Middle East Books

I must want to appreciate that lady for her courage , for her truthfulnesss. she could have lied like western media.....oh these were really bad, they obused me physically and...., they are crazy, but God gave her a beautiful and bold heart ,GOD Bless you Lady , you are lucky, you saw the light and you are following that light.

This has to be one of the most exciting books i have read. A foreign or a western woman in Afghanistan under Taliban rule who remarkably tells the world in her beautiful words that they are just humans like you and me. Think the Talibhan deserve a chance, and Yvonne Ridley tells how they really are. Gives a true first hand account of what has happened in Afghanistan. Would definitely recommend it to anyone.

This book is one of the best I have read so far. The first half of the book was about Lansdale in Philippine as an advisor to Phillipine's president at the time. I have been researching a lot into the period that the second half of this particular book covered. The author (Lansdale) had been very honest when he wrote this book, a must read for anyone with questions about what happpened in Vietnam in the time period from 1954 to 1960. I finally read something that had something positive about President Ngo Dinh Diem. This book tell the truth about Ngo Dinh Diem from someone who know him best because Lansdale had acted as Diem's political advisor and best friend. The book is a first hand account (sort of like a memoir) of someone who were actually there, and witnessed every ordeal that had happened. A fine book if you wanted to read something truthful. You don't have to believe me, so I will stop now so you can go ahead and read this wonderful book. By the way, have fun reading :) :) Gwynevere

Lansdale's book is one of those forgotten treasures for those studying insurgent warfare strategy. General Lansdale had an enormous fund of experience, contacts, and cultural knowledge of the Phillipines and his memoir about his role in defeating the Huk insurgency in 1950 tells us a lot about all the RIGHT things to do. Small footprint, work with and cultivate local leaders, disingage the population from the insurgents...all of this takes enormous personal communication skill and rapport along with the common sense of a beat cop. If anything, you'll learn that not everyone in the military is cut out for fighting insurgent warfare. After his success in in the Phillipines he was sent to Vietnam while the French were getting ready to pull out in 1954-1955. He details what the French had done wrong and how some of the French officers "got it" but unfortunately didn't have the support of superiors...something important to remember. Landsdale outlines the situation so that you can tell without his saying so, just when the point of no return for the French had been reached. This is not only a great book about insurgent warfare strategy but just a great read as well. No long drawn out tales of "there I was facing 50 insurgents armed with just my pocket knife" just a recitation of real events as he experienced them, including the not so exciting but essential grunt work insurgent warfare calls for. If you can find a copy...get it.

Idris Barwick was married to my dad's cousin. He was a great man...I'm sorry that I was so young when he passed away and I didn't have the opportunity to know him as an adult. I remember him telling his story to my parents, but I was young and didn't really care. I wish now that I had listened. His life and story are amazing...how he lived through all that he did. This book should be required reading! A true story of courage, strength and faith from a wonderful man I called Uncle Id.

This book has been a part of my life since birth and it holds a special place in my heart. My father wrote it during the late 1940s while trying to recover from a nightmare. He hoped that one day it would be published but died in 1975 without seeing that dream come true. I took up the cause and finally that day is here. In the Shadow of Death is a brilliant, shocking and deeply inspiring account of one man's struggle to survive a very dark period in British military history. We are incredibly proud of our Dad and his story. It is one that needs to be told and we hope you have an opportunity to read the book. If you would like more information on the book, including excerpts, please visit www.InTheShadowOfDeath.com.

At times both poignant and prescient, "In the Shadow of Islam" is the revelation of a brilliant mind. The book is, as one would expect from a trade paperback, well printed and bound.

This volume of Isabelle Eberhardt's original Dans L'ombre Chaude de Islam "In the Warm Shadow of Islam" was penned in 1904. As a big Eberhardt fan I still enjoyed reading this slim 1993 edition although it's lamely billed "In the Shadow of Islam". Translated by Sharon Bangert, the omission of this single word from the title, "Warm", quite neatly reverses its meaning. Thus the translator or publishers (Peter Owen Publishers) chose to slyly sabotage Eberhardt's empathic sympathetic message about her chosen faith Sufism/Islam with a beckoning yet ominous tang. I suppose her original title, 'In the Warm Shadow of Islam', (emphasis mine) was too long and Islam-friendly for today's market?

