history and extremism of OTHER camps and ideologies, such as the ultra-orthodox and the left. Not only is this interesting, it is typical of Sprinzak's sense of "fair play". While a fair amount of the book focuses on the misdeeds of the right, Sprinzak is not a name caller, nor a finger-wagger- he is merely a chronicler. And as such, he feels compelled to point out the violence of ALL members of Israeli society.

Impressively, Sprinzak is able to do all this while maintaining an objective professionalism. While he clearly identifies himself as a Laborite, he soundly condemns all political violence, AND simultaneously seems to give the impression that he sympathizes with many of the people he describes- not because he approves of what they do, but rather, he understands the frustration that drives them to their actions. The result is very powerful, and very balanced. Best of all, like any good academic, Sprinzak is thorough enough to give us SOURCES!

I must admit, it was quite refreshing to be able to learn about a part of Israel's history that is often referenced but rarely directly spoken about, for fear it will be exploited. The fact that Sprinzak chose to isolate INTERNAL Israeli violence from the continuous Middle East conflict was another crucial and excellent choice; to muddle up his research with background on the PLO, Hamas, and Islamic Jihad would have done nothing but distract readers from the main purpose of the book: taking an honest look at both examing and understanding the roots of ISRAELI political violence and extremism. For many non-Israeli readers, this may be the first time you realize that the Middle East conflict is not just about Israelis vs. Palestinians. It's not just "who gets a state", but also "what kind of state will we have"? This book goes a long way to giving people an inside view into the political history of Israel- and how far some people have been willing to go.

The book's one drawback is that the epilogue, in which Sprinzak describes various scenarios that might result in the short-term aftermath of Rabin's killing now seem outdated. It is a shame he was not able to publish a second edition before his death.

In short, the book gets points for being easy to read (Sprinzak apparently learned from his earlier book, "The Ascendance of Israel's Radical Right", which in some places, was painful to read), having a lot of interesting (and for many, NEW) information, and for being able to maintain a good sense of balance. It's only negative mark (perhaps worthy of a half or quater-point deduction) is that it was written in 1996, rather than 2003; it would have been nice to get Sprinzak's take on the current goings-on in Israel.

A fitting capstone to this great man's legacy. I look forward to the day when a similar project (in both scope and honesty) is completed by a Palestinian scholar.

I have this book. Ehud was one of my Proffessers at the Hebrew University Political Science Dept. in the 70's and this is an excelent book about Israeli Violent Politics. It is a unique study. It covers a long period. Although the book is New, it reflects the situation before Ehud Barak got elected. But the first Chapters about the Altalena are also very interesting. Ehud told us then that from 1948 till 1967 extra-parliementary Politics was getting less. Since the Idelogical Problem of what to do with the territories taken in 1967 there has been a rise in Politics outside the Knesset. The book also covers Kahanism and the background to the Tragic murder of Rabin.

I remember growing up and finding the Cambridge Ancient History set of books in my local library. As a 10 year old, they were amazing - even if I didn't understand a lot of it.

Now, being slightly older, I can really appreciate a book like this. Not only is this book (and the entire set) this amazing collection of history, but I'm blown away with the depth and breath within these pages. If these books weren't so expensive, they deserve to be in every amateur historian's home.

Volume 1, Part 1 involves the history of the Near East from 3000 to 1750 BC/BCE. During that time, Egypt became unified and thus stable and created the environment to build the pyramids. Having been in Egypt earlier this year and at the Giza plateau, you go from shock and awe to How? and Why? This helped answer some of the questions I had. I'm still trying to work my way through the book. This book isn't casual reading, but it's a remarkable work. It's fascinating but dry.

The price of the books make this prohibitively expensive, but the used book prices might make this a tempting introduction to this amazing body of work. It's worth it.

The information in this volume is somewhat dated, but it remains a rich reference source.

This book even though a little startling at first. Brings to light some very hidden truths. These truths have been hidden from knowledge. The Bible states that "we shall know the truth, and the truth shall set us free". We need truth in a world full of uncertainties and lies. Truth brings knowledge. It is our Plumbline to measure everything with. We need this to survive. Life is empty in uncertainties. We know where we are going in truth and where we have come from! This book reveals - lays open, it is bare! Thanks for all the arduous research but it was well worth it. Thanks and well done.

