The Arabs
A History – Third Edition
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- £4.99
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- £4.99
Publisher Description
Eugene Rogan has written an authoritative new history of the Arabs in the modern world. Starting with the Ottoman conquests in the sixteenth century, this landmark book follows the story of the Arabs through the era of European imperialism and the Superpower rivalries of the Cold War, to the present age of unipolar American power. Drawing on the writings and eyewitness accounts of those who lived through the tumultuous years of Arab history, The Arabs balances different voices - politicians, intellectuals, students, men and women, poets and novelists, famous, infamous and the completely unknown - to give a rich, complex sense of life over nearly five centuries.
Rogan's book is remarkable for its geographical sweep, covering the Arab world from North Africa through the Arabian Peninsula, and for the depth in which it explores every facet of modern Arab history. Charting the evolution of Arab identity from Ottomanism to Arabism to Islamism, it covers themes including the conflict between national independence and foreign domination, the Arab-Israeli struggle and the peace process, Abdel Nasser and the rise of Arab Nationalism, the political and economic power of oil and the conflict between secular and Islamic values.
This multilayered, fascinating and definitive work is the essential guide to understanding the history of the modern Arab world - and its future.
Customer Reviews
Essential to understand the present day Middle East
I have thoroughly enjoyed this book recommended to me by a colleague. This is the 2nd edition of the book (which had confused me as iTunes still stocks the first edition for a higher price).
Rogan gives an in-depth view into the Arab mindset and the history of the Arab region. By walking through history, seeing the almost continuous foreign involvement in carving out the region, and understanding that 'Arabs' actually classifies a lot of different competing peoples/tribes, you can see why the region is as it is today.
What surprised me is the 'hidden' (to me) history of how countries came to be, something which is not taught widely, and how countries in the region today are very artificial constructs.
I recommend this book as a thought provoking round-up of the Middle East, and gives a good background to this region, and how it led to the current problems.