What Every American Should Know About the Middle East

by Rossi, Melissa

• ISBN13: 9780452289598
• ISBN10: 0452289599
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2008-12-30
• Publisher: Plume

Summary

The What Every American Should Knowseries returns with a timely guide to the region Americans need to understand the most (and know the least) The latest edition of Melissa Rossi’s popular What Every American Should Know… series gives a crash course on one of the most complex and important regions of the world. In this highly informative and entertaining reference book, Rossi offers a clear analysis of the issues playing out in the Middle East, delving into each country’s history, politics, economy, and religions. Having traveled through the area over the past year, she exposes firsthand the U.S.’s geopolitical moves and how our presence has affected the region’s economic and political development. Rossi’s comprehensive and engaging guide covers countries such as Israel, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, and much more. Topics include: • Why Iran is viewed as a threat by most Middle East countries • Why the U.S. is turning the Persian Gulf into an armed fortress • What resource is more important than petroleum in regional power plays • What’s really behind the fighting between Sunni and Shia • How Saudi Arabia inadvertently feeds the violence in Iraq and beyond • Which countries are modern, forward-thinking, stable and increasingly democratic • How monarchies like those in Jordan and Qatar are more open and progressive than the so-called republics With answers that will surprise many Americans, and covering a vast history and cultural complexity that will fascinate any student of the world, What Every American Should Know About the Middle Eastis a must-read introduction to the most critical region of the 21st century.

Author Biography

Melissa Rossi is an award-winning journalist who has written articles for Newsweek, National Geographic Traveler, Newsday, Esquire, MSNBC, and The New York Observer. She has written extensively about the Middle East, Europe, and Asia, and has lived abroad for many years.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. vii
Introduction	p. xv
Misunderstanding the Middle East	p. 1
Basic Concepts and Building Blocks	p. 17
Jogging Through the Millennia	p. 25
Pulling the Pieces Together	p. 41
European Designs: Hacking Up the Middle East	p. 67
1979 and Beyond: A Quick Look at the Issues	p. 105
Iraq: Pardon Our Mess	p. 115
Iran: Isn't the Party Over Yet?	p. 147
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: Splitsville	p. 179
Kuwait: Lines in the Sand	p. 211
Yemen: In Another World	p. 237
The United Arab Emirates: The Land of Possibilities	p. 257
Qatar: Trail Blazing	p. 279
Bahrain: A New Profile	p. 293
Oman: Awake at Last	p. 303
The Westerners	p. 314
Israel: Fulfilling Prophecies	p. 323
Disappearing Act: The Palestinian Territories-the West Bank and Gaza	p. 345
Lebanon: The Cedar Devolution	p. 365
Syria: Crumbling Support	p. 389
Jordan: Stuck in the Middle	p. 409
Egypt: Secret Society	p. 431
Notes	p. 451
Bibliography and Online Resources	p. 467
Index	p. 471
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