The Contemporary Middle East / Blackwell History of the Contemporary World (PDF)

Provides a balanced historical narrative of the contemporary causes of conflict in the Middle East, ideal for students and scholars

The recent history of the Middle East has involved unprecedented violence and war. Contemporary Middle East: Foreign Intervention and Authoritarian Governance Since 1979 explores the causes of the sustained turbulence of the region by focusing on three separate yet intersecting factors: constant foreign political and military interference, failed authoritarian governance, and the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

With a clear and accessible style, this student-friendly text presents a concise account of the region's history, starting from the dramatic events of 1979 including the toppling of the Shah of Iran, the return of Ayatollah Khomeini, the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty, the ascendency of Saddam Hussein in Iraq, armed insurrection in Mecca, and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Succinct chapters, organized chronologically, guide students through key events and help students develop a cohesive picture of the sequence of historical developments which have shape the contemporary Middle East. This valuable work:

* Covers a broad range of topics with a focus on the geopolitical and geostrategic aspect

* Explores the Middle East's connections to broader global shifts such as Cold War rivalry and American unipolarity

* Examines the underlying causes and geopolitical consequences of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

* Describes the evolution of the wide variety of Islamist opposition movements

* Provides background for the 2011 popular uprisings against authoritarian and corrupt rule

* Assesses how counter revolutionary forces have resorted to political repression, sectarian division, and regional conflict

Delivering invaluable insights into the factors underlying the region's ongoing geopolitical disorder, Contemporary Middle East: Foreign Intervention and Authoritarian Governance Since 1979 is an excellent resource for undergraduate courses in history and political science, and a valuable text for general readers looking for a succinct survey of the last four decades of Middle Eastern history.