Unmuddling the Modern Middle East

Recommended Books

Adams, Lorraine. Harbor. New York: Knopf, 2004. Gr. 11-12

The uncertain lives of illegal Algerian immigrants are the subject of this compelling, topical debut novel.

Ahmed, Leila. A Border Passage: From Cairo to America – A Woman’s Journey. New York: Penguin Books, 2000. Gr. 9-12

The story of the author's Egyptian childhood during the 1940s and 50s, where she witnesses the end of British colonialism, the creation of Israel, the rise of Arab nationalism under Nasser, and the breakdown of Egypt's once multi-religious society.

Ahmed, Leila. Women and Gender in Islam: Historical Roots of a Modern Debate. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992.

Added perspective to the debate about the veil in Islam.

Ajami, Fouad. The Foreigner’s Gift: the Americans, the Arabs, and the Iraqis in Iraq. New York: Free Press, 2006.

Ajami, one of the world's foremost authorities on Middle Eastern politics, offers an illuminating and lyrical portrait of the ongoing struggle for Iraq and of the American encounter with that volatile Arab land.

Akbar, Said Hyder. Come Back to Afghanistan: a California Teenager's Story. New York: Bloomsbury, 2005. Gr. 8 and up

The story of a teenager who goes to Afghanistan to visit his father, who has returned to the country after 9/11. The youth takes a recorder with him so that he can chronicle his experiences for public radio’s “This American Life” and ends up documenting collecting his thoughts and adventures into this compelling and well-written book.

Amin, Camron. The Modern Middle East: A Sourcebook. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006.

A collection of translated sources covering the period from 1700 to the present. Sources include official and private archives, the periodical press, memoirs, western journalists’ and travelers’ accounts, literature, and official reports (including statistical data).

Bergen, Peter L. Holy War, Inc.: Inside the Secret World of Osama bin Laden. New York: Free Press, 2001.

CNN journalist Bergen examines the activities and mission of the terrorist leader suspected of the September 11 attacks.

Bickerton, Ian J. A Concise History of the Arab-Israeli Conflict.  Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2004.

Bodansky, Yossef. Bin Laden: The Man Who Declared War on America. Rocklin, CA: Forum, 2001.

Chebel, Malek. Symbols of Islam. New York: Assouline, 2000.

The fourth book in the Symbols of Religions series, it offers clear explanations of the Islamic world and vivid photographs of everything Muslim.

Civil Rights in Peril: the Targeting of Arabs and Muslims. Chicago: Haymarket Books, 2004.

Contents include: Pre- and Post-September 11, 2001; Legislation and Regulations Affecting Civil Liberties; Manufacturing Racist Images of Arabs and Muslims, the Convergence of U.S. Domestic Shift to the Far Right and the Pursuit of Global Expansion; and the Criminalization of Arab and Muslim Communities.

Cleveland, William L. A History of the Modern Middle East. Westview Press, 2004.

A thorough introduction to the Middle East and the many conflicts of recent years. The author discusses the Arab-Israeli conflict and the 1991 Gulf War.

Conover, Sarah. Ayat Jamilah: Beautiful Signs: a Treasury of Islamic Wisdom for Children and Parents. Spokane, WA: Eastern Washington University Press, 2004.

De Bellaigue, Christopher. In the Rose Garden of the Martyrs: a Memoir of Iran.  New York: HarperCollins, 2005.

The story of a British reporter who joins his Iranian wife in her homeland and who tries to make sense of the Islamic Revolution and its effect, even today, on the people.

Democracy-Building in Afghanistan: a Teacher's Guide for "Hell of a Nation." Stanford, CA: Stanford Program on International and Cross-Cultural Education (SPICE), 2005.

This curriculum unit, centered on the film "Hell of a Nation," introduces students to the complex process of building democracy in Afghanistan post 9/11 and the Iraqi invasion by the U.S.. The lessons introduce students to the geography, history, culture, economy, and political context of Afghanistan and seek to more fully engage students with the content and issues raised in the film.

Douglas, Allen. Arab Comic Strips: Politics of an Emerging Mass Culture. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1994.

