State Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East (PDF)

Roger Owen has fully revised and up-dated his authoritative text to take into account the considerable developments in the Middle East in the 1990's. As with the first edition, this book explores the emergence of individual Middle Eastern states since the fall of the Ottoman Empire at the end of the First World War and some of the key themes that have characterised the region.

State Power and Politics in the Making of the Modern Middle East 2nd edition: has been up-dated to take into account the end of the Cold War, the Gulf War and Israeli-Palestinian peace process. It also covers almost all Middle Eastern countries, including the member states of the Arab League, Iran, Israel and Turkey. Key themes such as the state and its formation, the role of the military within the political system, the politics of economic restructuring, democracy and electoral practice, and the changing relationship between religion and politics are explored. A new chapter looking at the role of non-state actors such as workers, women and Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza is included.

This book continues to serve as an excellent introduction for new-comers to the modern history and politics of a region that is usually portrayed as mysterious, unpredictable and violent.