A History of the Modern Middle East 6th Edition by William L. Cleveland (Author), Martin Bunton (Author) (Westview Press / Routledge)

I would summarize this book as an eye opener. I became interested in the topic due to the increased mentions of the Middle East in the news and even casual conversations in the public. Often we rush to offer an opinion on the matter, sadly, before even asking ourselves "do we really know anything about the topic at hand?"

Have you ever caught yourself asking "why are Iraqis so divided?", "How did Mecca become the destination of Muslim pilgrimage?", "How do small countries such as Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Qatar get established and survive as separate entities with such large neighbors (don't forget, oil was not in commercial use until 1930s and really after 1940s)?", "Why each Muslim country even though portrayed being the same as the other is really unique (e.g. Iraq, Iran, Egypt, Turkey)". I could go on and on and this book answered ALL of my questions and it sure will answer yours. I was totally shocked at the material and finally believe I can understand and reason on what is happening today.

Even more, in general, we repeat the mistakes of history, and this book has plenty of such examples that apply to the current events. Also, in my opinion, it contains one of the best portrayals how world powers balance each other in different regions. If you are scared of behind the scenes manipulations by major players such as USA, China, and Russia in the region, this is nothing new. France, Russia, and Britain were the masters of it long before the current three came around.