The Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 years by Bernard Lewis
2000 years in 387 pages - A great effort but somewhat unsatisfying.
Don't get me wrong - I am came to this book as a true fan of Bernard Lewis. His book The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror was one of the more thought-provoking books I read last year. However, this book is quite different than 'Crisis'. It's scope is massive, and it is a history book rather than a work of examination and informed conjecture.
Lewis addresses these shortcomings in his introduction and admits that it will be a difficult undertaking to do it well. He acknowledges that whatever format he chooses to cover this history, it will be unsatisfying for some. I give him credit for doing it well, but not as great as the other books and articles of his that I've read.
Bernard Lewis |
The second section is called 'Cross sections' and it deals with specific topics throughout the 2,000 years of history, such as the military or agriculture. I give this section 4 stars.
The last section goes into the struggles the Middle East has experienced since Europe and the West have become such a vital part of the world since the European Renaissance. This is Lewis' strongest area and by far the most interesting to read. I give this section 5 stars.
So, the average of the 3 sections is 4 stars - my final score for this book.
This book can be found on Amazon.com here: The Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years
Reviewed on August 2, 2005.
Great review! Very insightful
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