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A Concise History of the Middle East | 
| Authors: Arthur Goldschmidt Jr, Lawrence Davidson
Publisher: Westview Press
Category: Book
List Price: $47.00
Buy Used: $32.43
You Save: $14.57 (31%)
New (21) Used (28) from $32.43
Rating:  19 reviews
Sales Rank: 7168
Media: Paperback
Edition: Eighth Edition
Pages: 576
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.6
Dimensions (in): 8.7 x 5.9 x 1.5
ISBN: 0813342759
Dewey Decimal Number: 956
EAN: 9780813342757
ASIN: 0813342759
Publication Date: July 21, 2005
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Condition: Inventory subject to prior sale. Used items have varying degrees of wear, highlighting, etc. and may not include supplements such as infotrac or other web access codes. Expedited orders cannot be sent to PO Box. Sorry, not able to ship to APO, FPO, Alaska, and Hawaii.
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Product Description
The eighth edition of Arthur Goldschmidt’s widely acclaimed text has been extensively revised to reflect the latest scholarship and the most recent events in the Middle East. As an introduction to the history of this turbulent region from the beginnings of Islam to the present day, the book is distinguished by its clear style, broad scope, and balanced treatment. Written for undergraduate college students, the text assumes no prior knowledge of Middle Eastern history. It focuses on the evolution of Islamic institutions and culture, the influence of the West, the modernization efforts of Middle Eastern governments, the struggle of various peoples for political independence, the course of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the reassertion of Islamic values and power, the aftermath of the Gulf War, and issues surrounding the Palestinian Question. The eighth edition brings new discussion to the post-9/11 political developments and surveys terrorism in the Middle East, the Iraq War, and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 Great overview of middle eastern history. May 9, 2008
Cody T. Badgett (Illinois)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I took a middle eastern history class this past semester and we used this as our text. It was very well written and easily readable. This covers the time of Muhammad all the way until present day, no easy feat for a single book to do. But the authors have done a great job of coherently organizing all the data into an informing and enjoyable read.
 Great reader, awful text December 30, 2006
Faith Jones (Camp Lejeune, NC)
0 out of 6 found this review helpful
I thought this book would have been a great source of information for personal use, however my professor used it as a text and it didn't work well for me. I think its too dense to use as a text, especially if it is the sole book being used in the class.
Complete reference work on Middle Eastern history September 25, 2006
Rolf Dobelli (Luzern Switzerland)
4 out of 4 found this review helpful
At more than 500 pages, this textbook is not exactly "concise," as might be expected given the panoramic scope of its topic. Arthur Goldschmidt Jr. and Lawrence Davidson ambitiously try to explain the factors driving Islamic culture and its influence on Western civilization, right down to the glossary and chronology. Their main focus is the impact of Islam on Arab history. Once they reach modern times, the authors' strong views shape their explanations, sometimes pushing the book toward commentary rather than history. Some readers may find that their interpretations can be partisan (anti-Bush, pro-Palestinian, accusing the U.S. of terrorism), but such continuing controversies are inherent in Middle East history. As the authors correctly point out, today's society offers no solutions to many of these critical issues, most of which have festered for centuries. To draw the most from its strengths, we recommend this major sourcebook primarily to those who are interested in premodern Middle East history.
Not bad when they report on history, but... August 4, 2006
Rod Walsh (Sherman Oaks, CA United States)
5 out of 8 found this review helpful
Not bad when they report on history, but their disdain for President Bush (and idolization of President Clinton) causes their treatment of the current Middle East turmoil to suffer from partisanship.
If you are, like me, taking your first real step into the history of the Middle East, expect to read this book several times. Covering 1500 years of history in 500 pages is a bit too ambitious. The result is a "rushed" experience; just not enough space is devoted to the material.
In addition to their partisanship (particularly Professor Goldschmidt's) I was disappointed in the lack of a thorough explanation of the differences between Shia and Sunni Muslims.
In spite of my reservations, I do recommend this book and I will be reading it again once it is returned from a friend.
 The title for this book is highly inaccurate January 21, 2006
M. Rodziewicz (Lost In The Desert)
15 out of 36 found this review helpful
This should be retitled "The Leftist, Israel-Hating, Politically Correct Revisionist Guide to the Middle East." That would be far more accurate. For a textbook, the author freelances just a tad bit too much, a lot of what is in here is presented as fact but is mostly opinion in disguise. The author fails in presenting a clear and unbiased view of the Middle East and instead allows his personal politics to get in the way.
My professor dumped this book as the course textbook 1/4 of the way through the semester due to the never-ending left-leaning political commentary. This is no serious review of the Middle East, just a socialist-based fantasy on how THINGS SHOULD BE. The author himself proclaims that accuracy isn't always important, its the idea that matters.
This book is a joke, I looked for something serious, unbiased to aid me in learning more about the Middle East but this book doesn't present anything new and its political leanings are just to the left of Stalin.
If you want to learn what an extreme left liberal thinks of the Middle East, buy this book, otherwise stick to encyclopedias and hopefully, less biased college textbooks.
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