Beginners Guide To Middle East

A fully revised and updated edition of this popular Beginner's Guide, covering the complexities of the Arab Spring. The wave of popular uprisings that swept through the Middle East promised to pave the way for democracy. It brought down dictators and captured the popular imagination, but for most of the region, peace and stability remain as elusive today as they have ever been. In this fully revised introduction, Oxford University’s Philip Robins takes a close look at the issues plaguing the region. With each chapter focusing on a key theme, Robins weaves together the disparate countries into a coherent and entertaining narrative. From leadership and gender to religion and society, The Middle East: A Beginner’s Guide is replete with case studies, astute analysis, profiles of key personalities, and even jokes from the region. There is no better resource for understanding the Middle East, both past and present. The wave of popular uprisings that swept through the Middle East promised to pave the way for democracy. It brought down dictators and captured the popular imagination, but for most of the region, peace and stability remain as elusive today as they have ever been. In this fully revised introduction, Oxford University’s Philip Robins takes a close look at the issues plaguing the region. With each chapter focusing on a key theme, Robins weaves together the disparate countries into a coherent and entertaining narrative. From leadership and gender to religion and society, The Middle East: A Beginner’s Guide is replete with case studies, astute analysis, profiles of key personalities, and even jokes from the region. There is no better resource for understanding the Middle East, both past and present.

The Middle East is notoriously complex and difficult. This title offers historical background, real-life examples, profiles of key figures from Nasser to Gadaffi, and popular jokes from the area. It is suitable for tourists, students, and the interested general readers. The Middle East is notorious in the West for many reasons; few of them are positive. Synonymous with terrorism, oil riches, bad governance, corruption, and conflict, it has led many Western commentators to write it off as both backward and insular. In this pioneering introduction, Oxford University’s Philip Robins argues that the region is plagued by the same problems that afflict the rest of the developing world. With each chapter focusing on a topic essential to a rounded understanding of the region, Robins weaves together the disparate countries into a coherent and entertaining narrative. From leadership and gender to religion and society, The Middle East: A Beginner’s Guide is replete with case studies, astute analysis, profiles of key personalities, and even jokes from the region. There is no better resource for understanding the modern Middle East.