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Rating: 
Summary: Single Best Primer on the Arab-Israeli Conflict
Review: This book represents a very timely update to a classic introduction into the Arab-Israeli conflict. I found the work of Charles Dyer, in updating Stanley Ellisen's original piece, seemlessly erudite and amazingly accessible to the layman & beginning student. I must say that I couldn't disagree more with the previous review of this book. It is true that "Who Owns the Land" certainly would not add much new information if you happened to be a Middle East Scholar, but this book goes a long way toward answering nearly every basic question that the average person might have in the area of Middle East peace and conflict. Given that both Ellisen and Dyer are Evangelical Christians of a more conservative bent, the information is presented from Christian perspective. However, this is done without being obnoxious or unnecessarily dogmatic. This is an unusual skill today and should allow the book to enjoy a wide readership from a broad spectrum of society. The book's one drawback is also one of its great strengths. The books seeks to provide an in-depth historical analysis of the conflict in the Middle East centered on the Jewish people, and therefore; it does not address Palestinian and Arab concerns at that same level. To do so would have doubled or trippled the book's size. By focusing more closely upon the Jewish people, Ellisen and Dyer have done a masterful job of devling deep into the subject without getting the reader lost. To provide a broader perspective, I would recommend several other authors & books that deal with the subject either directly or indirectly. I would also recommend a few books on the nature of Islam through history, as Islamic feeling and religious duty provides much fuel for the current conflict. Dr. Bernard Lewis is Cleveland E. Dodge Professor of Near Eastern Studies Emeritus, at Princeton University. Almost any of his books, of which there are dozens, would be helpful in gaining a broader perspective on the conflict. "A Concise History of the Crusades" by Thomas F. Madden "Crusades Through Arab Eyes" by Amin Maalouf "Christian Jihad: Two Former Muslims Look at the Crusades and Killing in the Name of Christ" by Ergun Mehmet Caner, Emir Fethi Caner "Jihad in the West: Muslim Conquests from the 7th to the 21st Centuries" by Paul Fregosi "A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East" by David Fromkin "Six Days of War : June 1967 and the Making of the Modern Middle East" by Michael B. Oren "Right to Exist : A Moral Defense of Israel's Wars" by Yaacov Lozowick "The Closed Circle: An Interpretation of the Arabs" by David Pryce-Jones "The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order" by Samuel P. Huntington "Ivory Towers on Sand: The Failure of Middle Eastern Studies in America" by Martin Kramer Outstanding work by two obviously informed Christian scholars.
Rating:
Summary: Great, an interesting read.
Review: Well worth the time. I highly recommend this book
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