Understanding the Middle East      Understanding the ...      The Formation of Islam: Religion and Society in the Near East, 600-1800 (Themes in Islamic History) Jonathan P. Berkey Cambridge University Press, 2002 An Excellent Overview of Islam's Evolution Jonathan Berkey's book describes the social and religious development of Islam from its inception to 1500. Berkey uses an analytical approach rather than a narrative one to portray the religion as being in a state of constant development during these years. His work highlights the diversity ...             Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq's Green Zone (Vintage) Rajiv Chandrasekaran Vintage, 2007 A damning indictment + reads like a novel + Good Introductory Book + Who's Your Baghdaddy? + a very decent account of the first couple years of the Iraq occupancy             Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2003 to 2005 Thomas E. Ricks Penguin (Non-Classics), 2007 Best Documentation of Iraq War to date + INCOMPETENCY AND LEADERSHIP.....WORST IN HISTORY + Not the Left-Wing Hit Piece I Expected + Most extensive information on the down-slope phase of the Iraq war."             The Nile Robert O. Collins Yale University Press, 2002 great read + Surveys the river's importance to local lives & world events + Great maps and a riveting narrative + Great maps and a riveting narrative             The Old Social Classes & The Revolutionary Movement In Iraq Hanna Batatu Saqi Books, 2004 A weighty textbook for the serious student of our nation's burden + An journey into complexity I first came across the title of this book in another `review' (of sorts) so compelling that I sought the book for my own. In Cullen Murphy's "Are We Rome?" [ ISBN 0-618-74222-0] there is a passage comparing the attitudes of ancient Roman generals and current American military leadership in ...             No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam Reza Aslan Random House Trade Paperbacks, 2006 Wonderful Historical Perspective + A magnificent, well-written book + No God but God + A useful introduction to the origins and evolution of the Islamic faith             Cobra II: The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq Michael R. Gordon, Bernard E. Trainor Vintage, 2007 Cobra 2 + A Book Well Worth It's Weight... + An excellent in depth analysis of the war in Iraq + Too bad Petraeus wasn't in charge 5 years ago...             Urban Notables and Arab Nationalism: The Politics of Damascus 1860-1920 (Cambridge Middle East Library) Philip S. Khoury Cambridge University Press, 2003 No idea has captured the imagination or expressed the hopes of Arabs in the twentieth century as has Arab nationalism, and perhaps no subject has received so much attention from historians of the Middle East. But, while many historians have explored its intellectual sources, few have considered the social and political environment in which Arab nationalism evolved as an ideological movement. This ...             The Arab Kingdom And Its Fall J. Wellhausen Wellhausen Press, 2007             The Venture of Islam, Volume 1: The Classical Age of Islam (Venture of Islam) Marshall G. S. Hodgson University Of Chicago Press, 1977 A masterpiece survey of Islamic history. THIS IS THE ONE! + INFORMATIVE, BUT SLOW GOING AT TIMES + Outstanding I originally read volume 1 and 2 for an upper division history course in university and the effect these books had on me is profound. This is THE survey book on Islamic civilization and history. There are several other worthwhile survey books on the topic (especially Lapidus), but this is the ...             1967: Israel, the War, and the Year that Transformed the Middle East Tom Segev Metropolitan Books, 2007 One of the Best Books of 2007 + Leaves the reader with more questions than answers but still important Rated by the Economist Magazine as one of the best books of 2007, 1967: Israel, the War, and the Year that Transformed the Middle East provides exactly what it tries to provide, an insight into how the "Six Day War" affected Israel. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to gain a greater ...             A History of Modern Palestine: One Land, Two Peoples Ilan Pappe Cambridge University Press, 2006 History of Modern Palestine + Good Book, but not for beginners This book corrects myths about the very, very early days of Zionism in Palestine, and continues to the current time. A must read for anyone with the slightest interest in how the Middle East is exploding, literally, every day. Peg McCormack             The Arab Kingdom And Its Fall J. Wellhausen Wellhausen Press, 2007             Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq, 2003 to 2005 Thomas E. Ricks Penguin (Non-Classics), 2007 Best Documentation of Iraq War to date + INCOMPETENCY AND LEADERSHIP.....WORST IN HISTORY + Not the Left-Wing Hit Piece I Expected + Most extensive information on the down-slope phase of the Iraq war."             The Old Social Classes & The Revolutionary Movement In Iraq Hanna Batatu Saqi Books, 2004 A weighty textbook for the serious student of our nation's burden + An journey into complexity I first came across the title of this book in another `review' (of sorts) so compelling that I sought the book for my own. In Cullen Murphy's "Are We Rome?" [ ISBN 0-618-74222-0] there is a passage comparing the attitudes of ancient Roman generals and current American military leadership in ...          products you might be interested in        toavi.com    web we recommend Best Documentation of Iraq War to date randomly chosen book: Analyse économique en ingénierie : Une perspective contemporaine