A Concise History of the Middle East

A Concise History of the Middle East provides a comprehensive introduction to the history of this turbulent region. Spanning from pre-Islam to the present day, it explores the evolution of Islamic institutions and culture, the influence of the West, modernization efforts in the Middle East, the struggle of various peoples for political independence, the Arab-Israel conflict, the reassertion of Islamic values and power, the issues surrounding the Palestinian Question, and the Middle East post-9/11 and post-Arab uprisings.
The twelfth edition has been fully revised to reflect the most recent events in, and concerns of, the region, including the presence of ISIS and other non-state actors, the civil wars in Syria and Yemen, and the refugee crisis. New parts and part timelines will help students grasp and contextualize the long and complicated history of the region.
With updated biographical sketches and glossary, and a new concluding chapter, this book remains the quintessential text for students of Middle East history.

Arthur Goldschmidt Jr. is Professor Emeritus of Middle East History at Penn State University. He is the author of Modern Egypt: The Formation of a Nation-State, and the recipient of the Amoco Foundation Award for Outstanding Teaching and the 2000 Middle East Studies Association Mentoring Award. Ibrahim Al-Marashi is Associate Professor of Middle East History at California State University, San Marcos. He is the co-author of Iraq's Armed Forces: An Analytical History and The Modern History of Iraq, fourth edition, with Phebe Marr.

1. Introduction  2. The Middle East Before Muhammad  3. Muhammad and the Rise of Islam  4. The Early Arab Conquests  5. The High Caliphate  6. The Rise of the Shi'a and the Influx of the Turks  7. The Crusader and Mongol Invasions  8. Islamic Civilization  9. Firearms, Slaves, and Empires   10. European Interests and Imperialism  11. Westernizing Reform in the Nineteenth Century  12. The Rise of Nationalism  13. The Roots of Arab Bitterness  14. Modernizing Rulers in the Independent States  15. Egypt and the Fertile Crescent Under European Control  16. The Contest for Palestine  17. Israel's Rebirth and the Rise of Arab Nationalism  18. War and the Quest for Peace  19. Reassertion of Islamist Power  20. The 1991 Gulf War and the Peace Process   21. The Post-9/11 Decade in the Middle East   22. In the Season of Arab Discontent   23. The Regional Cold War in the Twenty-First Century   Appendix I  Appendix II