Hi guys, apologies if this isnt the right forum for this question but does anyone have a good rec for a book to explain to me the breakdown of the Ottoman empire and the subsequent issues in Middle East?
I am brand new to History. I have just started "Persian Fire" by Tom Holland and love it so far. If anyone has some books that they think could be a good intro to this topic I would be most appreciative!
Thanks guys
I can't comment too much as far as the Ottomans, but if you're looking for information on Israel/Palestine conflict study, a good overview can best be done by reading a few books.
For a pro-Palestinian perspective, read "Palestine and the Arab-Israeli Conflict: A History with Documents* by Charles D. Smith, or read The Palestine-Israel Conflict: A Basic Introduction by Gregory Harms and Todd M. Ferry.
For a pro-Israeli perspective, read Righteous Victims: A History of the Zionist-Arab Conflict, 1881-2001 by Benny Morris, or Israel: A Brief History by Bernard Reich.
I recommend reading both Morris and Smith, they'll give you what it appears you're looking for based on the timeline in good detail. Unfortunately I don't think there's any definitive book that has no bias, since so much is still in dispute, so I recommend one from each column if possible!
In addition to the works mentioned by /u/tayaravaknin, I would add Gudrun Krämer's A History of Palestine: From the Ottoman Conquest to the Founding of the State of Israel (Princeton University Press, 2008). This will help paint a fuller picture of the Ottoman period.