Middle East Books

I first encountered this extraordinary history back in the early '70s as a medieval student and then again some years ago beyond study and therefore with considerably more money-at least compared to a student-and I was able to purchase this wonderful set.

I freely admit not having read the three volumes cover to cover but have parachuted in to various topics within the span of information covered by the set and I can attest to the brilliance of Runciman's writing. He represents the best of historical writing in that he is the undoubted master of his sources and their subject matter but he can also convey the extraordinary complexity of these centuries in a writing style that is at once understandable and also colourful. To my mind he is the best of the best because, as undoubted master of his subject, he is also able to tease out and convey the human interest, the drama and the wrenching saddness of all that was the Crusades.

Steven Runciman has transcended history as few other historians of any time have been able to do. He has imbued the structure of history with the richness of a night at the opera or theatre-the reader is presented with the panoply of humanness at every turn and I believe this is the true mark of a master's hand.

This book, often published as three volumes is the definitive history of the crusades. It is at once a tremendously entertaining and gripping story, and an academically accurate account that stimulates one to further enquiry. His account is so alive it is as if one was reading events unfolding in a newspaper day by day and the destruction of Constantinople was only yesterday.

Runciman tells the story of the West's response to the fall of Jerusalem to the Arabs, and their unexpected success in reconquering it. Throughout the story the Christian west, the Byzantine Empire, and the Arab world are painted with all their good and bad points.

No one comes out of this story without fault, but Runciman points out that there was a tremendous invigoration of western civilization through its contact with the Byzantine and Arab world. The short lived Kingdom of Jerusalem became in a way an experiment in East-West civilization that ultimately was destroyed by the arrival of later crusaders whose enthusiasm for attacking the Arabs (with whom the earlier crusaders had learned to live in relative peace) was not matched by their numbers or competence. Runciman notes that Arab distrust of the West had its roots in this time.

A great introduction to Byzantine, Arabic, or Latin history. See also the work of JJ Norwich on Byzantium and the Normans in Sicily

This is one of the few books that you can buy on the history of North West Africa that can be read again and again. There is a wealth of information contained in this book which covers (as the title suggests) North West Africa's history from the 7th century Arab conquest until the recent present day.

The information contained within the book is concise and straight to the point. The author has obviously spent a great deal of time amassing a wealth of information on North West African history from a variety of Arabic, French and English sources for example, his extensive use of the great historian Wansharisi is of particular benefit when discussing the development of Islamic culture in North West Africa.

The book covers the various Islamic dynasties in the Maghrib, the society and culture of the region, the French, Portuguese and Spanish conquests of the region including the colonial period, independence and the nations struggle for self identity.

This is a first class book for students of Islamic history or African history and I would strongly recommend the book to University students studying subjects related to the region.

Jamil M. Abun-Nasr's History of the Maghrib in the Islamic Period is a finely detailed tapestry which sweeps from the early days of the Al-Moravids in Morocco to the post-colonial regimes in Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya. While the book is academic in tone, it is so well written as to be accessible to the casual reader, so long as one is willing to come to grips with the intracacies of Maghreban dynastic politics.

While I learned more from the first half of the book, which discusses pre-Modern Maghreban history; the second portion covering the modern era was particularly relevant in light of the recent rioting in France. Abun-Nasr vividly describes how the European powers - under the guise of bringing civilization - ruthlessly exploited their North African colonies, and to some degree continue to do so to this day. Although the fruits of their policies were most bitter in Algeria, it is clear that throughout the Maghrib the European powers' short-sighted pursuit of commercial gain had long-term repercussions for everyone involved.

I put the cd into my computer and was just amazed at what I saw. The pictures and videos of Israel were beautiful the music was inspiring and it was very educational. Pastors, teachers, and everyone who have an interest in Israel would benifit from this Holy Land Experience!

I have never in my life seen such an empressive depiction of the Holy Land! Everything about the program is excellently done. It's easy to use, the music is inspiring, the videos, pictures, and descriptions give you a real sense of Israel and its significance to Christians. I would encourage anyone interested in Israel to buy this product.

The city of Jerusalem means so much to so many people. "Jerusalem: A Neighborhood Street Guide" is a closely personal look at the city in its modern state, studying its rich history street by street. The 2,500 streets of the city are listed in alphabetical order; none are left out, and at the end is a full color road map of the city. "Jerusalem: A Neighborhood Street Guide" is highly recommended for community library travel collections and to anyone wishing to visit the holy city.

This is a work of art and love--the author has walked every street in Jerusalem and describes the neighborhoods in detail with maps and photos-
a must for every tourist and resident who wants to tour Jerusalem in depth--the book is now out in English and hopefully will be available on Amazon in paperback--I have a copy--

ps the author is my cousin--American born but emigrated to Jerusalem. Our family was born in Mea Shearim
Jerusalem is a unique historic city--a mix of the old and new--every time I travel there my skin tingles.

I picked up this book and could not put it down, great read lots of interesting content. I would suggest buying some for gifts.

