Middle East Conflict

by François Massoulié

The Middle East — a region of historic significance to the rest of the world — contains immeasurable spiritual and intellectual wealth set amidst grinding poverty. It is a land of economic contrasts and a wide diversity of countries, experiencing a bewildering array of religious, national and social conflicts. It is a region that has rarely been at peace. The post-World War I colonial division of the Arab world stands at the root of many of today's conflicts. From Syria and Lebanon to Iraq and Kuwait, states were established with arbitrary borders that continue to spark conflicts. The establishment of Israel one world war later and the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of Palestinian Arabs from their ancestral homes set the stage for a continuing region-wide cycle of occupation and resistance. In the second half of the 20th Century, the enormous oil reserves of the Arab Gulf states transformed the region, but tensions between oil-rich and oil-poor remain deep. Efforts by unpopular Arab regimes to merge their economies into the globalization schemes of the late 20th Century have spawned new Islamist movements determined to reject Western "solutions" to endemic poverty, powerlessness and injustice.

Genres: History

160 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1998

Reviews

[Meg Corner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Focusing primarily on the 20th century, this book provides a nice overview of Middle Eastern conflicts. However, its brevity ensures that only a cursory examination is provided. With that being said, it is an adequate reference for those looking for a quick guide to modern Middle Eastern history or those seeking to better understand the roots of current events.

[Reza]

Niet zo interessant dat ik dacht,
veel vragen worden niet gesteld, waarom?
Maar, maar er is iets te leren ...

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

https://recenziilesipovestiletale.wor...
150 pages of -running- through middle east history. Massoulie's quintessence of the conflicts/the sectarian divisions in the Arab countries/the struggle for peace/the injustice and the policy of people playing god is sharp, merciless, bitter. This book gives you a pill of understanding (even if somehow shallow) of today's middle east status per se.

[Professor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I stumbled across this one day in the stacks and picked it up. More or less a continuation of the sort of text-booky history of A Concise History of the Middle East, only even more of a summary which focuses only on the last hundred years or so. A lot of space is given to illustrations and excerpts from pivotal publications.