This is a good book if you are an American who wants to understand why we are involved in the Middle East. I noticed that the media sometimes had an anti-Israel slant on news stories. At universities it seems easier to be pro-Palestine than pro-Israel. This book shows why it is so dangerous for us as Americans to have that attitude. I was not a big Jimmy Carter fan in the past, and I like him even less after reading this book. I guess it shows us Americans that we need to be more careful in electing our presidents. The chapter on Iran was very alarming as well.

The only problem I had was that he cited negative quotes from Pope Benedict XVI, implying that he was anti-Israel, without showing the positive things he has also done to improve relations between the Catholic Church and Israel. And he cited the fact that Pope John Paul II met with Yasser Arafat as if to say that Pope John Paul II agreed with Arafat's ideas. As a Catholic, I never saw that in his career and message. The only way that this makes sense is that he also met with Mikhail Gorbachev and Fidel Castro, not because he agreed with them (he was strongly anti-Communist), but to admonish them. How it was written was a little misleading, but I'm still giving it 5 stars because the rest of the book was interesting, so I can forgive that.

Dershowitz writes clearly and effectively counters the arguments made on both the far left and far right. To be pro-Israel is not to be anti-Palestinian, whereas the reverse is almost always the case, as illustrated in the opening chapter. Commendations as well to the student researchers who helped substantiate much of what Dershowitz wrote in the book.

The longest treatment is reserved for the increasingly irrelevant Jimmy Carter who is covered in Chapter 1 and in the well cited Appendix. He portrays the former President as one who never met a dictator he didn't like and, through donations to the Carter Center, one who is in the pocket of Arab interests including Saudi Arabia, the bin Ladin Group, BCCI Bank and funder of Holocaust denial Sheik Zyed bin Sultan al Nahyan whom Carter counts as a "personal friend". He takes apart Carter's reference to apartheid as well as his hyperbole that Israel's occupation is "worse than Rwanda" - any such comparison is obscene. Of interest is that fact that the moderate speech of Carter that was presented at Brandeis University ( one that Dershowitz actually had no problems with) was in fact crafted by Dershowitz's former student Stuart Eisenstadt who had recommended Carter to Dershowitz when Carter first ran for President.

Dershowitz's coverage of Mearsheimer and Walt's book is equally compelling. He demolishes their contention that they were somehow silenced (they got a fat U.S. advance on their book and Meirsheimer's academic chair is funded by a pro Israel Jewish Zionist), and refers to their use of biased sources. He cites the misuse of historian Benny Morris' work by citing BM and hilites how M&W conflate advocacy for the war in Iraq by Bush and his inner circle with AIPAC(neutral) and Israel (opposed). In my own Amazon review of The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy (Sept 7, 2008 - see my other reviews) I go further by pointing out more of their historical inaccuracies and misstatements.

Latter chapters look at attacks on Israel from both the far left and the far right, esp. Pat Buchanan, the British columnist "Taki" and left wing British academics who seek to boycott Israeli academics or force them to swear to a disloyalty oath, and the effective counter measures against it. Chapters 5 and 6 go to the Middle East. The discussion on Iran which,the he terms worlds first "suicide nation" are quite interesting. He balances a discussion of Ahmadijihad's rantings and Iran's military buildup with an analysis of that country's internal politics indicating that Iran might be persuaded to change course.

What Dershowitz does make evident is that those who would seek to weaken American support for Israel or label Jewish Americans as part of a cabal are less interested in human rights than they pretend.

One does not have to agree with Prof. Dershowitz in all respects but he does present an accessible main stream approach. The material is current to this year. I bought my copy at a talk he gave in Toronto - he speaks as well as he writes, indeed the whole tone of the text is that of a conversation. Recommended.

This book represents an excellent exposure to the anti-semitic and anti-Israel hatred being harbored by Jimmy Carter and many others including not only the political liberal left but the political right as well, not only here in the United States but over many parts of this world. Alan Dershowitz describes this hatred in a way that only he could do. I recommend this book not only to Jews but to Christians and Muslims as well.