Whether filtered through the news, the film industry, or the classroom, the Arab-Israeli conflict has become a pervasive - and often misinterpreted - subject on our contemporary cultural landscape. In this compelling text, David W. Lesch, a widely respected scholar and commentator on modern Middle E[...]

When Syrian President Bashar al-Assad came to power upon his father's death in 2000, many in- and outside Syria held high hopes that the popular young doctor would bring long-awaited reform, that he would be a new kind of Middle East leader capable of guiding his country toward genuine democracy. Da[...]