In This Arab Time: The Pursuit of Deliverance

by Fouad Ajami

In this collection of bold and wide-ranging essays, Fouad Ajami offers his views on the Middle East, commenting on the state of affairs in Iraq, Iran, Syria, Egypt and more. He brings into focus the current struggles of the region through detailed historical standpoints and a highly personal perspective. The author discusses such landmark past events as the Algerian civil war, the state of the Arab world shortly after 9/11, and the pan-Arab awakening that began in 2011, as well as current events such as the Syrian rebellion and the repercussions of its brutal response from Bashar al-Assad. In addition, he sheds new light on some of the significant players in the Arab world, past and present, from Naguib Mahfouz, the Nobel laureate of the Arabs, to Ziad Jarrah—the terrorist who is thought to have been at the controls of the plane forced down by its heroic passengers in Shanksville, Pennsylvania on 9/11.

248 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2014

Reviews

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book contains a series of essays on various Middle Eastern countries. The author grew up in Beirut, but has lived most of his life in the US. The essays are deeply personal, and the author has a novelistic writing style. Much of the information is available in other venues, but there are some essays on countries, like Algeria, that don't get as much publicity.

[David Corleto-Bales]

Essays concerning the Arab countries involving history, literature and culture, from the sadly late Fouad Ajami.

[Paul Duggan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this essential collection of essays and book reviews, the late Middle Eastern scholar and humanist Fouad Ajami lays bare the essential facts of the Islamist conflicts that are engulfing our world.

There are far better reviews of this book and assessments of Ajami’s many contributions to our intellectual life, but I must say that his explication of the 1,300 year Sunni-Shia conflict for me clarified my future attitude toward the benighted Arab civilization.

This book is mandatory reading for anyone wanting to understand the Middle East and the role of the United States there.

[Rosgood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ajami uses a remarkable amount of detail (dates, names, cities) and while for some that would warrant a five star rating, for me, someone fairly new to Middle Eastern history, the detail was consuming and over my head. Although my inexperience made it hard for me to enjoy the book, I am left with an overwhelming feeling that he has done his research, reaching deep into history's lessons for context to current events.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This postmortem did not do Ajami justice. He was a brilliant man of prose and an excellent communicator on the 'Arab street'. The collection of this book feels like hodgepodge rather than what he would have done as a life work summation.

[Rick Cheeseman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this slowly during lunches at work over the last few months. Great compilation. Afforded me a better understanding of the world as we know it, past and present. Recommended for anyone wanting an education Middle Eastern affairs.

[Jim Milway · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of articles from Mr Ajami with his hard headed, no-nonsense perspective on what ails the Arab world.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent collection of essays on the middle east. As timely today as when they were written.