10 Best Middle Eastern History Books

“Prodigiously documented… Alison Weir must be highly commended for throwing such a brilliantly hard light on the relationship between the United States and Israel. I hope this marvelous book gets all the attention it deserves.” – Ambassador Andrew Killgore Soon after WWII, US statesman Dean Acheson warned that creating Israel on land already inhabited by Palestinians would “imperil” both American and all Western interests in the region. Despite warnings such as this one, President Truman supported establishing a Jewish state on land primarily inhabited by Muslims and Christians. Few Americans today are aware that US support enabled the creation of modern Israel. Even fewer know that US politicians pushed this policy over the forceful objections of top diplomatic and military experts. As this work demonstrates, these politicians were bombarded by a massive pro-Israel lobbying effort that ranged from well-funded and very public Zionist organizations to an “elitist secret society” whose members included Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis. AGAINST OUR BETTER JUDGMENT brings together meticulously sourced evidence to illuminate a reality that differs starkly from the prevailing narrative. It provides a clear view of the history that is key to understanding one of the most critically important political issues of our day.

Eddingtons book comes off as a well-written, well-documented account of what happens when a CIA employee rocks the boat. It raises concerns that go beyond Desert Storm, a fear that the CIA has given up its independence form the Pentagon.The Birmingham News, 7/13/97

Shedding light on tumultuous events in Syria, Iran, and the entire Middle East, SPIES AGAINST ARMAGEDDON: INSIDE ISRAEL’S SECRET WARS covers more ground than any other book about modern-day Israel. Its 25 action-packed chapters and detailed endnotes are filled with colorful characters, who risk their lives and reputations in the secret service of their nation. This is a history of Israel’s espionage and security network from 1948 until the present day, written by the best selling authors of EVERY SPY A PRINCE. This book takes you inside the Middle East crises of today, analyzing Iran’s nuclear program and challenges for the United States. The award-winning historian Douglas Brinkley writes: “The revelatory research amassed in SPIES AGAINST ARMAGEDDON is nothing short of stunning. Raviv and Melman understand the inner workings of Israel’s Mossad better than most Mossad agents. Highly recommended!” James Roche, a former Secretary of the Air Force, writes: “Fascinating vignettes … a detailed exposition of the activities of serious, professional, and generally successful Israeli operatives who are dedicated totally to the defense of Israel and the Jewish people.” Bob Schieffer, host of CBS’s Face the Nation, says this book is “wonderful, with great sourcing — reads like a thriller.” Chapter 1 is titled “Stopping Iran,” then come chapters with exclusive and carefully considered history — showing how the behavior and lessons learned in wars and adventures affect the decisions Israel must make today. Later chapters focus on the secret bombing of a nuclear reactor in Syria, the murder by a Mossad team in a Dubai hotel (Was it a mistake?), and blasting the Steven Spielberg movie “Munich” for making it look like Mossad hit men suffered frustration and regrets. SPIES AGAINST ARMAGEDDON is well researched, balanced, and a remarkably enjoyable read. Editorial Reviews Review Best-selling spy novelist Daniel Silva writes: “Buyer beware: Once you crack the cover of Spies Against Armageddon, you won’t be able to put it down. It is much more than simply the most authoritative book ever written about Israeli intelligence. It is storytelling and drama of the highest order.” –Advance Praise R. James Woolsey, former Director of Central Intelligence, writes: Raviv and Melman have redefined the gold standard for nonfiction about intelligence. This remarkable history of Israeli intelligence from the War of Independence to Stuxnet calls it straight. By describing the roots of both the triumphs and the screw-ups thoroughly and fairly the authors help us see not only how Israel’s survival has been effectively protected but the huge debt the rest of us owe. –Advance Praise Wolf Blitzer, the CNN anchor, writes: “These two world-class journalists take us to places we’ve never been before. They back up their points with tons of excellent research and reporting. They clearly know their stuff. I learned so much reading this book. I know you will, as well.” –Advance Praise