Elliot, Jason.  An Unexpected Light: Travels in Afghanistan. New York: Picador, 2001.

This extraordinary debut is an account of Elliot's two visits to Afghanistan. The first occurred when he joined the mujaheddin circa 1979 and was smuggled into Soviet-occupied Afghanistan; the second happened nearly ten years later, when he returned to the still war-torn land. Some of the finest travel writing in recent years.

Esposito, John L. What Everyone Needs to Know about Islam. Oxford; Oxford University Press, 2002.

A weapon against rampant ignorance towards Islam, answering frequently asked questions concerning the origins of Islam, daily life, and other facets of life.

Esposito, John L. Islam. The Straight Path, 3rd ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.

Survey text introduces faith, belief and practice of Islam from early origins to contemporary resurgence.

Fromkin, David. A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East. New York: Henry Holt, 2001.

A comprehensive history of the Middle East, explaining the state of the Middle East before WWI, and then the drawing of borders by the British and French after the war.

Gelvin, James L. The Modern Middle East: A History. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004.

This book explores the impact of imperial and imperialist legacies, the great booms and busts, the emergence of authoritarian regimes, and the current challenges to those regimes on everyday life in the Middle East.

Gettleman, Marvin E. The Middle East and Islamic World Reader, 1st ed.  New York: Grove Press, 2005.

Goldschmidt, Arthur Jr. A Concise History of the Middle East, 8th ed. Westview Press, 2005.

Goodarzi, Jubin. Syria and Iran: Diplomatic Alliance and Power Politics in the Middle East. Tauris Academic Studios, 2006.

The alliance between Syria and Iran has endured the political landscape of the Middle East. This book traces the critical stages in the evolution and consolidation of the alliance in the 1980s, and offers explanations for its longevity into the 21st century.

Hamilton, Marsha. The Distance Between Us. Unbridled Books, 2004.

An affecting work of fiction that deals with the Palestinian-Israeli conflict as it follows a foreign correspondent as she seeks to solve the puzzle of her lover’s death in an ambush in Lebanon.

Hammond Atlas of the Middle East and North Africa. Hammond World Atlas Corp., 2006.

This up-to-date atlas features political, physical, and thematic maps of the Greater Middle East region including Afghanistan, Pakistan, and North Africa.

Harik, Ramsay M. Women in the Middle East: Tradition and Change, rev. ed. New York: Franklin Watts, 2003.

Discusses the lives of women in the Middle East today including the traditions that shape their lives, the present day religious, social and political realities, and changing expectations.

Hosseini, Khaled. The Kite Runner. New York: Riverhead Books, 2003.

The narrator, a writer, returns to his ravaged homeland of Afghanistan, from the U.S., to rescue the son of his childhood friend after the boy's parents are shot during the Taliban takeover in the mid '90s.

Humphreys, R. Stephen. Between Memory and Desire: the Middle East in a Troubled Age. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 1999.

Hurley, Jennifer A, ed.  Islam: Opposing Viewpoints.  San Diego, CA: Greenhaven Press, 2001.

Covers topics such as: Are the values of Islam and the West in conflict? What is the status of women under Islam? Does Islam promote terrorism? What policies should the United States take toward Islam?

Kanafani, Ghassan. Palestine's Children: Returning to Haifa & Other Stories. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner Publishers, 2000.  Gr. 10-12

A compilation of novellas and stories that explore the need to recover the past. The stories came from the author's keen understanding of a bitter political situation.

Khalidi, Rashid. Resurrecting Empire: Western Footprints and America’s Perilous Path in the Middle East. Boston: Beacon Press, 2004.

Starting with the 1991 Gulf War, Khalidi paints the picture of the modern Middle East and the U.S.’s involvement. With extensive knowledge of the history of the region, Khalidi offers a practical solution to the current situation.

Khater, Akram Fouad. Sources in the History of the Modern Middle East.  Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004.

A primary source reader, organized into 10 chapters of first-hand accounts from the 18th through 20th centuries translated into English.

Khoury, Elias. Gate of the Sun. Archipelago Books, 2006.

Well researched, deeply imagined, expressively written and overtly nostalgic, the book uses the lyrical flashback style of 1001 Arabian Nights to tell stories of Palestine.

