Posted on May 21, 2017
What is a good reading list for the Middle East?
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What would be some good books to read involving the history of the region (Iraq, Afghanistan, Syria, Middle East)?
Ancient History - Modern History, Warfare, Cultural & Political.
Ancient History - Modern History, Warfare, Cultural & Political.
Military History
Middle East
Reading
Posted 7 y ago
Responses: 10
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Seven Pillars of Wisdom - Wikipedia
Seven Pillars of Wisdom is the autobiographical account of the experiences of British soldier T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia"), while serving as a liaison officer with rebel forces during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turks of 1916 to 1918.
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History Buffs: Lawrence of Arabia
BIG THANK YOU TO THE GREAT WAR CHANNEL FOR COLLABORATING WITH ME AND MAKING AWESOME VIDEOS! Check out their T.E Lawrence video here - https://www.youtube.com...
SP5 (Join to see) - we think alike! https://youtu.be/R9scZDbKxtY
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Invisible Nation, by Quil Lawrence, is a good read if you want a better understanding of the Kurdish people and their history and current situation.
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LCpl Steve Wininger
Thanks for the suggestion. I follow the Kurdish question closely and my master's research will focus on the Kurdish people and the social movement theory, although that is subject to change.
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‘Lawrence in Arabia,’ by Scott Anderson
Historians have never known what to make of this scholar, writer, soldier and imperialist.
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SPC (Join to see) if you want to understand the unrest in the area, best to research Sykes-Picot. Everything, from there, will be a building block.
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I see myself going there at some point in my career. Maybe in this enlistment if not the next. I figured it would be good to understand the region better.
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Suspended Profile
I think a survey of history books on the history of Israel is a must, and there are many good ones out there...
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When I entered college I knew I wanted to be a Middle East correspondent. I took classes in Middle East history, politics, and Islamic civilization to name a few. There are many good reads about the history of the Middle East. I would suggest reading the history from the perspective of Middle East historians as well as western historians. Edward Said's Orientalism is a book that came up in all my history and political science classes. I would also suggest reading about the Ottoman and Persian Empires as they were the dominant players in the Middle East until just after World War I. Since Islam has a significant impact on culture and politics in the Middle East, I would suggest reading about Islamic history as well. Currently I am focused on the Kurds so I am reading a couple books on Kurdish history in Iraq and Syria. I hope this helps.
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I'm heading back to college, I've got a bunch of random credits to give myself a history degree so I think I'll take my final few history courses studying the Middle East. Then I'll throw the GI bill on my paralegal degree.
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LCpl Steve Wininger
SPC (Join to see) - That is awesome. I wish you the best of luck. I have found that studying the Middle East, especially reading some of the history from Middle East historians, is fascinating.
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Tall order young PV2 Benjamin! Great question. I would suggest Lawrence of Arabia as a primer on the modern Arab states. Didn't serve in Iraq so I am not sure of what else. I deployed to OEF in 2007 . Read up on Afghan culture with "Kite Runner" Pre-Soviet Afghanistan and the Taliban era. Charlie Wilson's War (book, not film) was a good read too. I haven't read much post 9/11 OEF that's knocked my socks off. The Soviet Era stuff gets into Afghanistan as a failed state which explains some of the corruption and problems today. With the ongoing return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan its still a good reference point. Dig into the ethno-cultural history of Afghanistan, particularly during the 1st / 2nd British Afghan wars. There's something to be said about the Pashtun tribal divisions that occurred then and resonate today (Ghilzi/Durani). Good luck!!!!
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I would recommend the Old Testament the New Testament and the Koran in addition to the below reading lists.
http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/departments/middle_east/reading_list.aspx
https://portslibnh.wordpress.com/2017/02/04/the-reading-list-the-middle-east/
https://www.dauntbooks.co.uk/countries/middle-east/
http://www.britishmuseum.org/about_us/departments/middle_east/reading_list.aspx
https://portslibnh.wordpress.com/2017/02/04/the-reading-list-the-middle-east/
https://www.dauntbooks.co.uk/countries/middle-east/
Reading list recommended by the Department of the Middle East at the British Museum
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It would seem there is a definite agreement on Lawrence of Arabia as a must.
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