Over the centuries, the Middle East has confounded the dreams of conquerors and peacemakers alike. In this classic work, Peter Mansfield follows the historic struggle of the region over the last two hundred years. This new edition updates recent developments in the Middle East, including the turbulent events in Afghanistan, the troubled relationship between the U.S. and Iraq, the continuing Arab-Israeli conflict, and the rise of Islamic Jihad. Incisive and illuminating, A History of the Middle East is essential reading for anyone wishing to understand what is perhaps the most crucial and volatile nerve center of the modern world. Annotation. Now newly updated, this incisive and illuminating guide is hailed as "the best overall survey of the politics, regional rivalries, and economics of the contemporary Arab world"

List of maps -- Foreword to the second edition -- Introduction: from ancient to modern -- Islam on the defensive, 1800 -- Muhammad Ali's Egypt: Ottoman rival -- Struggle for reform 1840-1900 -- Britain in Egypt 1882-1914 -- Turks and Arabs -- Persian factor -- Sick man dies: 1918 -- Anglo-French interregnum, 1918-1939 -- Second World War and its aftermath -- Entry of the superpowers and the Nasser era, 1950-1970 -- Inter-war years: Globalization and counter-globalization -- Conclusion: Prospects for the Twenty-First Century -- Notes on further reading -- Index.