Jordan

The Contemporary Middle East #3

by Beverley Milton-Edwards, Peter Hinchcliffe

Created as a mechanism for maintaining British influence through a local patron, Jordan’s future never looked certain. Nevertheless, under the leadership of the Hashemite monarchy led by Abdullah and then his grandson Hussein, the Kingdom of Jordan became a permanent feature on the map of the modern Middle East. Under the rule of King Abdullah II, Jordan has remained an influential regional player in the Middle East Peace Process, its strategic position on the borders of Palestine, Israel, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq ensuring that it cannot be overlooked in the regional and international politics. Updated and expanded to include recent developments in Jordan and the Middle East, the new edition includes coverage and discussion This volume, intended for both academic and general readers, offers an overview of the history, politics and economics of this fascinating country and its role in a region disfigured by the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Genres: Middle East

168 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 2009

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and concise, this book presents us with Jordan, a country that feels as if it exists equally at the requirement of its regional neighbors/financial benefactors/strategic puppeteers as it does as an independent nation. Summoned into existence out of the European Nationalist-Colonialist scrum post WWI, Jordan plays an intriguing but increasingly limited role in the region, and for reasons almost exclusively outside of its own control. Technically a constitutional monarchy, it is in actuality a family-ruled dictatorship tracing their heritage back to the times of the Prophet Mohammed. Even with such a rich history, Jordan holds global focus due to its geographical location, a buffer for/against its more powerful or hotly contested neighbors (Israel, the Occupied Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Yemen, Saudi Arabia), as it has little else to offer. Poor, mostly, and overwhelmingly Sunni Muslim, it has few true friends or enemies, just governments and military groups (Islamic, Israeli, British, and American, mainly) willing to take advantage of its location for their own political, financial, or strategic purposes.
Still a fun read that provides enough fodder for additional explorations.

[Maria Dubovikova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I agree with the commentator on Amazon regarding “democracy”, but in general it’s a really nice in-depth work on the turbulent Jordanian history, worth reading!

[Gary Holtzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent, very concise introduction to the Kingdom's history, politics, economy, and foreign relations for the foreign layperson. Unfortunately, as I write this review in 2023, even the second edition is sadly out of date by 14 extremely eventful years (the Arab Spring, the Syrian Civil War, the rise of ISIS, Trump,/Kushner, MBS, Covid-19, etc., etc.). Still, if you keep that in mind, it's a quick read and provides context that is hard to find elsewhere, thankfully without the misty eyed hagiography of the late King Hussein that tends to cloud other English language sources.

[Alan Eyre · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good basic primer.