This is an excellent short book covering a topic I had always taken for granted: but jammed packed with political, historical, biblical, archeological connections of the Jewish people to the Land going back 3000 years, and meticulously documented and footnoted. I think this book could be a worthwhile text, especially for students- it is very factual, laying out the evidence. In today's media, which whitewashes, ignores and is ignorant of the indisputable and continuous connection of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel- which
G-d promised to them in perpetuity- this is a critical text. The Jewish people were there (and always remained)more than a thousand years before Christians and a millenium and a half before Muslims (whose religion was not even founded until the 7th Century). To not recognize this is to deny the historical record. Period. Jerry Verlin does a great job in telling this story in amazing detail.

This book is very well organized and edited, and it includes a helpful index. It contains the stories of Palestinians from all walks of life. Some of them are tragic, others disturbing, and still others heartwarming. The translations are very good. It also steers clear of all the usual clichés about Israelis and Palestinians.
If you've ever wondered how Israeli policies over the last 50 years have opressed Palestinians and helped to create both their rage and despair, I recommend that you read this book.

facts cannot be doubted, this is a real good read, gives a great overview on the whole problem of the MiddleEast.
go on, have a look!

Leslie Stein, a Senior Research Fellow at Macquarie University in Sydney Australia, has given us a highly readable work of impeccable scholarship. Noting that most studies of Israel focus on post-1948 developments, Stein has filled the need for a study of the creation of Israel from its modern origins up to the achieving of Statehood in 1948.

Reading this book is somewhat like reading a mystery where you already know the ending but have never read the plot. The first and middle chapters are a fascinating background, and then the inevitable conclusion unfolds in the last two chapters with an onrush of climactic action. At many points the reader wonders how, given all the obstacles it faced, could Israel have emerged as a modern State? This is the drama that Leslie Stein relates.

One could argue that had it not been for Russian anti-Semitism there would have been no Zionist movement and no subsequent State of Israel. It was the Russian pogroms, oppression and massacres of mid-19th Century that drove Jews out as refugees, looking for a place to live in peace. And then there was the venality and corruption of the Turkish Ottoman officials who took bribes to allow Jews to become lawful residents in Palestine with permission to purchase land. Then later, more persecution in Poland and more refugees. And so on.

Throughout the 1800's, all across Europe, Eastern Europe and Russia there were a number of thinkers and writers who promoted establishing a Jewish homeland. But the Zionist movement was given its greatest inspiration by the Herculean efforts of one charismatic person, Theodor Herzl. He was an intellectual, a diplomat and tireless lobbyist for a Jewish homeland. He traveled non-stop to all the heads of State of every country that would receive him to press his agenda, and literally worked himself to death at age forty-four in 1904. Herzel's prophetic vision of the Jewish State was one founded on capitalism and democracy - not theocracy.

It is difficult to review this outstanding book without going into an over abundance of detail, so I will describe just three aspects of Israel's history that remain vivid in my mind:

First are the physical hardships that faced the early settlers in the 1800's. The land was unforgiving. For a "promised land" this was one of the most Godforsaken places on the planet. The photographs from the Zionist archives show the bleakness of the landscape. There are many vivid sketches and photos that accompany the text. For instance page 160 shows women wearing long dresses, outdoors on a hillside, pounding rocks for road construction. (The question comes to mind, why are there no Arab photos of women pounding rocks for road construction? Or more generally, why are there no Arab photos of anything?)

Second are the amazing accomplishments of this small band of devoted people under the most adverse and trying conditions. Through unrelenting physical and intellectual effort by the 1940's Israel had plants producing industrial machinery, automobile parts, textiles, agricultural equipment, medical and electrical instruments, chemical and pharmaceutical products, shipbuilding, a diamond polishing industry and an oil refinery. In many individual industries progress was phenomenal. (At this stage the Arabs had not yet learned how to crush rocks, but were throwing them.)

Third was the terrible treatment the Jews received at the hands of Great Britain in the run-up to and during WWII. The ideology of German fascism had permeated the Arab countries due to its appeal of anti-Semitism. There was active collaboration of the Arabs with the Nazis. Britain was afraid the Arab countries would enter the war on the side of the fascists and cut off access to Middle Eastern oil so they took an anti-Israel stance.

Britain did everything it could to prevent Jews from immigrating to Israel. At times there was open warfare by Britain against the Jews in Israel who were trying to smuggle in as many refugees as possible to save them from the death camps in Germany. Then, in February 1945 just as the war was drawing to a close, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, and Saudi-Arabia declared war on Germany so they could become eligible for UN membership. This was a dark period in the history of England.

Finally on May 14, 1948 Israel announced its Statehood and Declaration of Independence. President Truman of the U.S. immediately recognized Israel as an independent State. This action by Truman no doubt helped fortify the resolve of Israel, when on the following day it faced the invading armies of Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Transjordan. Israel did not succumb to this invasion. It went on to gather millions of Jewish exiles over the years, and to become a modern, democratic, industrial state. But, as Stein concludes, "it has yet to enjoy the benefits of a peaceful existence that so many other countries take for granted."

