An Introduction to Middle East Politics - Softcover

Ben MacQueen has provided the perfect introductory textbook for students of the Middle East, galloping through the region's modern political history, and signposting all the key events and issues in a lively, accessible and structured manner. Teachers of undergraduate Middle East Politics have been waiting for this one.
Emma C. Murphy
School of Government and International Affairs, The University of Durham

This is an expansive survey of Middle East politics that takes into account not only novel topics, such as human rights, environment and democratization, but also geographies that are generally neglected in such studies. Benjamin MacQueen captures the dynamics of continuity and change in the region and does so in a quite accessible manner to students and general readers. This is a comprehensive view of the region in the post-Arab uprisings era and an essential textbook on Middle East politics.
Meliha Benli Altunişik
Department of International Relations, Dean of the Graduate School of Social Sciences, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey

Teaching Middle Eastern politics during the throes of the so-called Arab Spring is both exciting and daunting. Exciting because the peoples of the region seem closer to genuine democracy than ever before, and daunting because we have few scholarly guides to this new reality. For decades, scholarship on the Middle East tended to focus on the longstanding continuities in that region, leaving students ill-equipped to fathom the sources of and possibilities for change. MacQueen's textbook is thus a welcome companion to any course that seeks to help students understand the region's newfound political dynamism. Written with insight and verve, and covering a vast amount of terrain with efficiency and accuracy, this is likely to be the single best textbook in the field.
Tarek Masoud
Associate Professor of Public Policy, John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University

The book by MacQueen is a dynamic text that will accompany its readers – both students and practitioners – in a journey throughout the political development of the region by highlighting the changes and continuities that have always characterised this part of the world. (Silvia Colombo)

The Middle East has undergone enormous change since 9/11, from the invasion and occupation of Iraq to the events of the 'Arab Spring'. An Introduction to Middle East Politics engages with questions of democratisation and political reform in the region. It covers:

• Historical Legacies; The Ottoman Empire, WWI, colonialism and the Cold War; nationalism and Islamist politics
• Authoritarianism in Egypt, Algeria and Syria; political changes in Iran; the politics of oil in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf States; Israel, the Palestinians and the Arab States
• Intervention in Afghanistan and Iraq
• The recent uprisings in the Arab World, human rights, social movements and social media  

Each chapter opens with helpful learning objectives and concludes with study questions. Annotated bibliographies aid further reading, whilst the companion website provides links to additional material.  

This book will prove a fascinating read for both undergraduate and postgraduate students of Middle East Politics and related courses across Politics and International Relations.