Thus, the publisher's choice perpetrates the ever popular anti-Islamic bent. That said, it's the brilliance of Eberhart's work that manages to shine through even a biased translation.
Without ado, let me provide some of my favorite quotes from In the Shadow of Islam:

"To the extent that I feel myself saturated by ancient, unshaken Islam, which here seems to be the very breathing of the earth...And I understand that one could end one's days in the peace and silence of some southern zawiya, end in ecstasy, free of yearnings, confronting only radiant horizons. " pg 114

"I have jotted these reflections in the margin of a letter...Having written them, I relapse into my feeling of exile, wishing to bury myself even deeper in this hostile south, without any desire for the Paris I have known, where the newspaper's lip-service to feminism was even more repugnant to me than the Parisian coquettes.

I have said nothing in my response worth reading. Why bother? One day paths separate, destinies crystallize. And this is so much more than having made a few friends. When they are good enough to invite us to share their foreign happiness, let's show them what's possible to a true fraternity of minds.

Let's regret nothing, since our happiness and theirs will consist in letting ourselves go one day, into mysterious currents which will carry our souls adrift towards impossible shores. Then we'll enjoy the intoxication of decadence and shipwreck; and wandering over the immense beaches of the night, we'll feel within us the seeds of suffering begin to germinate." pg 70

"...forgetting the principals of tolerance propounded by Islam at its purest..." pg 49

It strikes me that prayer, and dreams, too, should never end." pg 60-61


Please enjoy this timeless piece of writing...still relevant and convincing.

If you read one other Christian Book outside of the bible it needs to be this book. This book is excellent!!!!!It is a mix of standard bible commentary, some bible archeology, and a travel book all mixed up in one. The author also uses some references about the bible stories from ancient texts like Josephus and others. The book has a liberal amount of photo graphs of the bible sites as they are today. Reading this book will give you a feeling of actually visiting the Holy Land. (Actually visiting the site is also a must do thing for anyone) Looking at the faith stories from a modern perspective with a little commentary and history mixed gives you a new look. The truth of the gospel will stand out from reading this book like a sore thumb after you hit it with a hammer. Actually looking at the site as it is today makes you see the event as a real thing and not just literature. This book won't convert anyone but if you are a believer you will love the book.

Peter Walker takes the reader on both a historical and modern day tour of the Holy Land. This work is full of helpful maps and pictures of the land in which Jesus traveled, beginning in Bethlehem with the birth of Jesus and from there to Nazareth. There is a key days chart for each location discussed and the important all of the important events that have happened there throughout history. The focus is obviously on the time of Jesus, but each section has a section about today (e.g. Bethlehem Today). The author also give instructions and tips to anyone who is going to be taking a trip to Israel. Other locations that are included at the Jordan River, The Judean Desert, Galilee and its villages, Samaria, Caesarea Philippi, Jericho, Bethany, the Mount of Olives, the Temple, Jerusalem, Golgotha, and Emmaus. If you have read N. T. Wright's book "The Way of the Lord" and enjoyed it, then you will like this book as well. Walker seems to have been inspired, at least somewhat by Wright's work.

H.V. Morton joined the list of my favorite authors after just one reading of his "In Search of London." "In the Steps of the Master," Morton's 1934 record of "the thoughts and the experiences which come the way of a man as he travels through Palestine with the New Testament in his hands," has cemented his place on that list. "In the Steps..." is a wonderful piece of travel literature, and certainly repays reading, even given all that has changed in the nearly three-quarters of a century since it was first published.

I was fortunate to be able to make my first-ever trip to Israel last month, and so made a point to find and read "In the Steps..." before I left. I'm tempted to say now that things in the Holy Land may have changed more in the 73 years since this book was published than they had in the nearly two millennia since the time of Christ. Twenty-first century Jerusalem, in particular, is a very different place from the dusty settlement Morton describes. No one, I think would mistake "In the Steps..." as a particularly relevant guidebook today. And yet...

There are elements of the Holy Land that maybe never change, and most of the holy sites Morton visits -- certainly the more significant ones -- are still accessible to the modern pilgrim or curious tourist, and the shape of the land and the setting of Jerusalem or the Sea of Galilee remain as Morton describes them.

