Readling List

Here is a Reading List & online resources provided by Dr. D. H. Smith, Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminal Justice, Old Dominion University; Ph.D. in Sociology, Emory University, 1979 at our Mid-East Information Night, held on February 11, 2003.

Books:    All in print, most available locally at Barnes and Noble or Border's all available online.

Karen Armstrong

Muhammad: A biography of the Prophet (paper) 1990 ISBN: 0385413726

Holy War: The Crusades and their impact on today's World (paper) 672 pages, ISBN: 0385721404
This is an updated reissue of a book published in the late 1980s. Obviously she is very insightful on the subject.

Islam: A Short History (paper) 1999 230 pages ISBN: 08126618X

Karen Armstrong (decidedly a former Roman Catholic nun) has many 0 ther books on religion to her credit. A recent book on Buddism, A History of God, and others. Readable and insightful.

John Esposito

The Islamic Threat: Myth and Reality (paper) 1999 328 pages ISBN: 01951130766

Unholy War: Terror in the Name of Islam (paper) 2002 ISBN: 0195154355

Esposito is chair of the Center for Islamic Studies at Georgetown University. You will see him on television regularly. He is an academic and takes a sympathetic but non biased view of Islam and Islamic peoples. Author (editor) of the Oxford History of Islam.

Tom Friedman

"Longitudes and Attitudes: Exploring the World After September 11" 2002 ISBN: 0374190666
Collection of his columns since September 11

From Beirut to Jerusalem: Updated with new chapter 1990 (paper) ISBN: 0385413726

New York Times columnist. Probably has better, down-to-earth explanations of the Middle East and Islamic World than any other writer.

Martin Gilbert

Israel: A History (Hardcover) 2002 750 pages ISBN: 1402811233

Sir Martin Gilbert, British Historian who lives in London and Jerusalem. A Jew and the official biographer of Winston Churchill. Author of over 70 books, many on Jewish History and the Holocaust. Has a series of historical atlases that are wonderful. Takes a very unbiased historical view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Albert Hourani

A History of Arab Peoples (paper) 1997 551 pages, ISBN: 156731260 The standard popular history of Arab peoples.

Bernard Lewis

What Went Wrong?: The clash between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East (paper) 2002, 186 pages.
Written as an attempt to explain the current situation in the Middle East. One of the most prolific writers on Middle East history. He takes a very conservative view and is thought by some to have passed his time. Still worth reading and has many excellent books on the history of the Middle East.

Howard Sachar

A History of Israel: From rise of Zionism to our time 1996 1184 pages ISBN: 0679765638
Excellent history of Israel and the Palestinians. Large but very readable. Extraordinarily detailed.

Edward Said

If you are interested in the Palestinian view of the world many of Said's books are excellent. He has been a member of the Palestinian National Council and has the definitive book on people of the region.. .Orientalism. He is a professor of literature at Columbia University in New York City.

SPECIFIC COUNTRIES:

There are hundreds of books dealing with specific countries and ethnic groups.

Phebe Marr's book The Modern History of Iraq is excellent for understanding Iraq's history.

Patrick Seale's book The Struggle for Syria and his biography Assad are excellent for learning of Syria's history.

David Fromkin' s A Peace to End All Peace: The fall of the Ottoman Empire and theCreation of the Modern Middle East is an excellent explanation of how these countries appeared out of colonialism and years of Ottoman control. Should be read by everyone.

If you are interested in a particular country or a specific ethnic group please click on the link for the Wings Over the Atlantic web page & ask for a reference via email, the email will be forwarded to me.  If I don't know a reference I will call someone who is an expert in that country/area and send you one.

Web Pages:

First use Google: Type in the name of the issue, group, country etc. and you will be given more information than you can absorb. Many of the Facts on File country books are available online.

New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/ require you to register but everything is free.

Los Angeles Times: http://www.latimes.com/require you to register but everything is free.

Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/

BBC News:  http://www.bbcnews.com/Go to Middle East and search around.. ..incredible coverage. Maps, surveys, links to other places, timelines. If you did nothing but read this site everyday you would be well informed.

The Economist: http://www.economist.com/  British/American publication. Most of their site is free. Online subscription for full content of printed edition $69.00 per year.
They do surveys which are all still online and free. These are detailed analyses on many subjects. There is one online that is called Islam and the West from 1994 but most of the material is still relevant.
They do country briefings.. .list all countries and give detailed information about their culture, politics and economy. Excellent stuff.

The Moscow Times:  http://www.themoscowtimes.ru/  An American newspaper written primarily for expats in Moscow. It is excellent because it covers the news from allover the World and gives the Russian perspective. Web paper is free but has a PDF download for reading the print edition.

Go to Google type in International Newspapers and you will get web sites that list dozens of the Worlds newspapers. Most have English editions.

Want the Israeli perspective go to: Google and type in Israeli newspapers. Again most have English editions. You will discover that the news from Israel is more diverse than presented in the American media.

Cable Television: CNN, Fox & MSNBC all have strengths and weaknesses but are generally good. Watch all three or you will get a distorted view. Avoid most local newscasts.

Shortwave Radio: Shortwave radio is still a wonderful source of  World news. You need to spend over $150 to get a reasonably selective/sensitive radio. For that price you can listen to most of the major country's newscasts. Very good for perspective. You can listen to BBC overnight on WHRV (89.5) locally. If you are seriously interested, invest $20 in Passport to Worldband Radio. This annual paperback tells you everything you need to know to get started and find broadcasts. It is the TV guide of shortwave broadcasts.