Inglorious Disarray: Europe, Israel and the Palestinians Since 1967

By Arthur Elijah Paine

Book Overview

Since that fateful week of war in June 1967, when Israel's speedy military victory over the Arab states redrew the map of the Middle East, Europe--at least in terms of its influence in this crucial region--has been a cause looking for an opportunity (to borrow Henry Kissinger's classic description of Russian foreign policy).

Europe's ongoing attempt to assert itself as a key player in the Middle East conflict has come to nought. It has even proved unable to arrive at a consensus about how to act, and when it has overcome this obstacle it has rarely succeeded in turning this united position into effective action. Though successive generations of European leaders have shared Joschka Fischer's belief that "solving the Middle East and developing a real vision of peace is the major challenge for Europe", nowhere has the contrast between rhetoric and action been more obvious than in its attempts to meet this challenge.

Inglorious Disarray tells the story of Europe's evolving, albeit stilted and often frustrating, involvement in the Israel-Palestine conflict over the last half century. In doing so it sets out how Europe's role has affected its relationship with Israelis, Palestinians and the wider Arab world, not to mention Europe's Muslim population, and how it has influenced Europe's political development in the decades since it became an economic powerhouse.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0199327491
• ISBN13: 9780199327492
• Release Date: March 2011
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
• Length: 224 Pages
• Weight: 1.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.6" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

What a find!

Other reviewers have outlined the plot, which delivers as many twists as a corkscrew. The book is well paced and the characters fully developed: the detectives; the accused and his family; the prosecutor, and witness Mr. Gurdial Singh; none are cardboard characters or placeholders. It was a rare pleasure to read, and I hope for more novels from this very talented author.

Really Captivating

Fantastic first novel. Even the "minor" characters came to life and the plot unfolded in a captivating way ... couldn't put the book down. One of the best books I've read in some time. I can't wait for his next novel!

Couldn't Put It Down

We loved this book because it was fun to read. Details are so well written that it is easy to visualize the story. The characters are well developed, believable, and the ending isn't predictable. You don't have to be Canadian or a Maple Leafs fan to get the humor. Hope to meet Greene and Kennicott again and again. They get into your bones like old friends.

I Can't Wait for the Next in the Series

Somehow the cover of this book interested me as I walked through the library. I read the first paragraph and I was taken. I could not put it down. The characters were all so interesting. It seems like Mr Rotenberg has thought of these folks for a long time and was anxious to give them life. The plot moved around some. It began to unwind slowly, but as the book progressed the action sped up. I do not want to give away...

Wow! Couldn't put it down...

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