An introduction to the Middle East, provides an overview of the history, geography, cultures, and religions and leads up the regions twenty-first century conflicts, including the Iraq War. With its emphasis on basic concepts and vocabulary, and it use of illustrative case studies,Politics of the Middle Eastprovides an exciting tool for the basic understanding of this very complex region.This comprehensive book covers cultures and history of the ancients, the birth of Islam, and the Ottoman Empire; Arab-Israeli conflicts and their origins; Turkey and the Kurds; the Persian Gulf and the rise of the oil kingdoms, the Iranian revolution, and the first and second Gulf Wars; and Middle Eastern terrorism.An excellent reference resource for those involved in businesses and concerns that deal with the Middle East and its politics.