Introduction: World politics, the Middle East, and the complexities of area studies -- Concepts, regions, and states: iternational relations theory and the Middle East ; The making of foreign policy : states and societies -- History: The modern Middle East : state formation and world war ; The Cold War : global conflict, regional upheavals ; After the Cold War : the maturing of the Greater West Asian Crisis -- Analytic issues: Military conflict: war, revolt, strategic rivalry ; Modern ideologies : political and religious ; Challenges to the state : transnational movements ; International political economy : regional and global -- Conclusion: The Middle East in international perspective.