From Beirut to Jerusalem (Updated with a New Chapter) by Thomas L. Friedman

Winner of the 1989 National Book Award for nonfiction, is the startling, intense and thought-provoking account of Thomas L. Friedman's decade of reporting in the strife-ridden Middle East.
Friedman has won two Pulitzer Prizes: one for his reporting in Beirut and one for reporting in Jerusalem, the two cities at the center of the Arab-Israeli conflict. No two cities have received more headline coverage, nor been more hotly debated, and no reporter has covered them more in depth than Friedman. in his journey from Beirut to Jerusalem, Friedman gives us a panoramic view of both the political and personal conflicts.

The Letters of Jonathan Netanyahu : The Commander of the Entebbe Rescue Operation by Jonathan Netanyahu

No review available at this time.

The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong

No review available at this time.

The Threatening Storm: The Case for Invading Iraq by Kenneth M. Pollack

"One of the most important books on American foreign policy in years. There is no greater strategic challenge than Iraq, and nobody better qualified to tackle it than Kenneth Pollack. To have such comprehensive, high-quality professional analysis available publicly and in real time is simply extraordinary. From now on, all serious debate over how to handle Saddam starts here."

-Gideon Rose, Managing Editor, Foreign Affairs

What Went Wrong: Western Impact and Middle Eastern Response by Bernard Lewis

Surveys how Islamic civilization fell from worldwide leadership in almost every frontier of human knowledge five centuries ago to a "poor, weak, and ignorant" backwater that is today dominated by "shabby tyrannies ... modern only in their apparatus of repression and terror." Offers no easy answers, but does provide a chronicle of the Arab encounter with Europe in all its military, economic, and cultural dimensions. Today's Arab governments have blamed their plight on any number of external culprits from Western imperialism to the Jews. Lewis believes they must instead commit to putting their own houses in order. Anybody who wants to understand the historical backdrop to September 11 would do well to look for it ion this book.

Islam and the West by Bernard Lewis

Eleven essays on the culture clash between the Islamic nations of the Middle East and the more secularized West; from distinguished Orientalist Lewis (Near Eastern Studies/Princeton; Semites and Anti-Semites, 1986). Scholarly but not pedantic, writing without fear or favor, Lewis makes an ideal guide through the political, religious, and cultural thickets of Islam. As the range of subjects demonstrates, his reach is as wide as his touch is sure.

The Muslim Discovery of Europe by Bernard Lewis

The 11th-century Muslim world was a great civilization while Europe lay slumbering in the Dark Ages. Slowly, Europe and Islam came together, through trade and war, crusade and diplomacy. The ebb and flow between these two worlds for seven hundred years, illuminated here by a brilliant historian, is one of the great sagas of world history. 30 b&w illustrations.

A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East by David Fromkin

The critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling account of how the modern Middle East came into being after World War I, and why it is in upheaval today.

Holy War : The Crusades and Their Impact on Today's World by Karen Armstrong (Preface)

In 1095, Pope Urban II summoned Christian warriors to take up the cross and reconquer the Holy Land beginning the holy wars that would focus the power of Europe against a common enemy and become the stuff of romantic legend. In reality the Crusades were a series of rabidly savage conflicts in the name of piety. And, as Armstrong demonstrates in this fascinating book, their legacy of religious violence continues today in the Middle East, where the age-old conflict of Christians, Jews, and Muslims persists.

Fighting Terrorism: How Democracies Can Defeat Domestic and International Terrorists by Benjamin Netanyahu

Former Israel Prime Minister Netanyahu uses both his personal experience and historical perspective in this step-by-step guide for the isolation and defeat of terrorist organizations. Written pre-9-11, it gives insight into the mindset of the terrorists and those who must fight them. Very relevant.

A Durable Peace: Israel and Its Place Among the Nations by Benjamin Netanyahu, Binyamin Netanyahu

In the years since the first book was published, Netanyahu has served as the prime minister of Israel. This book on pro-Israel politics is an updated version of his earlier book, A Place Among the Nations. However, "A Durable Peace" is not a stale politician's memoir. It's a resounding plea for Israel's acceptance as a full member of the world community, as well as a call for understanding its unique security needs.

The Complete Idiot's Guide(R) to Understanding Islam by Qasim Najar, Yahiya John Emerick

Using the Idiot's Guide's formula of questions and answers, sidebars, and small, easy-to-digest essays, Emerick makes Islam accessible to anyone who is inclined to learn more about this influential religion.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Middle East Conflict by Mitchell G. Bard

From the Forward: If the new "Complete Idiot's Guide to the Middle East Conflict" has any advantage over in-depth geopolitical reporting in newspapers or analytical academic treatises based on years of research, it is in its humility. The book points out historical misunderstandings in side-bars topped by a picture of a pharaoh wagging a finger and saying "Tut Tut!" It doles out trivia beneath a cartoon of a smiling sphinx. It contains subheadings such as, "Hello Haganah" and "Too Many Jews, Not Enough Space."

The Palestine-Israeli Conflict by Dan Cohn-Sherbok, Daniel Cohn-Sherbok, Dawoud S. El Alami, Cohn-sherbok/el-alami

This publication offers a rare insight into the Palestinian-Israeli dilemma while outlining political, religious, historical, and emotional issues in the struggle for peace. It is unique in brilliantly bringing together two authors who represent the two peoples in the conflict: Cohn-Sherbok is Rabbi Professor of Judaism, and El-Alami is a lecturer in Islamic studies at the University of Wales, Lampeter. Each introduces his argument and then offers a rebuttal of the other's position.