That, I think, is the real value of this book. Morton is an excellent travel writer, and anyone who appreciates well-crafted descriptive prose is in for a treat with (I'd venture, based on the two volumes of his I've read so far) most anything he's done. As I noted in my review of "In Search of London," Morton seems equally at home describing both the modern condition and the history of a place. Add to that, in this case, his facility with Scripture and his skill in pulling relevant details out of the Biblical narrative, and this becomes a great way to prepare for a trip and/or to assess what you've seen.

The several modern guidebooks about Jerusalem and Israel I read were good for details. But "In the Steps of the Master" was second only to the Bible itself in helping me prepare for the sense -- the spiritual impact -- of being in the land where Jesus walked.

This is the only one of H. V. Morton's books I've read, although I own one or two others. I suppose I must be slow on the uptake or too busy reading other things, not to have read further. This book was five stars all the way. I've still got the taste of the dust in my mouth.

Being something of a neophyte in matters pertaining to modern day Israel or ancient Palestine, or vice versa, I was thrilled to find myself in the hands of a gifted travel writer on this first armchair journey to the Holy Land. Morton knows how to, how shall I say it, maintain a religious sense in his work without allowing the reader to detect just how religious (or irreligious) he is. It's quite clever. Anyway, there is much biblical reference, almost always referring to the geography through which we pass, or the local architecture. For instance, his description of the Temple fascinated me. I must say it gave me a hankering to go to that part of the world, which is partly what a good travel book ought to do, methinks. Otherwise, I just enjoyed the writing. Very rhythmic, fluid text which is easy to read and tends to sweep one along, almost inexorably. I really shall have to dig out my other Mortons (on the British Isles) and have a go at them. Great read if you can find it, which shouldn't be too hard: he was a very popular and widely published author in his day.

This is a fine book about the Arab-Israeli conflict, written by a Holocaust survivor. In my opinion, it could be a little better organized, but I think it is certainly worth reading.

Sabina Citron makes plenty of good points in the book. Here are nine of them:

1) Sedition is a serious crime, freedom of expression not withstanding.

2) Citizens of nations, including Arab citizens of Israel, need to abide by the laws of their lands, and demonstrate allegiance to those lands.

3) It is a lie that the Arab residents of Judea and Samaria are a separate indigenous people, and the media have been irresponsible in promulgating this lie.

4) The ruling of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Israel's security fence was perfidious and preposterous.

5) At the UN, the only six states to vote against this preposterous ICJ ruling were Israel, the United States, Australia, Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands.

6) The present anti-Israeli hate propaganda which demonizes and dehumanizes Jews is about the same as National Socialist propaganda with the exception that the Arabs include the claim that the Jews stole their land.

7) In European, Canadian, and American universities, campus propaganda often espouses the Arab "cause" to the exclusion of all others, with academic freedom and freedom of speech becoming a mockery.

8) Tiny Israel is not too big but too small. Since Arabs living in Israel are more free than those in any other country in the Middle East, we should be exploring ways to expand the Jewish state, especially if freedom and justice for Arabs is our goal.

9) The British Association of University Teachers Union came up with an anti-Israeli boycott. Does that mean the professors who came up with this boycott are against peace? No, they have gone beyond that to be active propagandists against Israel.

I highly recommend this book.

In this far reaching commentary the reader is presented with a vast array of problems in history concentrating around Jewish and Israeli topics. There are at least four themes included in these short illustrations and insights. Firstly the true nature of the Holocaust and Anti-Semitism. This is brought to light in such essays on the Church's responsibility and apology to Jews. Furthermore the origins of anti-Semitism and its present form, especially in the Arab world, are explained. New episodes in history are shown to be precursors of anti-Semitism, such as the council of Nicea.
The second theme is that of Israel and threats to it caused by a Palestinian state or terrorism in general. The PLO is referred to as a Trojan horse, entering the peace needing gates of Israel so that it can incubate a new terrorist apparatus.
The third theme is that of radical Islamism and the British governments "perfidy" towards Israel. The western leaders are blamed for either covering up knowledge of the Holocaust or not allowing in enough Jewish refugees.
The last theme is the perversion of the UN by extremist hateful elements making it, ironically given its history, as the leading element in anti-Semitic propaganda today. From the famous `Zionism is Racism' resolution down through the UN Human Rights Council that only focuses on Israel out of all the countries in the world as a violator of `human rights' the UN is shown to be rotten to its core.
These are not unique or new topics and they are presented in a scattered manner. Nevertheless the read gives the impression of being deeply heartfelt. A very interesting collection of short essays on wide ranging themes.

