A Brief History of the Middle East

by Christopher Catherwood

Book Overview

In The Brief History of the Middle East author Christopher Catherwood attempts to show how our entire world is ultimately shaped by events that have unfolded or have their origin in the Middle East.... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0786717009
• ISBN13: 9780786717002
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf Publishers
• Length: 309 Pages
• Weight: 0.64 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

Insightful & balanced

For such a large subject, the author succeeds quite well in providing a concise history of the region. Starting with the ancient Sumerians, Hittites, Phoenicians, Assyrians and Babylonians, he deals with the history of the Middle East up to 2006. In this journey through time, Catherwood discusses the origin of monotheism, Akhenaten, Abraham, Judaism, Jesus, the early church and the council of Nicaea. Two chapters are devoted to Islam: Muhammad And the Dawn Of Islam and The Golden Age Of Islam, where subjects like inter alia Jihad, the Sunni-Shia divide, the Fatimid dynasty and the arrival of the Turks are dealt with. The author frequently references great historians like Bernard Lewis and offers original insights. For example, he points out the significance of the Battle of Manzikert near Lake Van in 1071 where the Byzantines were defeated by the Seljuk Turks. Then followed the Crusades and the terrible Mongol incursion of 1242. Next he deals with the rise of the Ottoman Empire, its expansion into the Balkans, Asia and Africa, and its fall. He discusses the significance of the end of the khalifate with this event and chronicles the Iranian revolution, the hostage crisis and the first and second Gulf wars in reasonable detail. A chapter is devoted to the creation of Israel and the Arab-Israeli wars. The final chapter focuses on 9/11, the clash of civilizations, Sayyid Qutb, Arab regimes in the 20th century, Pan-Arabism, Islamism, transnational terrorism and the ideas of Francis Fukuyama and Samuel Hungtington. There are 4 maps and the book concludes with a Selective Chronology from 3500 BC to the present, a glossary of terms, bibliography and index. Overall the book provides a balanced history of the region where Western civilization began, providing an engaging link between ancient history and the problems of the 21st century. Many of Catherwood's observations are unique and valuable, and the book is an engaging read. For more comprehensive and scholarly studies, I recommend the work of Bernard Lewis and Efraim Karsh.

good, balanced and update to date history of the middle east

A concise history of the Middle East, that I liked so much that I read it it twice, one right after the other. The book is very rich in detail and provides a very complete and balanced synthesis of scholary research on the Middle East. It clearly communicates the importance of the 3 major religions to the area, gives a good discussion of the Ottoman empire and does an excellent job of tracing the roots of Islamic extremism. The only shortcoming was Catherwood's sometimes awkward writing style.

Readable Overview

The book is a very readable overview of the history of the Middle East. Catherwood avoids academic flourishes (no footnotes) but does pay attention to the intricacies of the historiography of the region, often referencing other authors and conflicting interpretations of various events. The book is not terribly detailed -- if you want a more detailed analysis I would recommend Hourani's "History of the Arab Peoples," but Catherwood makes a nice beginning point. I plan to use the book for a high school class I am teaching on the history of the Middle East.