The Middle East (Beginners Guides) by Philip Robins

Beginner's Guide (Oneworld Publications)

by Philip Robins

Stuffed with historical background, real-life examples, profiles of key figures from Nasser to Gadaffi, and popular jokes from the region, The Middle A Beginner’s Guide is easy-to-read and full of insight. Philip Robins is University Lecturer in Middle East Politics at Oxford University. He is the author of A History of Jordan and has previously worked as a journalist for the BBC.

Genres: Middle East, Nonfiction

Paperback

First published July 1, 2009

Reviews

[Sorrento · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Middle East provides an excellent analysis of this troubled part of the world and offers some reasons why it is in the state it is in now.
Issues of colonialism, the curse of oil wealth and political Islam all feature in Philip Robins beginners guide to the region.
This edition was written in 2016 and some of the issues discussed have moved on since e.g. the long running civil war in Syria and the future of the Iranian nuclear deal, and the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. This just serves to underline the fact acknowledged in the book that the region has some very unstable areas which have numerous unresolved conflicts and is marred by human rights abuses which makes many parts of the region v dangerous.

[Tim Reisner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Audiobook. Be honest, the Australian narrator's voice grated a bit. The material was often interesting but not that well organized. Would have preferred a bit more structure. The categories for discussion seemed random. Author clearly knowledgeable.

Fine for a sleepover aid which was my purpose. I feel I want a better, fuller grasp of the topic now, though.

[Sara Reis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cobre todo o conhecimento básico que se deve ter para compreender o Médio Oriente actual.
Bastante denso em termos de informação.