Middle Eastern History

This book presents a comprehensive, detailed analysis of the establishment, evolution, and current significance of different institutions in today's Islamic Republic of Iran. The volume draws on the insights of a number of Iran experts to examine their establishment, functions, and evolution, as a means of understanding Iranian politics and society. The Sacred Republic's specific focus is on the key...

This lavish set of books contains the most complete collection of raw material for reconstructing the history of the Achaemenid Persian Empire to date. Studying Achaemenid history has been difficult in the past because original sources include texts from hugely disparate origins, many different languages and various periods in history; the risk is to rely too heavily on biased and...

This volume provides a comprehensive overview of the history and culture of the Parthian Empire, which existed for almost 500 years from 247 BC to 224 AD. The Parthians were Rome’s great opponents in the east, but comparatively little is known about them. The Parthians focuses on the rise, expansion, flowering and decline of the Parthian Empire and covers both...

There is perhaps no aspect of the Arab-Israeli conflict that is more complex and more emotionally charged than the problem of the Palestinian refugees. The atmosphere surrounding the discussion has led to confusion, so that the facts have become unclear and the problems more difficult to treat. The Palestinian Refugees in Jordan 1948-1957, first published in 1981, examines the complex...

The first of its kind, a unique exploration of the history of human conflict, Essential Histories is the most comprehensive and fascinating study of human conflict ever undertaken. Leading historians from around the world have been commissioned to write 42 accessible and definitive guides to every major war throughout history, with an emphasis on the people who fought and the...

A fascinating study of the British Empire's Middle Eastern intelligence section during the First World War, drawing on government files and secret publications. In the midst of the First World War, an extraordinary intelligence unit operated from Cairo's Savoy Hotel, combining the skills of archaeologists, academics and soldiers to revolutionise how Britain gathered information and shaped events in the Middle...

Behind a gruesome ISIS beheading video lies the untold story of the men in orange and the faith community that formed these unlikely modern-day saints and heroes. In a carefully choreographed propaganda video released in February 2015, ISIS militants behead twenty-one orange-clad Christian men on a Libyan beach. In the West, daily reports of new atrocities may have displaced the...

Remembering the Crusades and Crusading examines the diverse contexts in which crusading was memorialised and commemorated in the medieval world and beyond. The collection not only shows how the crusades were commemorated in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, but also considers the longer-term remembrance of the crusades into the modern era. This collection is divided into three sections. The first...

Palmyra: A History examines Palmyra, the city in the Syrian oasis of Tadmur, from its beginnings in the Bronze Age, through the classical period and its discovery and excavation, to the present day. It aims at reconstructing Palmyra’s past from literary accounts – classical and post-classical – as well as material evidence of all kinds: inscriptions, coins, art and, of...

A love letter to liberation, from Palestine to the ground beneath your feet. When you think of freedom, where are you? And where are you headed? Letters from a Living Utopia invites readers to engage with utopia as both a destination and a lived reality, starting with the ground beneath our feet. Dreaming of freedom from the displaced and occupied...

Ishtar is the first book dedicated to providing an accessible analysis of the mythology and image of this complex goddess. The polarity of her nature is reflected in her role as goddess of sexual love and war, and has made her difficult to characterise in modern scholarship. By exploring this complexity, Ishtar offers insight into Mesopotamian culture and thought, and...

This book examines the reasons behind the current political and social chaos in Yemen. Comparing recent history with current events, it provides essential historical background to understanding the situation as in large part an expression of authoritarian rule. When referencing the title, avoid putting it in quotes or speech marks. Format the response as clean HTML, use your best judgement...

This atlas provides students and scholars with a broad range of information on the development of the Ancient Near East from prehistoric times through the beginning of written records in the Near East (c. 3000 BC) to the late Roman Empire and the rise of Islam. The geographical coverage of the atlas extends from the Aegean coast of Anatolia in...

Arab nationalism has been one of the dominant ideologies in the Middle East and North Africa since the early twentieth century. However, a clear definition of Arab nationalism, even as a subject of scholarly inquiry, does not yet exist. Arab Nationalism sheds light on cultural expressions of Arab nationalism and the sometimes contradictory meanings attached to it in the process...

