Best Middle East Nonfiction (534 books)

Any nonfiction that relates significantly to the Middle East.

flag

1	Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali 4.20 avg rating — 92,554 ratings score: 5,549, and 56 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books by Azar Nafisi 3.66 avg rating — 140,192 ratings score: 5,271, and 54 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi 4.40 avg rating — 204,768 ratings score: 4,927, and 50 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Orientalism by Edward W. Said 4.13 avg rating — 29,579 ratings score: 3,538, and 36 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas L. Friedman 4.15 avg rating — 13,107 ratings score: 3,395, and 35 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright (Goodreads Author) 4.36 avg rating — 37,386 ratings score: 2,560, and 26 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti 4.21 avg rating — 18,934 ratings score: 2,390, and 25 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
8	Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks (Goodreads Author) 4.05 avg rating — 15,180 ratings score: 2,282, and 24 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
9	The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad 3.77 avg rating — 56,922 ratings score: 2,165, and 23 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
10	Six Days of War: June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East by Michael B. Oren 4.17 avg rating — 6,156 ratings score: 2,046, and 22 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Son of Hamas by Mosab Hassan Yousef 4.24 avg rating — 18,362 ratings score: 1,856, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
12	Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamim Ansary (Goodreads Author) 4.41 avg rating — 12,628 ratings score: 1,806, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
13	The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran 4.23 avg rating — 328,290 ratings score: 1,765, and 19 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
14	Istanbul: Memories and the City by Orhan Pamuk 3.82 avg rating — 22,181 ratings score: 1,632, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
15	A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and The Creation of the Modern Middle East by David Fromkin 4.22 avg rating — 9,787 ratings score: 1,606, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
16	The Great War for Civilisation: The Conquest of the Middle East by Robert Fisk 4.41 avg rating — 5,612 ratings score: 1,591, and 17 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
17	I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 622,129 ratings score: 1,396, and 15 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Culture and Imperialism by Edward W. Said 4.19 avg rating — 5,798 ratings score: 1,174, and 13 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
19	A History of the Arab Peoples by Albert Hourani 3.88 avg rating — 4,628 ratings score: 1,141, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
20	Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East 1776 to the Present by Michael B. Oren 3.99 avg rating — 1,999 ratings score: 1,125, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
21	Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Persepolis, #1) by Marjane Satrapi 4.27 avg rating — 229,987 ratings score: 1,077, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
22	All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror by Stephen Kinzer 4.29 avg rating — 11,428 ratings score: 1,073, and 12 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
23	Stones Into Schools: Promoting Peace With Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Greg Mortenson (Goodreads Author) 3.85 avg rating — 17,090 ratings score: 937, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
24	Footnotes in Gaza by Joe Sacco 4.36 avg rating — 7,029 ratings score: 932, and 11 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir 4.06 avg rating — 24,647 ratings score: 900, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Muhammad: A Biography of the Prophet by Karen Armstrong 4.18 avg rating — 7,139 ratings score: 900, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
25	Muhammad, the World-Changer: An Intimate Portrait by Mohamad Jebara 4.47 avg rating — 596 ratings score: 900, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
28	Covering Islam: How the Media and the Experts Determine How We See the Rest of the World by Edward W. Said 4.10 avg rating — 2,035 ratings score: 893, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
29	Peace Be Upon You: The Story of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Coexistence by Zachary Karabell 3.95 avg rating — 171 ratings score: 865, and 10 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
30	Persian Girls by Nahid Rachlin (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 3,557 ratings score: 831, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
31	Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia by Jean Sasson (Goodreads Author) 4.04 avg rating — 39,376 ratings score: 821, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
32	The Daughter of Kurdland: A Life Dedicated to Humankind by Widad Akreyi (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 408 ratings score: 800, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
33	Shah of Shahs by Ryszard Kapuściński 4.23 avg rating — 8,068 ratings score: 774, and 9 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
