Synopses & Reviews
This long-time best-seller uses a thematic, rather than country-by-country, approach to the region in an analysis that is at once comprehensive and, at the same time, does not underestimate the intelligence of the college audience. The authors wrote this book because there were no introductory texts taking a holistic perspective on the region. This book employs a multidisciplinary approach (political science, economics, history, anthropology) to explain the current political dynamics of the region. It avoids a country-by-country approach in favor of a thematic approach that integrates regional experiences into a whole. Major themes include political development, economic development, international relations, Islam - mainstream and jihadist, colonialism and post-colonialism; and recent political changes, with particular emphasis on the U.S. intervention in Iraq and the rising interest in democracy regionally.
About the Author
Roy R. Andersen is Charles W. and Arvilla S. Timme Professor of Economics at Knox College.
Robert F. Seibert is Robert W. Murphy Professor of Political Science, chair of Integrated International Studies, and co-chair of the Global Studies Center at Knox College.
Jon Wagner is Professor of Anthropology at Knox College.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1. Traditional Cultures of the Middle East: The Cradle of Civilization and Politics
Chapter 2. The Foundations of Islam
Chapter 3. The Political Legacy of Islam, A.D. 632-1800
Chapter 4. Western Imperialism, 1800-1914
Chapter 5. The Rise of the State System, 1914-1950
Chapter 6. The Drive for Self-Determination, 1950-1990
Chapter 7. Turning Points
Chapter 8. The Politics of Religion, Culture, and Social Life
Chapter 9. Political Elites
Chapter 10. Political Leadership in the Contemporary Middle East
Chapter 11. The Economic Setting
Chapter 12. International Relations in the Contemporary Middle East: 1945-1990
Chapter 13. International Relations in the Contemporary Middle East, 1945-1990: The Regional Actors
Chapter 14. The Middle East and the Changing International Order
Chapter 15. International Relations in the 21st Century