jhoover's review against another edition
3.0
Im giving it three stars since it tries to pack so much into one volume, almost merely giving events and dates at time without much else. It also heavily focuses on the modern era.
On the other hand I actually thought it balances bias very well and lays out mistakes both sides made. It really saddens me that so many reviews here claim its “arab propoganda” for really just trying to provide an unbiased history of the region. I suppose so many in the West want the Middle East to be an evil place they refuse to read history with an open mind.
On the other hand I actually thought it balances bias very well and lays out mistakes both sides made. It really saddens me that so many reviews here claim its “arab propoganda” for really just trying to provide an unbiased history of the region. I suppose so many in the West want the Middle East to be an evil place they refuse to read history with an open mind.
vincentreadswordsandletters's review against another edition
5.0
This books seems to be enough for me in this subject. Everything important seems to be covered. Maybe economic history could be a great supplement though.
abidoodle's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
3.5
This book is very informative and I would highly recommend it if someone is interested in learning about the Middle East and it’s history in a very honest way. As it is a long, comprehensive history book, it can definitely drag at times and get slow and hard to read, so I’d recommend reading it alongside other, more exciting books and to read it at a slower pace. Otherwise, it is well-written, generally easy to follow, and an accurate and (mostly) unbiased history (or stated otherwise).
rozeyh's review against another edition
4.0
This book covers a vast amount of information about the often misrepresented and misunderstood Middle East region and after consuming this, I feel as if I learned an enormous amount of information as well as laid a relatively unbiased foundation for my further exploration into Middle Eastern.
One thing I would say, though, is it's also better to read a book about a particular place, religion, peoples, etc. that is written by someone within that group and I think this is especially true when referencing an entire region, worlds away from the Pennsylvania that professor Goldschmidt Jr. was constructing this textbook from. Nevertheless, this is a good book and a good foundational read for those interested in the history of the Middle East and, most specifically, for those interested in the Palestine-Israel conflict!
One thing I would say, though, is it's also better to read a book about a particular place, religion, peoples, etc. that is written by someone within that group and I think this is especially true when referencing an entire region, worlds away from the Pennsylvania that professor Goldschmidt Jr. was constructing this textbook from. Nevertheless, this is a good book and a good foundational read for those interested in the history of the Middle East and, most specifically, for those interested in the Palestine-Israel conflict!
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