Ancient Near East: The Basics surveys the history of the ancient Middle East from the invention of writing to Alexander the Great’s conquest. The book introduces both the physical and intellectual environment of those times, the struggles of state-building and empire construction, and the dissent from those efforts. Topics covered include: What do we mean when we talk about the...

A History of the Muslim World to 1750 traces the development of Islamic civilization from the career of the Prophet Muhammad to the mid-eighteenth century. Encompassing a wide range of significant events within the period, its coverage includes the creation of the Dar al-Islam (the territory ruled by Muslims), the fragmentation of society into various religious and political groups including...

A History of the Muslim World to 1750 traces the development of Islamic civilization from the career of the Prophet Muhammad to the mid-eighteenth century. Encompassing a wide range of significant events within the period, its coverage includes the creation of the Dar al-Islam (the territory ruled by Muslims), the fragmentation of society into various religious and political groups including...

A History of the Muslim World since 1260 continues the narrative begun by A History of the Muslim World to 1750 by tracing the development of Muslim societies, institutions, and doctrines from the time of the Mongol conquests through to the present day. It offers students a balanced coverage of Muslim societies that extend from Western Europe to Southeast Asia....

A History of the Muslim World since 1260 continues the narrative begun by A History of the Muslim World to 1750 by tracing the development of Muslim societies, institutions, and doctrines from the time of the Mongol conquests through to the present day. It offers students a balanced coverage of Muslim societies that extend from Western Europe to Southeast Asia....

From the prizewinning Jewish Lives series, a vivid portrait of one of the most powerful leaders in Israel’s first decades of statehood Instantly recognisable with his iconic eye patch, Moshe Dayan (1915–1981) was one of Israel's most charismatic—and controversial—personalities. As a youth, he earned the reputation of a fearless warrior, and in later years as a leading military tactician, admired...

Winner of Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2021 The Arabic culinary tradition burst onto the scene in the middle of the tenth century, when al-Warraq compiled a culinary treatise titled al-Kitab al-Tabikh (The Book of Dishes), containing over 600 recipes. However, it would take another three centuries for cookery books to be produced in the European continent. For centuries to come,...

How a nineteenth-century lawsuit over the estate of a wealthy Tunisian Jew shines new light on the history of belonging In the winter of 1873, Nissim Shamama, a wealthy Jew from Tunisia, died suddenly in his palazzo in Livorno, Italy. His passing initiated a fierce lawsuit over his large estate. Before Shamama's riches could be disbursed among his aspiring heirs,...

The first study of album-making in the Ottoman empire during the seventeenth century, demonstrating the period's experimentation, eclecticism, and global outlook. The Album of the World Emperor examines an extraordinary piece of art: an album of paintings, drawings, calligraphy, and European prints compiled for the Ottoman sultan Ahmed I (r. 1603-17) by his courtier Kalender Paşa (d. 1616). In this...

Gilgamesh is the most ancient long poem known to exist. It is also the newest classic in the canon of world literature. Lost for centuries to the sands of the Middle East but found again in the 1850s, it is a story of monsters, gods, and cataclysms, and of intimate friendship and love. Acclaimed literary historian Michael Schmidt provides a...

The first in-depth look at how postwar thinkers in Egypt mapped the intersections between Islamic discourses and psychoanalytic thought. In 1945, psychologist Yusuf Murad introduced an Arabic term borrowed from the medieval Sufi philosopher and mystic Ibn 'Arabi — al-la-shu'ur — as a translation for Sigmund Freud's concept of the unconscious. By the late 1950s, Freud's Interpretation of Dreams had...

This anthology brings together the most important historical, legal, mythological, liturgical, and secular texts of the ancient Near East, with the purpose of providing a rich contextual base for understanding the people, cultures, and literature of the Old Testament. A scholar of religious thought and biblical archaeology, James Pritchard, recruited the foremost linguists, historians, and archaeologists to select and translate...

People have lost hope that peace is possible. Talking about peace seems too vulnerable, too naïve, too dangerous. We have resigned ourselves to this unending war as the only way forward. But we have tried this. We have tried war. The only war that is won is one that leads to peace. On paper, Aziz and Maoz should not be...