Mabro, Judy. Veiled Half-Truths : Western Travellers' Perceptions of Middle Eastern Women.  London: I.B. Tauris, 1996.

This book examines the way in which Middle Eastern women were regarded by European travelers of the late-19th and early-20th centuries.

Mansfield, Peter. A History of the Middle East: Second Edition. New York: Penguin, 2004.

Mansfield’s history of the region offers the background knowledge that is helpful in understanding this area of the world.

Marr, Timothy. The Cultural Roots of American Islamicism. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006.

Middle East, 11th ed.  Dubuque, IA: McGraw-Hill/Contemporary Learning Series, 2007.

Part of the Global Studies series, which was created to help readers acquire a basic knowledge and understanding of the regions and countries in the world. This volume includes country reports, regional essays, world press articles, web sites for further exploration, and a glossary and index.

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Ideals and Realities of Islam. Chicago, IL: ABC International

Group, Inc., 2000.

The author seeks to answer, from the Islamic standpoint, many of the criticisms brought against the Islamic tradition by the modern West.

Nasr, Seyyed Hossein. Heart of Islam: Enduring Values for Humanity, The. San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2002.

Nasr stresses the need for both Muslims and Westerners to look to where they went wrong as societies and preaches the similarities, not differences, between humans.

Nydell, Margaret K. Understanding Arabs: A Guide for Modern Times, 4th ed. Yarmouth, ME: Intercultural Press, 2006.

A practical, understandable, readable guide to the culture, national perspectives, and understandings of the Arab and Muslim collective ideals and truths. This book is a great starting point for those interested in learning more about Arab culture.

Nye, Naomi Shihab. 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East. New York: Greenwillow Books, 2002.

Packer, George. The Assassins’ Gate: America in Iraq. Boston: Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 2005.

This book rests on three main pillars: analysis of the intellectual origins of the Iraq war, summary of the political argument that preceded and then led to it, and firsthand description of the consequences on the ground.

Rashid, Ahmed. Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil, and Fundamentalism in Central Asia. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001.

Rashid, a Pakistani journalist, has spent most of his career reporting on the region--personally meeting and interviewing the Taliban's shadowy leaders. Taliban was written and published before the massacres of September 11, 2001, yet it is essential reading for anyone who hopes to understand the aftermath of that day.

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis. New York: Pantheon Books, 2003.

A graphic novel about Satrapi, the daughter of radical Marxists and the great-granddaughter of Iran's last emperor, who bears witness to the effects of the Islamic Revolution.

Satrapi, Marjane. Persepolis 2: the Story of a Return. New York: Pantheon Books, 2004.

In this sequel to Persepolis, Satrapi graphically details her return to Iran after attending school in France.

Satrapi, Marjane. Embroderies. New York: Pantheon Books, 2005.

In this graphic novel, Satrapi delves into the lives of Iranian women as they come together to sew and talk.

Schimmel, Annemarie. My Soul is a Woman: The Feminine in Islam. New York: Continuum, 1997.

This book emphasizes the importance and equality of women in Islam and the Quran, supported with texts from Arabic, Turkish, Persian, and Indo-Muslim cultures.

Schwartz, Stephen. Two Faces of Islam: The House of Sa‘ud from Tradition to Terror.  New York: Doubleday, 2002.

Shaheen, Jack G. Reel Bad Arabs: How Hollywood Vilifies a People. New York: Olive Branch Press, 2001.

Book dissects a slanderous history dating from cinema's earliest days to contemporary Hollywood blockbusters that feature bedouin bandits, sinister sheikhs, and "evil" Arabs.

Shifting Sands: Balancing U.S. Interests in the Middle East, 10th ed. Providence, RI: Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University, 2006.

A curriculum unit created for the Choices Program at Brown - includes a student workbook and teacher’s resource book.

Smith, Charles D. Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 5th ed.  Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004.

A balanced and thorough history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, from the creation of Israel in 1948 to the years after the Arab-Israeli Accord of 1993.

Wallach, John. The Enemy has a Face: The Seeds of Peace Experience. Washington, D.C.: United States Institute of Peace Press, 2000.