The Cold War and the Middle East

The Cold War has been researched in minute detail and written about at great length but it remains one of the most elusive and enigmatic conflicts of modern times. With the ending of the Cold War, it is now possible to review the entire post-war period, to examine the Cold War as history. The Middle East occupies a special place in the history of the Cold War. It was critical to its birth, its life and its demise. In the aftermath of the Second World War, it became one of the major theatres of the Cold War on account of its strategic importance and its oil resources. The key to the international politics of the Middle East during the Cold War era is the relationship between external powers and local powers. Most of the existing literature on the subject focuses on the policies of the Great Powers towards the local region. The Cold War and the Middle East redresses the balance by concentrating on the policies of the local actors. It looks at the politics of the region not just from the outside in but from the inside out. The contributors to this volume are leading scholars in the field whose interests combine International Relations and Middle Eastern Studies.

Table of Contents:
Yezid Sayigh and Avi Shlaim: Introduction 1: Fred Halliday (Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics): The Middle East, the Great Powers, and the Cold War 2: Adeed Dawisha (Professor of Government and Politics at George Mason University, Fairfax, Virginia): Egypt 3: Patrick Seale (writer and former foreign correspondent for Reuters and The Observer): Syria 4: Fawaz Gerges (Assistant Professor of International Affairs and Middle Eastern Studies, Sarah Lawrence College, New York): Lebanon 5: Lawrence Tal (Lecturer in Politics at Trinity College, Oxford): Jordan 6: Yezid Sayigh: The Palestinians 7: Efraim Karsh (Professor and Head of the Mediterranean Studies Programme at King's College, University of London): Israel 8: Charles Tripp (Senior Lecturer in Politics with reference to the Near and Middle East in the Department of Political Studies at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London): Iraq 9: Shahram Chubin (Executive Director, Research, Geneva Centre for Security Policy): Iran 10: William Hale (Reader in Politics with special reference to Turkey at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London): Turkey Avi Shlaim: Conclusion

Review :
`A sensible reprise of history ... a welcome addition to undergraduate reading lists both as an introduction to regional politics and as an overture to the re-evaluation of the Cold War.' International Affairs ...stimulating...here is a collection of highly informative articles by leading experts who adopt an unusual, refreshing though highly controversial approach. - Ahron Bregman. The Times Higher Education Supplement. 15/5/1998