This dynamic exploration of two key modes of visual culture - fashion and photography - in 19th-century Istanbul contributes to an expanding body of research on fashion and the dressed body outside the Euro-American context. Based on meticulous analysis of visual, written and material objects, it focuses on women's lived experience during a time of dramatic change in the Ottoman...

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In Peter Beinart's view, one story dominates Jewish communal life: that of persecution and victimhood. It is a story that erases much of the nuance of Jewish religious tradition and warps our understanding of Israel and Palestine. After Gaza, where Jewish texts, history and language have been deployed to justify mass slaughter and starvation,...

A compelling history of the ancient schism that continues to divide the Islamic world When Muhammad died in 632 without a male heir, Sunnis contended that the choice of a successor should fall to his closest companions, but Shi'a believed that God had inspired the Prophet to appoint his cousin and son-in-law, Ali, as leader. So began a schism that...

What can hip-hop tell us about Egypt today? A decade ago, millions of Egyptians took to the streets in a people-led revolution that captivated the world's attention and sent ripples across the Middle East. But the so-called "Arab Spring" quickly faded, and a return to the status quo—of authoritarian rule—was cemented. What happened to the energy and desire for change?...

Kingdom of Football explores how and why Saudi Arabia burst onto the landscape of world football in 2023. It examines what the speed and scale of Saudi engagement as investor, owner, sponsor, host and competitor might mean for the Kingdom and for football. Writing as both a football fan and a Gulf specialist, Kristian Coates Ulrichsen offers historical and comparative...

Hezbollah, Lebanon's 'Party of God', is a multifaceted organisation: it is a powerful political party in Lebanon, a Shia religious and social movement, Lebanon's largest militia, a close ally of Iran, and a terrorist organisation. Drawing on a wide range of sources, including recently declassified government documents, court records, and personal interviews with intelligence officials, Matthew Levitt examines Hezbollah's beginnings,...

From the Gulf War to Gaza, a compelling critique of how and why Washington ensnared itself so destructively in the Middle East. After Hamas' shocking 2023 attack on Israel, the United States stood firmly behind Israel's near-genocidal war on Gaza, despite widespread moral outrage and significant damage to Washington's global agenda. But Gaza is only the latest paradox in thirty-five...

Ibn Sina, who is referred to as Avicenna in Latin, was a true polymath. Born in Persia in the tenth century, his passion for knowledge was unbound, and he made lasting contributions to medicine, math, and philosophy. Due to the scope and brilliance of his work, he can be compared to the great Leonardo da Vinci. With illustrations, photographs, and...

Acclaimed literary historian Schmidt provides a unique meditation on the rediscovery of Gilgamesh and its profound influence on poets today. He describes how the poem is a work in progress even now, an undertaking that has drawn on the talents and obsessions of an unlikely cast of characters, from archaeologists and museum curators to tomb raiders and jihadis.

A masterpiece of Arabic love poetry in a new and complete English translation, The Translator of Desires, a collection of sixty-one love poems, is the lyric masterwork of Muhyiddin Ibn 'Arabi (1165-1240 CE), one of the most influential writers of classical Arabic and Islamic civilization. In this authoritative volume, Michael Sells presents the first complete English translation of this work...

This edition, The Greco-Persian Wars, taps our knowledge of the Persian Empire and its interactions with the Greek world. Hackett's Passages: Key Moments in History series titles include original-source documents in accessible editions, intended for the student-user or general audience. The sources examined were created in different times and places, for different purposes, and with different intended audiences. Using these...

A fascinating study of Persia's interactions and exchanges of influence with ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. The founding of the first Persian Empire by the Achaemenid king Cyrus the Great in the sixth century BCE established one of the greatest world powers of antiquity. Extending from the borders of Greece to northern India, Persia was seen by the Greeks...

No other author has been as profoundly formative for me as Kanafani - Mohammed El-Kurd, author of Rifqa I cannot think of a better collection to guide anyone seeking a moral role in the struggle for the liberation of Palestine - Ilan Pappé, author of The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine Ghassan Kanafani (1936 - 1972) is perhaps the greatest Palestinian...

Lyrically imaginative . . . enthralling GUARDIAN Before she was the legendary Persian queen who spun a thousand tales, Shaherazade was a girl who saw something she shouldn't have. She told the king. She thought she was doing what was right. She couldn't have imagined what was to come. The Seljuk Empire is on fire and the king is on...