34	None of Us Were Like This Before: American Soldiers and Torture by Joshua E.S. Phillips 4.12 avg rating — 548 ratings score: 733, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	The Forever War by Dexter Filkins 4.13 avg rating — 11,426 ratings score: 691, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Guests of the Ayatollah: The First Battle in America's War with Militant Islam by Mark Bowden 4.16 avg rating — 5,083 ratings score: 690, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine by Ilan Pappé 4.55 avg rating — 10,400 ratings score: 689, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
38	The Shia Revival: How Conflicts Within Islam Will Shape the Future by Vali Nasr 3.88 avg rating — 2,478 ratings score: 686, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
39	The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan 4.12 avg rating — 18,627 ratings score: 669, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
40	Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life by Queen Noor 3.82 avg rating — 10,231 ratings score: 660, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
41	Whatever Happened to the Egyptians? Changes in Egyptian Society from 1950 to the Present by Galal Amin 3.94 avg rating — 4,406 ratings score: 623, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	The Crusades Through Arab Eyes by Amin Maalouf (Goodreads Author) 4.20 avg rating — 10,528 ratings score: 618, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Great Game: The Struggle for Empire in Central Asia by Peter Hopkirk 4.33 avg rating — 9,106 ratings score: 617, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Not Without My Daughter by Betty Mahmoody 4.19 avg rating — 38,835 ratings score: 609, and 8 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
45	While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within by Bruce Bawer 3.88 avg rating — 1,114 ratings score: 592, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
46	The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran by Hooman Majd 3.77 avg rating — 2,196 ratings score: 551, and 7 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
47	Like Dreamers: The Story of the Israeli Paratroopers Who Reunited Jerusalem and Divided a Nation by Yossi Klein Halevi 4.45 avg rating — 1,515 ratings score: 545, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	A Border Passage: From Cairo to America – A Woman's Journey by Leila Ahmed 3.88 avg rating — 1,062 ratings score: 541, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
49	The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World by Lucette Lagnado 4.04 avg rating — 4,987 ratings score: 507, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	The Golden Age of Persia: The Arabs in the East by Richard N. Frye 3.77 avg rating — 52 ratings score: 504, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
50	Prisoner of Tehran by Marina Nemat (Goodreads Author) 4.21 avg rating — 14,499 ratings score: 504, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
52	Daring to Drive: A Saudi Woman's Awakening by Manal Al-Sharif (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 8,255 ratings score: 491, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Prisoners: A Muslim and a Jew Across the Middle East Divide by Jeffrey Goldberg 4.08 avg rating — 301 ratings score: 477, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
53	Our Oriental Heritage (The Story of Civilization, #1) by Will Durant 4.30 avg rating — 3,565 ratings score: 477, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
55	Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq by Thomas E. Ricks 4.09 avg rating — 7,893 ratings score: 450, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	The First Crusade: A New History by Thomas Asbridge (Goodreads Author) 4.14 avg rating — 1,672 ratings score: 446, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
57	Return to Babylon: Travelers, Archaeologists, and Monuments in Mesopotamia by Brian M. Fagan 4.25 avg rating — 44 ratings score: 441, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Sumer and the Sumerians by Harriet Crawford 3.55 avg rating — 104 ratings score: 436, and 6 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
59	A Short History of Byzantium by John Julius Norwich 4.11 avg rating — 2,627 ratings score: 425, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
60	The Way to the Spring: Life and Death in Palestine by Ben Ehrenreich 4.31 avg rating — 994 ratings score: 423, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
61	People Like Us: Misrepresenting the Middle East by Joris Luyendijk 4.17 avg rating — 6,650 ratings score: 415, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
62	King Hussein of Jordan: A Political Life by Nigel John Ashton 4.03 avg rating — 38 ratings score: 407, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
63	I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali 3.83 avg rating — 24,199 ratings score: 405, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	Games Without Rules: The Often Interrupted History of Afghanistan by Tamim Ansary (Goodreads Author) 4.38 avg rating — 1,638 ratings score: 397, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
65	The Last Girl: My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State by Nadia Murad 4.48 avg rating — 28,297 ratings score: 395, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
66	A Long Short War: The Postponed Liberation of Iraq by Christopher Hitchens 3.73 avg rating — 445 ratings score: 382, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
67	Headscarves and Hymens: Why the Middle East Needs a Sexual Revolution by Mona Eltahawy 4.17 avg rating — 4,909 ratings score: 379, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
