PDF Understanding the Volatile and Dangerous Middle East: A Comprehensive Analysis by Steven Carol in History

Review

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A Concise VolumeBy Peter MeedThis volume will take me a year to read; cover to cover.A consise account.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. A Garden of HistoryBy Klemens MetternichWhat I look for in a history book are reliable facts; clear analysis; and writing that keeps my interest. In Steven Carol’s new book; Understanding The Dangerous And Volatile Middle East; I found all three…and dare I add; “As usual.” Dr. Carol’s books have been filled with unassailable facts backed up by solid references and enough bibliography to open a small library. This latest book is much larger than the earlier ones because it has more of everything—one stop shopping; one could say; for everything about the myriad of the Middle East’s seemingly unsolvable problems. The excellent use of chronological charts to display the flow of events saves hours of reading; while the increased detail and enhanced text of the 78 full page maps allows for a better and clearer geographical perspective. I must also point out that Dr. Carol also included an extensive glossary of abbreviations used as well as many technical terms in Arabic; Farsi; and Hebrew. From an actual explanation of Honor Killing and a scholar’s definition of “Muslim fundamentalist” to the details of the many wars; battles; treaties; and agreements spanning centuries; the reader finds himself or herself wending through the bizarre world of Middle East conflagrations now placed in proper perspective and clearly explained: A garden of history! I always enjoy reading history whenever I can understand right away what was going on and can follow events and how these events; caused by earlier problems; play out and exacerbate the earlier problems; causing new ones. At the conclusion of Dr. Carol’s new book; I feel I now know where we are in the Middle East; but even better; I also know how we got there. It is a great book with wonderful analysis; and remarkable writing.4 of 4 people found the following review helpful. Comprehensive; readable reference on the Middle East!By D. LeeperThis is a truly comprehensive; readable reference on the history; geography; and politics of the Middle East. It covers the entire region and the full timeline beginning around 1400 BCE (Israel's earliest days) with the heaviest emphasis on modern times; right up through 2015. There is excellent coverage; for example; of all the wars involving Israel.Some history books can be a real chore to read; but Dr. Carol has taught high-school- through college-level courses; and he knows how to write for those readers; not just his fellow researchers. Any student or author preparing a term paper; article; presentation; or book on the Middle East would do well have this text as a prime source. So would anyone traveling to the Middle East on business or diplomacy. The bibliography; end notes; timeline tables; and maps are thorough.Dr. Carol built his book around 75 "Basic Principles." These are expressed in one-liners like "In the Middle East; weakness guarantees aggression"; "The goal of pan-Arab unity has been largely illusory; akin to a mirage in the desert"; and "International guarantees; especially when applied to the Middle East; are often broken and do not provide security." Each basic principle has a section of text; maps; and tables that support it in detail; all with extensive references. One good way for the casual reader to "dive in" is to choose one of the 75 principles from the table at the front of the book and then turn to the accompanying text. Of course the book is fully indexed; which is another way to explore a topic of interest.The paperback version of this book is big(!). It's 11 x 8.5 x 2 inches (HWD). That makes it easy to read; with print large enough to avoid fatigue; but it also means the book is best used on a table. I bought both the paperback and Kindle versions. The Kindle version is more difficult to "flip though" than the book; and the maps are smaller; but of course the Kindle version is more portable; it is easy to search for key words and names; and if your Kindle is so equipped; you can "click" on the many URLs in the end notes and bibliography; taking you to more material on the internet. You can also "highlight" portions of the text and add your own bookmarks and notes.I'm a general reader myself; and I occasionally write short articles on Israel and Middle East. The thousands of names; places; and historical events in the Middle East are bewildering; but I now have one readable; ready reference to help me sort it all out!