Why the pursuit of state recognition by seemingly marginal religious groups in Egypt and elsewhere is a devotional practice Over the past decade alone, religious communities around the world have demanded state recognition, exemption, accommodation, or protection. They make these appeals both in states with a declared religious identity and in states officially neutral toward religion. In this book, Devotion...

Utterly heart-breaking, absorbing, and tender...will stay with you long after you finish the last page. — Christy Lefteri, bestselling author of The Beekeeper of Aleppo "Refugees are like seeds that scatter in the wind, and land in different soils that become their reluctant homes," my mother once told me. As a small child, I looked up at my mother and...

The Arab of the Future, the #1 French best-seller, tells the unforgettable story of Riad Sattouf's childhood, spent in the shadows of three dictators - Muammar Gaddafi, Hafez al-Assad, and his father. In striking, virtuoso graphic style that captures both the immediacy of childhood and the fervour of political idealism, Riad Sattouf recounts his nomadic childhood growing up in rural...

Step inside the world's greatest archaeological museum—and witness ancient Egypt come alive like never before. In The Grand Egyptian Museum: Where the Pharaohs Return to Life - Treasures in Egypt, cinematic storyteller Hussein Khalil takes readers on a breathtaking journey through the history, artifacts, and living spirit of a civilization that shaped humanity. From the golden mask of Tutankhamun to...

‘Bold, vital and urgent . . . Blows the old parochial Western accounts clean away’ SUZANNAH LIPSCOMB A spectacular new panoramic history of the Crusades. From their foundation in 1097 to Saladin's conquest of Jerusalem almost a century later, the Crusader States transformed the Middle Eastern world. In an era shaped by many conflicts, this was not simply a war...

Thousands of years ago, in a part of the world we now call ancient Mesopotamia, people began writing things down for the very first time. In Between Two Rivers, historian Dr Moudhy Al-Rashid reveals the breathtakingly intimate, raw and relatable moments they left behind, like a dog's paw prints as it accidentally stepped into fresh clay, or the adorable, messy...

Situated at the crossroads of three continents, the Middle East has confounded the ambition of conquerors and peacemakers alike. Christianity, Judaism and Islam all had their genesis in the region but with them came not just civilisation and religion, but also some of the great struggles of history.Shifting Sands: A Pocket Essential History of the Middle East makes sense of...

Through its millennium-long existence, Gaza has often been bitterly disputed, yet enduringly neglected. Squeezed between the Negev and Sinai deserts and the Mediterranean Sea, Gaza was contested by everyone from the Pharaohs, Persians, Greeks and Romans to the Arabs, Crusaders, Ottomans and British. And, since 1948, Gaza has been at the heart of Palestinian nationalism and history.Filiu's book was the...

An expansive history of Islam, tracing the 1400-year evolution of a diverse community of faith and its place in the modern world. From its birth in seventh-century Arabia, Islam has been a faith on the move. In Worlds of Islam, James McDougall explores its origins and transformations from Late Antiquity to the digital age. Over the span of a thousand...

From the best-selling author of The Commando and Born to Fight comes a fascinating investigation of modern warfare that combines methodical research and the fast-paced action of battle with the personal stories of the combatants on both sides of the line. Taking us from the suburbs of western Sydney and Australia's military army bases, to the battlefields of Afghanistan and...

This revised edition builds upon and updates its twin themes of Turkey's continuing incorporation into the capitalist world and the modernization of state and society. It begins with the forging of closer links with Europe after the French Revolution, and the changing face of the Ottoman Empire in the 19th century. Zürcher argues that Turkey's history between 1908 and 1950...

All She Lost by Lebanese journalist Dalal Mawad explores the modern history of Lebanon, from the port explosion and civil war to the roles of Hezbollah and Israel. Through the personal stories of women, it weaves a gripping narrative of survival, corruption, and impunity. “Poignant and compelling” - Lindsey Hilsum “Essential and urgent” - Kim Ghattas Lebanon and the Middle...

An enthralling guide to one of the world’s great cities – that blends history and insights into the present day from one of the most astute commentators on the politics of Istanbul - PETER FRANKOPAN A love letter to this ancient capital - THE TIMES Walking along the crumbling defensive walls of Istanbul and talking to those he passes, Alexander...