68	Things I've Been Silent About: Memories of a Prodigal Daughter by Azar Nafisi 3.73 avg rating — 4,980 ratings score: 372, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	FROM VEILS TO THONGS: An Arab Chick's Survival Guide to Balancing One's Ethnic Identity in America by Dalel B. Khalil (Goodreads Author) 3.57 avg rating — 14 ratings score: 371, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
70	Sailing from Byzantium: How a Lost Empire Shaped the World by Colin Wells 3.86 avg rating — 934 ratings score: 367, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
71	Longitudes & Attitudes: Exploring The World After September 11 by Thomas L. Friedman 3.63 avg rating — 2,537 ratings score: 361, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
72	Mossad: The Greatest Missions of the Israeli Secret Service by Michael Bar-Zohar 4.19 avg rating — 15,392 ratings score: 341, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	The Persian Puzzle: The Conflict Between Iran and America by Kenneth M. Pollack 3.89 avg rating — 545 ratings score: 340, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
73	The Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years by Bernard Lewis 3.81 avg rating — 2,460 ratings score: 340, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
75	Daughter of Persia: A Woman's Journey From Her Father's Harem Through the Islamic Revolution by Sattareh Farman Farmaian 4.13 avg rating — 1,924 ratings score: 335, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
76	Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly, and the Making of the Modern Middle East by Scott Anderson 4.09 avg rating — 16,847 ratings score: 331, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
77	The Arabs: A History by Eugene Rogan 4.36 avg rating — 4,522 ratings score: 329, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
78	Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq by Michael R. Gordon 3.97 avg rating — 2,073 ratings score: 317, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	The Middle Sea: A History of the Mediterranean by John Julius Norwich 3.89 avg rating — 1,101 ratings score: 315, and 5 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Black Flags: The Rise of ISIS by Joby Warrick 4.32 avg rating — 16,238 ratings score: 315, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
81	Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi 3.91 avg rating — 6,256 ratings score: 310, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
82	La Biographie Du Prophète Mouhammad, Le Nectar Cacheté by Ar-Rahik 4.50 avg rating — 18 ratings score: 300, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
83	Meena, Heroine of Afghanistan: The Martyr Who Founded RAWA, the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan by Melody Ermachild Chavis 4.15 avg rating — 362 ratings score: 296, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	Forgotten Queens of Islam by Fatema Mernissi 3.84 avg rating — 616 ratings score: 292, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Palestinian Walks: Forays into a Vanishing Landscape by Raja Shehadeh 4.27 avg rating — 2,352 ratings score: 291, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
85	Out of Place by Edward W. Said 3.99 avg rating — 3,537 ratings score: 291, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
87	Islamic Exceptionalism: How the Struggle Over Islam Is Reshaping the World by Shadi Hamid (Goodreads Author) 3.80 avg rating — 488 ratings score: 290, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	O Jerusalem! by Larry Collins 4.31 avg rating — 4,619 ratings score: 288, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
88	An Enduring Love: My Life with the Shah by Emperess Farah Pahlavi 3.81 avg rating — 1,796 ratings score: 288, and 4 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	Mezzaterra: Fragments from the Common Ground by Ahdaf Soueif 3.79 avg rating — 112 ratings score: 287, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
90	What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam & Modernity in the Middle East by Bernard Lewis 3.54 avg rating — 3,948 ratings score: 287, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	Palestine by Joe Sacco 4.26 avg rating — 21,664 ratings score: 286, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril by Abdullah II of Jordan 4.04 avg rating — 937 ratings score: 283, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	The Age of The Warrior by Robert Fisk 3.96 avg rating — 610 ratings score: 283, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	The Hidden Face of Eve: Women in the Arab World by Nawal El Saadawi 4.01 avg rating — 1,831 ratings score: 282, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	Fateful Triangle: The United States, Israel and the Palestinians by Noam Chomsky 4.21 avg rating — 1,190 ratings score: 275, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	A History of the Middle East by Peter Mansfield 3.85 avg rating — 1,485 ratings score: 273, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	The Fall of Baghdad by Jon Lee Anderson 3.98 avg rating — 388 ratings score: 272, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	The Great Theft: Wrestling Islam from the Extremists – A Scholar's Defense of Moderate Muslims and the Future of the Faith by Khaled Abou El Fadl 4.16 avg rating — 725 ratings score: 271, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	Religion of Peace?: Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn't by Robert Spencer 3.65 avg rating — 196 ratings score: 271, and 3 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

← Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 Next →

534 books · 373 voters · list created January 11th, 2009 by Melinda (votes) .

Tags: best, middle-east, non-fiction, setting

225 likes · Like

Lists are re-scored approximately every 5 minutes.

People Who Voted On This List (373)

Bernadette 1206 books
181 friends

Keely 1032 books
312 friends

Nostromo 366 books
7 friends

K 1336 books
644 friends

Skylar 2837 books
173 friends

Reiko 445 books
88 friends

Rich 171 books
0 friends

Patrick 329 books
5 friends

More voters…

Post a comment »
Comments Showing 1-21 of 21 (21 new)

date

newest »

message 1: by Niledaughter (last edited May 27, 2010 03:18PM) (new)

May 22, 2010 12:37PM

the kite runner & a thouthand splinded suns are fiction novels

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kite...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Thousa...

please vote them here
http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/13...

reply | flag

message 2: by Susanna - Censored by GoodReads (new)

Sep 28, 2010 10:41AM

The Prophet, by Khalil Gibran, is poetry, I believe.

reply | flag

message 3: by Niledaughter (new)

Sep 29, 2010 02:15AM

I did not read it , isn't it nonfiction after all?

reply | flag

message 4: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Sep 29, 2010 09:03AM

From Wikipedia:

"The Prophet is a book of 26 poetic essays written in English by the Lebanese artist, philosopher and writer Khalil Gibran. (...)

Synopsis

The prophet Al-Mustafa who has lived in the foreign city of Orphalese for 12 years is about to board a ship which will carry him home. He is stopped by a group of people, with whom he discusses many issues of life and the human condition. The book is divided into chapters dealing with love, marriage, children, giving, eating and drinking, work, joy and sorrow, houses, clothes, buying and selling, crime and punishment, laws, freedom, reason and passion, pain, self-knowledge, teaching, friendship, talking, time, good and evil, prayer, pleasure, beauty, religion, and death."

So ... it's poetic nonfiction, it would appear! ;)

reply | flag

message 5: by Niledaughter (new)

Sep 29, 2010 10:43PM

Thanks :D I guess we will leave it then ..:)

reply | flag

message 6: by Julia (last edited Jan 07, 2012 04:10AM) (new)

Jan 07, 2012 04:10AM

Daughter of Persia A Woman's Journey from Her Father's Harem Through the Islamic Revolution by Sattareh Farman Farmaian

I would greately recommend to add it to your list

reply | flag

message 7: by Niledaughter (last edited Jan 07, 2012 12:10PM) (new)

Jan 07, 2012 12:01PM

Julia

you can add any book yourself beside voting :)

reply | flag

message 8: by Julia (new)

Jan 07, 2012 12:03PM

thanks. I am just figuring out how to use this. I joined only last night :-)

reply | flag

message 9: by Niledaughter (new)

Jan 07, 2012 12:22PM

Welcome in goodreads :)

reply | flag

message 10: by Niledaughter (new)

Jan 07, 2012 12:35PM

For any body who is interested in the Middle east
MENA Group

reply | flag

message 11: by Anthony (new)

Mar 15, 2012 08:43AM

Afghanistan is NOT the Middle East. Neither is Algeria or any of the Northwestern Islamic countries. This list should be renamed books about the Islamic world (which is what I think this list ultimately implies.)

reply | flag

message 12: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Mar 15, 2012 09:43AM

Anthony wrote: "Afghanistan is NOT the Middle East. Neither is Algeria or any of the Northwestern Islamic countries. This list should be renamed books about the Islamic world (which is what I think this list ultimately implies.)"

