An elucidating account of the conditions that led to, and subsequently shaped the Iraq war. This book casts a light on both CIA intrigue in the Middle East and Hussein's own political motiva... read more
The C10th synthesis of Greek thought in Central Asi. Starr's magnificent book is a cultural and intellectual history of the Islamic Enlightenment and its two chief proponents - Ibn Sina and ... read more
The moral philosopher on the self-perpetuating violence of Israel and Palestine and the psychology of conflict. This has been hailed by voices from every side.
The labours of Hercules are as nothing to those of archeo-botanists... tamarisk, red bryony, poplar etc and their role in traditional medicine - based on cuneiform inscriptions and intimate ... read more
In a particularly elegant diplomatic gesture, the Caliph Harun al-Rashid sent an elephant to Aachen in 802 AD. This fresh perspective draws on many Arabic sources.
McCullin has travelled 5,000 miles in Turkey with the rambunctious and knowledgeable Rogerson as his cicerone. The result is this truly magnificent book of photographs, beautifully produced ... read more
The great historian of late antiquity mixes the personal with the scholarly in telling the story of his life and work. Engagement with the non-European world has been intrinsic to his work.
A compelling account of the world's first empire, drawing extensively on recent discoveries in the field with the use of new archaeological techniques.
The long shadow of Ottoman rule: Mestyan argues that new local polities were based on recalibrated Ottoman structures rather than on European colonialism (with the exception of Palestine).
Christiane Desroches-Noblecourt was the French archaeologist who, in the 1960s, faced down both de Gaulle and Nasser to dismantle and move a dozen temples - including the vast Abu Simbel - t... read more
The author fled Iraq with his family to Israel in 1950: this personal narrative of emigration also contends with the repercussions of Zionism for an Arab-Jew.
A sequence of essays about the Treaty that addressed the new Turkish state and the Middle East. At Versailles, before the rise of Ataturk, the West thought such matters had less claim on the... read more
Powerful tale of espionage and love in the early years of the Syrian war. By a former CIA agent, this was published in 2021 in the US and only now in the UK, propelled by word of mouth.
Looks at three groups of wandering herders in three very different regions - the Central Sahara, the Arabian Gulf and the Central Eurasian steppes. Many photographs.
From the Persian sack in 614AD to the end of the Crusaders. Hosler argues that despite horrific acts of violence, the medieval period is also one of tolerance, when the city's conquerors oft... read more
In one generation, the Mongols reshaped the balance of world power, aided by the internecine struggles of the Byzantines, Seljuks, Crusaders and others.
The long struggle for Kurdish identity is poured into these twelve specially commissioned short stories in which the authors conjure several possible futures.
An account of the Cairo Conference, in which the map of the Middle East was redrawn, establishing the states of Iraq and Jordan and confirming a Jewish homeland in Palestine.
Gorgeous colour images, as well as translations and commentary on these celebrated Persian poems. Both manuscripts date from the C15th and are exquisitely illustrated. This will be ravishing... read more
In 2015, as war raged in Syria, Lowe set off on an 11,000 kilometre journey through Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt, Sudan, the Gulf and finally to Iran. Full of humour, anecdote and the abun... read more
An elegant exploration of how British Prime Ministers, from Eden to Blair and beyond, have engaged in the Middle East under the misconception that they could help solve disputes because they... read more
The first translation by a woman, using Arabic and French sources, with detailed notes and commentary. Beautifully illustrated with Arab and Persian works of art as well as many drawn from p... read more
Looks at the dwindling communities of Christians still living in the birthplace of the early church. From Lebanon to Iraq, JdiG records the rituals and customs of these dispersed but endurin... read more
How Mohammed-Reza Shah's close relationship with the US and his desire for autocratic rule sowed the seeds for the collapse of the Pahlavi dynasty and helped foment the Iranian revolution of... read more
Perhaps the most high-profile political prisoner in the Arab world, Alaa has spent most of the last seven years in prison in Egypt. These essays were smuggled, compiled by friends and relati... read more
From the collection of an Italian banker whose work financed infrastructure such as railways, mines, electric power stations and shipping companies in the Near East.
By an excellent and knowledgeable cook. Reminds us of a favourite customer who not infrequently scuds by to deposit incomparable baklava - fresh, not too sweet, fragrant, and by the kilo...
Numerous contributors discuss different aspects of seafaring in the spread of Islamic culture, from its origins to the present. Well illustrated and fascinating.
This is considered to be the definitive edition of Firdausi's epic poem; its illustrations are scattered in collections and museums around the world. They are gathered together in this volum... read more
From being America's most significant ally in the region, Iran suddenly became its greatest adversary: this account, from 1941 onwards, explains how the Shah himself contrived to lose suppor... read more
The open-source investigative journalism and fact-checking network that works with an independent international collective of researchers, who recently reported on the Navalny poisoning, inc... read more
There are those who swear he was a spy, others who insist he was too scatty or essentially lazy to be one. Whatever the truth, he was an exceptional linguist (Iranian, Afghan Persian, Arabic... read more