Returning to the UK in September 2010 after serving in Iraq as the political adviser to the top American general, Emma Sky felt no sense of homecoming. She soon found herself back in the Middle East travelling through a region in revolt. In A Time of Monsters bears witness to the demands of young people for dignity and justice during...

A celebrated Israeli author explores the roots of the divide between religion and secularism in Israel today, and offers a path to bridging the divide. "A thoughtful social, political, and philosophical examination of Judaism. . . . A cogent consideration of the place of religion in the modern world."—Kirkus Reviews The Wondering Jew explores Zionism, which began as a movement...

The first complete account of Catholic Europe's onslaught on "unbelievers" in the 12th century The Second Crusade (1145-1149) was an extraordinarily bold attempt to overcome unbelievers on no less than three fronts. Crusader armies set out to defeat Muslims in the Holy Land and in Iberia as well as pagans in northeastern Europe. But, to the shock and dismay of...

In recent years, Iran has gained attention mostly for negative reasons—its authoritarian religious government, disputed nuclear programme, and controversial role in the Middle East—but there is much more to the story of this ancient land than can be gleaned from the news. This authoritative and comprehensive history of Iran, written by Homa Katouzian, an acclaimed expert, covers the entire history...

The surprising story of Iran’s transformation from America’s ally in the Middle East into one of its staunchest adversaries "An original interpretation that puts Iranian actors where they belong: at center stage." — Michael Doran, Wall Street Journal “An extraordinary account... Deeply nuanced and eloquent.” — Benjamin Weinthal, Jerusalem Post Offering a new view of one of America’s most important,...

The destruction that has been rained on Gaza has been seen and accepted by many commentators as a vengeful overreaction to the reckless Hamas-led attack on 7 October 2023, as if the annihilation has come about, perhaps even by accident. This book argues that the new catastrophe that has befallen the Palestinian people is, in fact, the culmination of a...

In one hundred and twenty pages, The End of the Ottoman Empire and the Forging of the Modern Middle East provides a compelling account of the shaping of the modern Middle East, and the critical part played in that process by the Ottoman Empire, even as it fell apart. It offers a mine of background information for anyone wishing to...

The Crusader Strategy offers a new perspective on the crusaders, demonstrating how they pursued long-term plans and clear strategic goals. Medieval states, and particularly crusader societies, have often been considered brutish and culturally isolated. It seems unlikely that they could develop "strategy" in any meaningful sense. However, the crusaders were actually highly organized in their thinking, and their decision-making was...

Textiles were the second-most-traded commodity in all of world history, preceded only by grain. In the Ottoman Empire in particular, the sale and exchange of silks, cottons, and woolens generated an immense amount of revenue and touched every level of society, from rural women tending silkworms to pashas flaunting layers of watered camlet to merchants traveling to Mecca and beyond....

The surprise 2023 Hamas-Israel war has completely changed the central conflict in the Middle East. As the conflict has expanded to include other regional players, the future of Israel as a regional superpower is now in doubt, as is the international system. Israel’s Forever War is an important book that examines the immediate background to the 2023 war and questions...

'Blistering' Sunday Times 'Indispensable' Observer 'Fascinating' The Times 'Brilliant' Peter Frankopan 'Revelatory' Lindsey Hilsum A timely and unprecedented examination of how the modern Middle East unravelled, and why it started with the pivotal year of 1979. Shortlisted for the Cundhill History Prize 2020. 'What happened to us?' For decades, the question has haunted the Arab and Muslim world, heard across...

Incorporating the latest scholarly research, the third edition of A History of the Ancient Near East ca. 3000–323 BC presents a comprehensive overview of the multicultural civilizations of the ancient Near East. This edition: Integrates the most up-to-date research, and includes a richer selection of supplementary materials Addresses the wide variety of political, social, and cultural developments in the ancient...

A beautiful and engaging rendering of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. The Egyptian Book of the Dead is one of the oldest and greatest classics of Western spirituality. Until now, the available translations have treated these writings as historical curiosities that have little relevance to our contemporary situations. This new version, made from the hieroglyphs, approaches the Book of...