“Brilliant.”―Time “Admirable, rigorous. De Waal [is] a wise and patient reporter.”―The New York Review of Books “Never have all the twists and turns, sad carnage, and bullheadedness on all side been better described―or indeed, better explained…Offers a deeper and more compelling account of the conflict than anyone before.”―Foreign Affairs Since its publication in 2003, the first edition of Black Garden has become the definitive study of how Armenia and Azerbaijan, two southern Soviet republics, were pulled into a conflict that helped bring them to independence, spell the end the Soviet Union, and plunge a region of great strategic importance into a decade of turmoil. This important volume is both a careful reconstruction of the history of the Nagorny Karabakh conflict since 1988 and on-the-spot reporting of the convoluted aftermath. Part contemporary history, part travel book, part political analysis, the book is based on six months traveling through the south Caucasus, more than 120 original interviews in the region, Moscow, and Washington, and unique historical primary sources, such as Politburo archives. The historical chapters trace how the conflict lay unresolved in the Soviet era; how Armenian and Azerbaijani societies unfroze it; how the Politiburo failed to cope with the crisis; how the war was fought and ended; how the international community failed to sort out the conflict. What emerges is a complex and subtle portrait of a beautiful and fascinating region, blighted by historical prejudice and conflict. The revised and updated 10th-year anniversary edition includes a new forward, a new chapter covering developments up to-2011, such as the election of new presidents in both countries, Azerbaijan’s oil boom and the new arms race in the region, and a new conclusion, analysing the reasons for the intractability of the conflict and whether there are any prospects for its resolution. Telling the story of the first conflict to shake Mikhail Gorbachev’s Soviet Union, Black Garden remains a central account of the reality of the post- Soviet world.

In October 1973, the State of Israel was invaded by Egyptian and Syrian forces. Despite early losses, Israel managed to outfight its opponents. The brief and bloody Yom Kippur War stands as a unique chapter in modern military history. Fought primarily by tank units, the war became a story not only of battle strategy and tactics, but also one of human discipline, endurance and sacrifice. While many historians have chronicled the events of the Yom Kippur War, few have been seasoned by actual combat. Avigdor Kahalani, commander of a tank battalion on the Golan Heights during the Yom Kippur War, describes this experience in The Heights of Courage. Beginning with a description of the initial Syrian offensive, he recounts the personal endeavors of his men, their fears and their ambitions, as well as their emotional and physical hardships. His stark account traces the efforts of the Israel Armored Corps as they struggle to overcome extreme difficulties and setbacks. The author describes their ultimate penetration into enemy territory and their approach to within forty kilometers of Damascus.

First published in 1989, just before the Gulf War broke out, Republic of Fear was the only book that explained the motives of the Saddam Hussein regime in invading and annexing Kuwait. This edition, updated in 1998, has a substantial introduction focusing on the changes in Hussein’s regime since the Gulf War. In 1968 a coup d’etat brought into power an extraordinary regime in Iraq, one that stood apart from other regimes in the Middle East. Between 1968 and 1980, this new regime, headed by the Arab Ba’th Socialist party, used ruthless repression and relentless organization to transform the way Iraqis think and react to political questions. In just twelve years, a party of a few thousand people grew to include nearly ten percent of the Iraqi population. This book describes the experience of Ba’thism from 1968 to 1980 and analyzes the kind of political authority it engendered, culminating in the personality cult around Saddam Hussein. Fear, the author argues, is at the heart of Ba’thi politics and has become the cement for a genuine authority, however bizarre. Examining Iraqi history in a search for clues to understanding contemporary political affairs, the author illustrates how the quality of Ba’thi pan- Arabism as an ideology, the centrality of the first experience of pan-Arabism in Iraq, and the interaction between the Ba’th and communist parties in Iraq from 1958 to 1968 were crucial in shaping the current regime. Saddam Hussein’s decision to launch all-out war against Iran in September 1980 marks the end of the first phase of this re-shaping of modern Iraqi politics. The Iraq-Iran war is a momentous event in its own right, but for Iraq, the author argues, the war diverts dissent against the Ba’thi regime by focusing attention on the specter of an enemy beyond Iraq’s borders, thus masking a hidden potential for even greater violence inside Iraq.