I’m a French and Spanish mechanical engineering student, so I don’t have much knowledge on Middle East history in general, apart from the little I was taught about the wars following the 9/11 attacks.
Anyway, I have some spare time now with the end of the exams and would like to maybe try and learn the basics about it. I’d like to find a book with a little context maybe, but especially focusing on a the the events from the end of colonialism in the region until now. I know ancient history is also fascinating in the Middle East, but I’ll leave it for another time.
Also, I’m aware that those topics are quite sensitive, politically speaking, but I don’t really care, any POV will do.
Hope you can help me, thank you very much and have a good day.
Hello! The answers may depend on what specific issue or region of the Middle East you'd like to know about, but here are some general suggestions that might provide a little bit of contextualization to events of the 20th century:
A Line in the Sand: Britain, France and the Struggle that Shaped the Middle East
The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan (this book's thesis is that the historical 'locus mundi' of the world is in Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the countries of Central Asia)
A History of the Arab Peoples by Albert Hourani (possibly the longest and most comprehensive book out of all of these)
Orientalism by Edward Said (a definitive book in the study of post-colonial history)
Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes by Tamim Ansary (a relatively short but great summary of Islamicate history)
What Went Wrong? A Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East by Bernard Lewis (possibly the shortest book out of all of these)