This book is about the history of modern Zionism, from the late nineteenth century until the declaration of statehood in 1948. The first half of the book takes us through the First Aliyah (including some interesting material about the "Ugandan option"), the Second Aliyah, and World War One. I think that the significance of the misadventures of the Jewish community during World War One is sometimes overlooked by those who discuss the history of Israel, so this is an important section.

The rest of the book takes us through the 1930s, World War Two, and the postwar struggle for independence. This is a topic that has been discussed in a huge number of other books, many of them extremely political in nature. Stein simply is not able in this summary to deal with all the detailed issues here, but I think he does a good job of covering the major events. Some people have praised the balance the author has shown in this book, but Stein gets plenty of opportunities to let us know his opinions.

I like this book and I think it is an excellent introduction to the subject. For a summary, this book is surprisingly thorough, and I think Stein ought to be commended for writing it.

If you have not read this book you do not really know much of importance about the origins of terrorism and how the seemingly endless conflicts in the Middle East came about. It did not start in 'Biblical times' as is often asserted but in colonial times--with the emphasis on British colonial manipulations.

At the time this book was written it was a ground-breaking look at how completely Middle East politics has been run as a British colonial plantation with dumb Americans chiming in as geopolitical scapegoats for several post-FDR decades. It rings true today more than 25 years later as the Dick Cheney beats the drums for a British-inspired tune entitled 'Nuke Iran.'

The history of these lands is so complex that his book are a welcome sigh of relief: he writes clearly and shows the origins of the going ons. Learning the whys and hows of the development of that history DEFINITIVELY make you re-evaluate your attitudes toward many figureheads. The massive crossover of disciplines (intellectuals of all fields) that shaped the ideological/political developments of these lands (and eventually of the modern world) are bewildering. Any reader will be amazed to find out the interests/implications of freemason societies, media and government agents that took active roles.

"If You Could Be My Friend" is a great book to everyone. It can break the highest score by its cover and content. My teacher and I were looking through books at the library, and we came to this book by accident. I really can't tell my feelings while I was reading it. It talks about two girls, one an Israeli and the other a Palestinian. They knew each other through a french journalist.Then they started to send letters to each others from August 1988 talking about the history of their two peoples. Their letters were emotional because both of them were writing of what was happening in their lands because of the war. First, they thought that they could be friends, but after many years, they grew up and changed their minds. Many people were killed from both sides and each one of them started to blame the other. On October 1991, they met in Jerusalem for the first time. I really recommend this book to anyone because the author did a fantastic job writing it. I finished reading it in one day only because I was really interested in it and I didn't feel the time.

I came across this book by accident. It almost brings tears to my eyes just thinking about what I experienced in the pages of this book. This educational treasure cuts through the clutter of daily news and brings you to the personal and political front lines of two girls seperated by war. Somewhere in each letter is the innocence of youth, however at all times there is a learned vehemance budding in every letter. Despite the political barriers between both girls, there is the common denominator of friendship. When they look at each other as Arab and Jewish...they tend to think "She's one of the enemy." However, when they look at each other as Mervet and Galit they tend to think "She is my friend." To me this book is proof that people can learn to celebrate divirsity if they would only stop to listen and talk to each other.

Carleton Watkins is an overlooked figure in the history of American photography--Artistically we could not have wanted for more in someone recording the "wilds" of the West. Beautiful photographs of San Francisco and the Northwest's industrial beginnings, and timeless representation of Yosemite's natural wonder.

Carleton Watkins's fifty-some year career has left him recognition as one the greatest American photographers of the nineteenth century. The photographs shown in The Art of Perception clearly show why. Without saying Watkins was ahead of his time because of the sophisticating and arresting images he produced with a camera, it can be said that few, if any, of his contemporaries could rival his work. In the Art of Perception, the reader will have the privelage to be psychologically compelled by the world from the visual standpoint of this obscure individual. In this book, Watkins's innovation as a photographer shows the developing western world while at the same time creating an unparalleled visual experience for the viewers through more than one-hundred of his best photos, including some never-before seen or reproduced. Essays by Douglas R. Nickel also explain some of the subjects and objects that Watkins researched and photographed.

Travelling through the western United States, Watkins captured some of the most breathtaking pictures of Yosemite, San Francisco, the Sierra Nevada, and more. In my personal opinion, it is almost impossible to dislike any of the pictures collected in The Art of Perception. I must admit, however, that I have a personal taste for landscapes and documentary style photos of young America's development, especially ones as lush in detail as Watkins's are. More than anything, I loved the photographs that Watkins shot showing nature alone, untouched by any progression of America's buildup. As the viewer, it is impossible to prepare for the overwhelming rush from the elevated sensation of visual contingency created by Watkins's vision. Watkins's work not only captured my attention for these simple facts, but also educated me in the importance of the man as a very important historical figure in recording the growth of young American and as an innovator for the way we view photography today.