The Middle East - by Jean-Pierre Filiu (Hardcover)

About the Book

"The Middle East, often referred to as the cradle of the three monotheisms, is saturated with symbolism. Situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, it is a land marked by the rich confluence of religions and peoples. It has also been the focal point of endemic tensions and conflicts, many of which stretch back into the mists of time. In this new history of the Middle East, Jean-Pierre Filiu looks beyond religion and focuses his attention on the processes by which powers and their areas of domination were established over time. His starting point is 395, the year when the Roman Empire was divided into eastern and western halves: at that point, the Middle East emerged as a specific entity, freed from external domination, and a Christianity of the East asserted itself, turned towards Byzantium rather than towards Rome. From this point on, Filiu follows a strictly Middle Eastern dynamic, tracing the rise and fall of powers linked to the three principal centres of Egypt, Syria, and Iraq and recounting the procession of empires, invasions, and assertions of imperialist ambition that have characterized the region since then. The book closes in 2022, when the men and women of the Middle East were still struggling for the right to define their destiny by telling their stories in their own voices. This magisterial and up-to-date history of the Middle East will be essential reading for students and scholars and for anyone interested in the history and politics of one of the most important and contested regions of the modern world"--Publisher's description.

Book Synopsis

The Middle East, often referred to as the cradle of the three monotheisms, is saturated with symbolism. Situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, it is a land marked by the rich confluence of religions and peoples. It has also been the focal point of endemic tensions and conflicts, many of which stretch back into the mists of time.

In this new history of the Middle East, Jean-Pierre Filiu looks beyond religion and focuses his attention on the processes by which powers and their areas of domination were established over time. His starting point is 395, the year when the Roman Empire was divided into eastern and western halves: at that point, the Middle East emerged as a specific entity, freed from external domination, and a Christianity of the East asserted itself, turned towards Byzantium rather than towards Rome. From this point on, Filiu follows a strictly Middle Eastern dynamic, tracing the rise and fall of powers linked to the three principal centres of Egypt, Syria, and Iraq and recounting the procession of empires, invasions, and assertions of imperialist ambition that have characterized the region since then. The book closes in 2022, when the men and women of the Middle East were still struggling for the right to define their destiny by telling their stories in their own voices.

This magisterial and up-to-date history of the Middle East will be essential reading for students and scholars and for anyone interested in the history and politics of one of the most important and contested regions of the modern world.

Review Quotes

'Filiu's command of history is as stunning as his ability to write about it. Simply put, a tour de force.'
Sara Roy, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University

'Jean-Pierre Filiu's The Middle East is a comprehensive exploration of the region's political history. The book provides a masterful account of the power struggles, foreign meddling, and local aspirations which have shaped the Middle East over nearly two millennia. Rigorous analysis and unbiased perspective make this book a must-read for those who seek to improve their understanding of the region's past and present.'
Leila Fawaz, Tufts University

'Jean-Pierre Filiu's conceptually novel approach is matched by his compelling analysis and command of the material. Covering some fifteen centuries of an eventful history, this longue durée account demonstrates why the region's distant past matters at least as much as the its recent history. It also gives the general reader convincing grounds as to why, beyond its recent colonial legacy, the term "Middle East" historically makes sense.'
Abbas Amanat, Yale University

'There are several histories of the Middle East. The main distinctiveness of Jean-Pierre Filiu's contribution to the field is its emphasis on the peoples' agency. Here is a history that doesn't claim bird's-eye neutrality but proclaims its empathy with the emancipatory struggles of the region's populations.'
Gilbert Achcar, author of The People Want: A Radical Exploration of the Arab Uprisings

'[Filiu] possesses a deep and genuine knowledge of the region that allows him to navigate its vast expanse of history, geography, and culture.'
Chris Doyle, New Arab

'compelling'
The Critic

'ambitious'
Times of Israel

About the Author

Jean-Pierre Filiu is Professor of Middle East Studies at Sciences Po.