The History of Middle East Wars

by John N. Westwood

The Middle East Wars have been remarkable also for the evidence they have given of the progress of military technology and the test ground they have provided for the weapons of the superpowers. The actions in this and all the other conflicts are excitingly described by J.N. Westwood, who discusses the development of the various armed forces involved and assesses the effectiveness of their organization and weaponry. The current state of unrest in the Middle East and the terrible repercussions it continues to have around the world serve to emphasize the topicality and importance of this fascinating book.

Genres: History, Military Fiction, Middle East

216 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Dr. John Norton Westwood, b.1931, is an honorary member of the Centre for Russian, European and Eurasian Studies at the University of Birmingham, England. He has been an honorary research fellow at Birmingham since 1976.

He has written extensively on Russian and Eurasian issues. He also writes on steam trains and international railway history.

Reviews

[spike marlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good survey history of Middle East conflicts from the birth of Israel in 1948 to the invasion of Afghanistan and the fall of the Taliban in 2002. It does not talk about the broader Afghan War or the 3rd Gulf War that started when the US and British forces invaded Iraq.

I found the book useful in understanding the political nature of each of the wars and the circumstances that started them. It is short, in great detail on the actual fighting of the wars.

The author does give credit where credit is due on the fighting ability of both Israeli and Arab forces.

I would recommend it for an earlier understanding of Middle East conflicts.

[Dominic Neesam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serves as a historical and pictoral backdrop to the current Isreal/Hamas conflict