Includes bibliographical references (p. 285-286) and index.
Formatted Contents Note:
What do you mean by the "Middle East"? -- The cradle of civilization -- Rise of the empires -- Ancient Judaism -- Early Christianity -- The Byzantine empire -- Early Islam -- Islamic empires and European colonies -- A new empire is born -- World War and change -- Modern Middle East mosaic -- Israel/Palestine: all eyes on Jerusalem -- Egypt: heart of the Arab world -- Saudi Arabia: crossroads of Islam -- Iraq: British colony to Ba'thist beginnings -- Iraq: The rise and fall of Saddam Hussein -- Iran: the Shi'ite state -- Turkey: modern and democratic -- Tackling the tough issues -- Anything but status quo.