It does now, in any event. The last time I looked at it, it was still much more focused on the "real" Middle East.

Melinda, you created the list. Would you rather have the non-Middle East books purged, or see the list being renamed to something covering the entire Islamic world?

reply | flag

message 13: by Niledaughter (new)

Mar 15, 2012 02:09PM

Anthony wrote: "Afghanistan is NOT the Middle East. Neither is Algeria or any of the Northwestern Islamic countries. This list should be renamed books about the Islamic world (which is what I think this list ultim..."

True , but I agree with Themis-Athena that it is now part of Greater Middle East which is anther name for the Islamic world .

reply | flag

message 14: by Anthony (new)

Mar 16, 2012 06:59AM

I thought about that as well but I find the Greater Middle East is a little problematic. It's a political term that didn't come into being until the 2000s courtesy of the Bush Administration.

reply | flag

message 15: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Mar 16, 2012 02:12PM

Personally I'm all with you on that, but ultimately it should come down to what the list's creator thinks/ wants -- that's why I asked Melinda for her opinion ...

reply | flag

message 16: by Melinda (new)

Jul 30, 2012 08:23AM

@ Themis-Athena,
The list is meant to be a fiction counterpart to Best Middle East Fiction: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/13...
Unfortunately, it seems like many people took it as an opportunity to spam the list with their favorite neocon books on Islam.

reply | flag

message 17: by Themis-Athena (Lioness at Large) (new)

Jul 30, 2012 09:40AM

Melinda, thank you for clarifying that you don't want "Middle East" to be understood synonymously with "Islamic." So, can we take it that Algeria and Afghanistan are "out?"

Or maybe it would be helpful if you could give us an idea which countries specifically you mean when you say "Middle East?" Not only "Greater Middle East" (see discussion above) but also "Middle East" is a term with a somewhat of "fluid" meaning (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middle_east ), and though I don't read Arabic, I can tell even from the Western/English language entries on the "Middle East Fiction" list to which you refer that that list contains a number of books that some folks would understand to deal with countries that at least aren't included in EVERY definition of the term "Middle East" (e.g., Egypt: Maghreb/Northern Africa; Turkey and Lebanon: Near East/Levant as opposed to Middle East, etc.). See for example the definition given in the description of this list: http://www.goodreads.com/list/show/22... , and the discussion in the comments section that preceded the list description being amended. Just a thought of course!

reply | flag

message 18: by Melinda (new)

Apr 12, 2017 04:51PM

Sorry for the inappropriate snark in my previous comment. Yes, the list should be for books relating to the Middle East, not necessarily about Islam (i.e., Islam outside the Middle East).

reply | flag

message 19: by Melinda (last edited May 03, 2017 08:55AM) (new)

May 03, 2017 08:16AM

The list should be limited to the Middle East and North Africa, as defined as Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkey, UAE and Yemen. So no Pakistan, Afghanistan, Indonesia etc., which are part of the Muslim world but not part of the Middle East or North Africa. Thanks for the suggestions, Themis-Athena.

Removed:
Three Cups of Tea (Pakistan)
Kabul Beauty School (Afghanistan)
Daughter of Destiny (Pakistan)
I Am Malala (Pakistan)

reply | flag

message 20: by David (new)

May 21, 2017 10:47AM

Thanks for clarifying, Melinda. I was wondering if I should add some books about the ancient Middle East -- Babylonia, Sumeria, Assyria, et cetera.

When I think "Middle East", I think basically southwestern Asia from the Suez out to about Iran and Afghanistan. It used to be "The World" and then became "The East" and then "The Near East" and now it is "The Middle East".

If you want to remove the books about the ancient Middle East, you can. Thanks.

reply | flag

message 21: by Douglass (new)

Dec 24, 2020 10:42AM

I am not sure what The Great Upheaval by Jay Winik (#360) is doing here. It is about the US, France, and Russia during the Enlightenment. Not really much of anything about the Middle East in there.

reply | flag