Books To Get You Thinking
This month’s picks will delight all history buffs and those interested in delving into our past to trace the roots of many of the political problems facing the world today. Many of these conflicts, national and global, have their roots in events that occurred centuries ago - battles fought and won, rebellions, revolts, and political maneuverings that have dotted the history of nations. By laying out detailed national histories, the authors provide the readers with the vital link that is required to gain an understanding of the current dynamics and interrelationships that exist between countries across the world.
Yalta: The Price of Peace by S. M. Plokhy
For eight days in February 1945, the Crimean city of Yalta hosted three legendary towering political figures, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin, who met to iron out the end of World War II, define the terms of peace, and redraw many of the boundaries of European nations. Harvard historian Serhii Plokhy brings this drama to life, detailing the ways in which each of these men was driven by a personal agenda and revealing the political twists underlying the agreements drafted at this historic conference. Plokhy draws on intensive archival research of reports, personal memoirs, and Soviet documents declassified in the 1990s. The book is a superb analysis of the dialogue and diplomacy entailed in the Yalta Conference and some of its notable outcomes, such as the formation of the United Nations.
America’s Empire of Liberty: A New History of the United States by David Reynolds
As a professor of International History at Cambridge, the author captivates the reader with his in-depth and comprehensive account of American history, in all its complexities and contradictions. The strength of the book lies in its sweeping coverage –spanning events from 1776 all the way to the election of Barack Obama in one single volume. It was Thomas Jefferson who had envisioned America as the “Land of Liberty”. In this work the author discusses the ideology of liberty as a central tenet in the events that have shaped America’s history, accompanied by a discussion of the role played by religion. The book uses the voices of America’s diverse people from different time periods, including presidents and political figures as well as immigrants, slaves, Native Americans, soldiers, farmers, and factory workers. These voices are masterfully combined to weave the rich and immensely complex tapestry of American life over the centuries.
Crossing Mandelbaum Gate: Coming of Age between the Arabs and Israelis, 1956 – 1978 by Kai Bird
Pulitzer Prize winning author Kai Bird has written an engaging and captivating book that is part history and part memoir. It draws on his early childhood spent in Israel, Jordon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Lebanon as the youngest son of an American Foreign Service Officer. His personal encounters with a city divided were an everyday occurrence as he was driven to school through Mandelbaum Gate, where armed soldiers guarded the dividing line between the Arab-controlled East Jerusalem and the Israeli-controlled West Jerusalem. Readers get a rare account of the troubled history of the Middle East from the pen of a writer who combines his personal experiences with rigorous research and a unique insight into the roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Along with covering important events such as the Suez War of 1956, the Six Day War of 1967 and the Jordanian Civil War, Bird also provides brilliant portraits of political figures as President Nasser of Egypt and Saudi King Faisal that add additional dimensions to one’s understanding of the ever-widening Arab- Israeli conflict.
The Arabs: A History by Eugene Rogan
Rogan presents a detailed account of the political history of the Arab States dating back from the early sixteenth century through 2007. The book focuses on tracing the nationalist and imperialist factors that were instrumental in laying the foundations for and determining the evolution of the modern day Islamic powers in the Middle East. The Ottoman Empire’s takeover of Egypt in 1512, the many revolts and uprisings during the colonization era, and the creation of Israel in 1948 are all covered by Rogan, who is Faculty and Director of the Middle East Center at Oxford University and makes extensive use of Turkish and Arabic sources. This work helps the reader get a balanced, cohesive understanding of the complex underpinnings of contemporary Middle Eastern politics.
Yalta: The Price of Peace by S. M. PlokhyFor eight days in February 1945, the Crimean city of Yalta hosted three legendary towering political figures, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin, who met to iron out the end of World War II, define the terms of peace, and redraw many of the boundaries of European nations. Harvard historian Serhii Plokhy brings this drama to life, detailing the ways in which each of these men was driven by a personal agenda and revealing the political twists underlying the agreements drafted at this historic conference. Plokhy draws on intensive archival research of reports, personal memoirs, and Soviet documents declassified in the 1990s. The book is a superb analysis of the dialogue and diplomacy entailed in the Yalta Conference and some of its notable outcomes, such as the formation of the United Nations.
America’s Empire of Liberty: A New History of the United States by David ReynoldsAs a professor of International History at Cambridge, the author captivates the reader with his in-depth and comprehensive account of American history, in all its complexities and contradictions. The strength of the book lies in its sweeping coverage –spanning events from 1776 all the way to the election of Barack Obama in one single volume. It was Thomas Jefferson who had envisioned America as the “Land of Liberty”. In this work the author discusses the ideology of liberty as a central tenet in the events that have shaped America’s history, accompanied by a discussion of the role played by religion. The book uses the voices of America’s diverse people from different time periods, including presidents and political figures as well as immigrants, slaves, Native Americans, soldiers, farmers, and factory workers. These voices are masterfully combined to weave the rich and immensely complex tapestry of American life over the centuries.
Crossing Mandelbaum Gate: Coming of Age between the Arabs and Israelis, 1956 – 1978 by Kai BirdPulitzer Prize winning author Kai Bird has written an engaging and captivating book that is part history and part memoir. It draws on his early childhood spent in Israel, Jordon, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Lebanon as the youngest son of an American Foreign Service Officer. His personal encounters with a city divided were an everyday occurrence as he was driven to school through Mandelbaum Gate, where armed soldiers guarded the dividing line between the Arab-controlled East Jerusalem and the Israeli-controlled West Jerusalem. Readers get a rare account of the troubled history of the Middle East from the pen of a writer who combines his personal experiences with rigorous research and a unique insight into the roots of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Along with covering important events such as the Suez War of 1956, the Six Day War of 1967 and the Jordanian Civil War, Bird also provides brilliant portraits of political figures as President Nasser of Egypt and Saudi King Faisal that add additional dimensions to one’s understanding of the ever-widening Arab- Israeli conflict.
The Arabs: A History by Eugene RoganRogan presents a detailed account of the political history of the Arab States dating back from the early sixteenth century through 2007. The book focuses on tracing the nationalist and imperialist factors that were instrumental in laying the foundations for and determining the evolution of the modern day Islamic powers in the Middle East. The Ottoman Empire’s takeover of Egypt in 1512, the many revolts and uprisings during the colonization era, and the creation of Israel in 1948 are all covered by Rogan, who is Faculty and Director of the Middle East Center at Oxford University and makes extensive use of Turkish and Arabic sources. This work helps the reader get a balanced, cohesive understanding of the complex underpinnings of contemporary Middle Eastern politics.
- Nita Mathur
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