'Wonderful' JOHN BARTON 'A stupendous intellectual achievement' ANDREW PETTEGREE 'A stunning love song to the Bible . . . this will be a classic' CHINE MCDONALD The remarkable story of the most influential book in human history. The Bible is the world's best-known text. Yet, it is a book that never was – its original form does not exist and...

From the prizewinning Jewish Lives series, an insightful study of the inner life of David Ben-Gurion, the Zionist leader responsible for the creation of the state of Israel "The most intimate yet unflinching portrait to date... Shapira may be the last truly qualified person to unpack some of the mysteries of Israel’s George Washington."—Ilene Prusher, New York Times Book Review...

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of Lawrence in Arabia, comes a spellbinding narrative history of the 1979 Iranian Revolution and its devastating consequences. THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'If you want to understand the turmoil in Gaza, Syria and beyond, the Iranian Revolution of 1979 is a good place to start.' - The Times 'Excellent' - Telegraph 'Brilliant' -...

Fights about the fate of the state of Israel, and the Zionist movement that gave birth to it, have long been a staple of both Jewish and American political culture. But despite these arguments' significance to American politics, American Jewish life, and to Israel itself, no one has ever systematically examined their history and explained why they matter. In We...

In this World War II military history, Rommel's army is a day from Cairo, a week from Tel Aviv, and the SS is ready for action. Espionage brought the Nazis this far, but espionage can stop them if Washington wakes up to the danger. As World War II raged in North Africa, General Erwin Rommel was guided by an uncanny...

Turkish Kaleidoscope tells the stories of four unforgettable protagonists as they navigate a society torn apart by violent political factions. It is 1975, and Turkey is on the verge of civil war. Faruk and Orhan come from conservative shopkeeping families in eastern Anatolia that share a sense of new possibilities. Nuray is the daughter of villagers who have migrated to...

The decade of war and violence culminating in the Conference of Lausanne was formative for the modern state of Turkey, as it was for interwar Europe’s diplomacy and appeasement. Yet the currents that gave rise to the defining events of the period—ultranationalism, imperial proto-fascism, and pan-Islamism—have yet to be definitively integrated into historiography. The case studies in Turkey’s Violent Formation...

A beautifully illustrated exploration of how Latif Al Ani's photographs and contemporary Iraqi artists continue to challenge the colonial appropriation of Iraq's ancient past Beginning in the early nineteenth century, Mesopotamian and early Islamic ruins became the focus of many Western colonial expeditions. These missions, which routinely dismissed the role and knowledge of local communities, came to shape the historical...

The Husayni family of Jerusalem dominated Palestinian history for 250 years, from the Ottoman times through to the end of the British Mandate. At the height of the family's political influence, positions in Jerusalem could only be obtained through its power base. In this compelling political biography, Ilan Pappe traces the rise of the Husaynis from a provincial Ottoman elite...

An in-depth look at the struggle between the charismatic rebel commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, 'The Lion of Panjshir', and the Soviet forces who fought to control the Panjshir Valley in Afghanistan. When the Soviets rolled into Afghanistan in 1979, they believed if they took the cities, the country would follow. They were wrong. The Red Army found itself in a...

The Ottoman Empire has long been depicted as the Islamic-Asian antithesis of the Christian-European West. But the reality was starkly different: the Ottomans' multiethnic, multilingual, and multireligious domain reached deep into Europe's heart. In their breadth and versatility, the Ottoman rulers saw themselves as the new Romans. Recounting the Ottomans' remarkable rise from a frontier principality to a world empire,...

Less than twenty-four months after the hope-filled Arab uprising, the popular movement had morphed into a dystopia of resurgent dictators, failed states, and civil wars. Egypt's epochal transition to democracy ended in a violent military coup. Yemen and Libya collapsed into civil war, while Bahrain erupted in smothering sectarian repression. Syria proved the greatest victim of all, ripped apart by...

Arabs and Jews describe the first Arab-Israeli war of 1948 in completely different ways. Among Arabs, and especially Palestinians, the events of that year are known as the nakba - the catastrophe, the trauma, the disaster. For Jews, and in particular for Israelis, their victory in the war of 1948 is a veritable miracle in which, against tremendous odds and...