Seth J. Frantzman

I think it was very good bok, i 'd like to have informasjon about tis bokk and women on the zero point

I was confused when I started this book because I was expecting a more conventional narrative. However, the style and beauty of the writing was captivating. Full of flashbacks, trains of thought and bits of remembered conversation, if you read it with the view of immersing yourself in the world of the heroine, the story makes complete sense and stays hauntingly in your memory. One of the surprises is that, though you think the heroine is the only one harmed by the religious conventions of her day, you come to realize that her husband has been equally harmed. Terribly sad and beautiful, but vivid and fascinating.

Foreign correspondent Jane Howard made her home in Iran for five years and raised her two children there: these experiences brought a more personal set of insights into the lives of everyday Iranian women, explored here. From tea in a nomad's tent to presidential places, Inside Iran: Women's Lives provides a different image of Iranian women than most books would offer, going beyond the veil to explore how they work outside the home, drive, and even become politicians. A fascinating report.

In her book, Howard discusses her life as the wife of a diplomat living in Iran for several years. She traveled all over Iran and met women from all walks of life; big city sophisticates, traditonal villagers, nomads and others. Howard discusses the ups and downs of women's lives in a totalitarian Islamic state where there is no freedom of speech or press; where saying or printing the wrong thing can result in imprisonment, fines and/or whippings. There are so many restrictions on Iranian women and Howard does a great job of describing how they get the proverbial short end of the stick in almost every aspect of life (one exception is that female homosexuality carries a lesser punishment than male homosexuality). She describes their brave struggles for personal freedoms and the same privileges that men currently enjoy.
"Inside Iran: Women's Lives" is best described by the author in one of the last paragraphs of her book:

"The general frustrations with everyday life here, the petty restrictions of the dress code and the restrictions on freedom of speech are tempered with the warmth and hospitality of Iranians. For me, it was a fascinating experience and a lot of fun. But for some women, not just foreigners, Iran sometimes feels like a life sentence from which they cannot escape."

Lots of charming black and white photos included.

Inside Lebanon: Journey to a Shattered Land with Noam and Carol Chomsky collects the gathered insights of Noam and Carol Chomsky during the course of their visit to Lebanon in May 2006 - only two months before Israel initiated a new military campaign against Lebanon and Palestine. Other experts such as Assaf Kfoury, Irene Gendzier, Hanaday Salman, Rasha Salti, and more also contribute their insights into the troubled region in separate essays. Context from both before and after the 2006 war, as well as background and framework information surround this harsh yet illuminating criticism that denounces cruelties committed by the United States and Israel as thoroughly as it condemns terrorist acts such as the September 11th attacks. "According to Bush, any state that harbors terrorists is a terrorist state and must be treated accordingly. It must be bombed and invaded. It seems to me that Bush is calling for the bombing of the United States. The United States harbors terrorists who are regarded as such by the FBI and the Justice Department. One of the worst is Orlando Bosch, the anti-Castro terrorist accused of about thirty terrorist acts by the FBI, among them the crash of a Cubana Airline plane killing seventy-three people. Bush's father, George Herbert Walker Bush, gave Bosch a presidential pardon. Bosch remained in the United States against the objections of the Justice Department, which regarded him as a national security threat." A sober, serious-minded critique, worthy as the spiritual successor to Thomas Friedman's classic "From Beirut to Jerusalem" (though the political viewpoints of the respective authors are not necessarily congruent). Highly recommended.

This is a valuable and timely book, in two parts. The first part contains lectures given in Lebanon by Noam Chomsky in May 2006, and essays and interviews from that time. Contributors include a number of respected academics, journalists and community workers from Lebanon and the United States. The second part consists of essays and other materials discussing Israel's incursion into Lebanon in July and August 2006. In this section, there is are moving excerpts from a diary kept by a prominent Lebanese journalist, and dispatches written at the time by a journalist who reported on the conflict. The Israeli bombings killed tens of thousands of civilians, and provoked a debate within Israel as well as in the international community. I will recommend this book to my students and to colleagues and friends. It not only chronicles important events in Lebanon. Its authors help us see the relationship between the conflict in Lebanon, the war in Iraq and the long-term crisis in the Middle East.
Michael E. Tigar, law professor, lawyer, author