Sharkey, Heather J

English

ScholarlyCommons@Penn

University of PennsylvaniaScholarlyCommonsDepartmental Papers (NELC) Department of Near Eastern Languages andCivilizations (NELC)7-1997The Near East Since the First World War: A Historyto 1995,Heather J. SharkeyUniversity of Pennsylvania, hsharkey@sas.upenn.eduFollow this and additional works at: http://repository.upenn.edu/nelc_papersPart of the History Commons, Near Eastern Languages and Societies Commons, and the Socialand Cultural Anthropology CommonsReview of: The Near East Since the First World War: A History to 1995, (A History of the Near East)Available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/23062228At the time of publication, author Heather J. Sharkey was associated with Princeton University. Currently, she is a faculty member at the University ofPennsylvania.This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. http://repository.upenn.edu/nelc_papers/21For more information, please contact libraryrepository@pobox.upenn.edu.Recommended CitationSharkey, H. J. (1997). The Near East Since the First World War: A History to 1995,. Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, 31 (1),59-60. Retrieved from http://repository.upenn.edu/nelc_papers/21The Near East Since the First World War: A History to 1995,DisciplinesHistory | Near Eastern Languages and Societies | Social and Cultural AnthropologyCommentsReview of: The Near East Since the First World War: A History to 1995, (A History of the Near East)Available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/23062228At the time of publication, author Heather J. Sharkey was associated with Princeton University. Currently, sheis a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania.This review is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/nelc_papers/21MESA Bulletin 31 1997 59 act as historical "injunction[s] against forgetting" Jewish history and efforts to "marginalize, vilify and obliterate" the Arab history of Palestine (pp. 43, xxxiii); Palestinian subaltern memories as resistance to official narratives, including unpopular and controversial recollections of collaboration and assassination; and finally, how the recodification and revival of memories of the revolt informed the Palestinian intifada that erupted in 1987. This last chapter shows how symbols from the revolt exercise an enduring potency in the present. An example is how, in naming its military wing the Qassam Brigades, the Islamist group Hamas has achieved international name recognition for the revolt's major, revered martyr, 'Izz al-din al-Qassam. Swedenburg demonstrates the complexities of the engaged dynamics of memory and history, and in the process, the very unreliability of assuming any kind of Rankeian notions of "objective," recoverable historical truth. Subaltern memories, the focus of the book, are not a "unified and coherent outlook on the past, but... a jumbled composite" (p. xxxiii). Different individuals' recollections of the past were informed by their class, clan and village associations. Converse ly, "official" histories interpreted the revolt according to their own past and ongoing political priorities, particularly through silencing alternative versions and excising certain kinds of information from the narrative. This book shows how much is learned through an examination of the interaction between these different historical interpretations. Ellen Fleischmann Georgetown University The Near East Since the First World War: A History to 1995, by M.E. Yapp. (A History of the Near East) 597 pages, index, maps, glossary, bibliographical guide. New York: Longman Group UK, 1996. 19.99 £GB (Paper) isbn 0-582 25651-8 M.E. Yapp's first edition of The Near East Since the First World War surveyed the history of the region from 1923 to 1989. This second edition extends the story to 1995. It provides up-to-date assessments of recent developments, including Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the Gulf War that followed, the Oslo accords between Israel and the PLO in 1993, with their implications for the Palestinian people and for Middle Eastern relations, and the effects of the Soviet Union's collapse on regional power politics. Like all the volumes in Longman's Near Eastern history series, Yapp's The Near East makes a solid textbook for a rigorous or advanced-level college course, or a reliable reference book for important dates and events. Its coverage of political, economic, demographic and diplomatic history is thorough. It comes equipped with a bibliographic guide, a glossary, regional maps, lists of political leaders by country from circa 1923 and an index. This volume would be suitable not only for history courses, but for courses in political science and international relations as well. Its value is enhanced by the fair-mindedness of Yapp, who shows sympathy for his subject—the peoples of the Near East at large—without This content downloaded from 165.123.108.243 on Thu, 22 Oct 2015 18:39:39 UTCAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions60 MESA Bulletin 31 1997 lapsing into partisanship, especially where such issues as Islamism or the Arab Israeli conflict are concerned. However, this text would not suit all students, especially those who are complete newcomers to Middle East studies. Densely packed with figures and facts, it makes for dry reading. A more conceptually oriented, less detailed survey—such as Albert Hourani's gracefully written A History of the Arab Peoples (1991)—might better suit the needs of students in introductory courses. As a general history, Yapp's The Near East also has some basic shortcomings. It is weak on cultural history, for example, and lacks even a cursory discussion of developments in literature, music and the like. Its geographic coverage is also problematic. Yapp covers the states of Arabia, the Levant (including Israel), the Fertile Crescent, Iran, Egypt and Turkey, but omits an important part of the Arab world—namely, the bulk of North Africa. The exclusion of Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and Sudan from this otherwise dependable study diminishes its value as a general textbook survey of modern Middle Eastern history. Neverthe less, for a dispassionate, reasoned account of a region where political passions smoulder, Yapp's study retains its value as an eminently reliable account. Heather Sharkey-Balasubramanian Princeton University Sandcastles: The Arabs in Search of the Modern World, by Milton Viorst. 414 pages, bibliography, index. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1995. $17.95 (Paper) isbn 0-8156-0362-2 Milton Viorst is a journalist with extended experience in the Middle East. In Sandcastles, he presents an in-depth account of several Middle Eastern countries. "Part scholarship and part journalism," its aim is to "convey a sense—perhaps a feel—for Arab society today" (p. xiv). The communities examined are Iraq (in two chapters; one before, one after, the Gulf War), Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinians, Kuwait and Jordan. Each chapter combines a survey of the historical evolution of each society with a lively contemporary portrait based on the author's numerous visits in the late 1980s and early 1990s and his extensive interviews with individuals at all levels of society. A Postscript addresses the repercussions of the Oslo accords on the region. The book makes worthwhile reading in several respects. Its perspective is both sympathetic to contemporary Arab dilemmas and open-minded in its exposi tion of alternative Arab (and Turkish) viewpoints. Except for the chapter on Lebanon, where the author had access primarily to the Maronite community, the range of interviews is quite rich, encompassing political leaders, cultural figures and a sampling of the views of "the average man." The descriptions of both urban and rural life are well-crafted and vivid. One does acquire a nuanced and con vincing feel for Arab society through reading Sandcastles. Perhaps the most original and important dimension of the book is its discus sion of the causes and consequences of the Gulf crisis. Based on extensive interviews with Iraqi and Kuwaiti officials, the book offers considerable evidence This content downloaded from 165.123.108.243 on Thu, 22 Oct 2015 18:39:39 UTCAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

The Near East Since the First World War: A History to 1995,

Kosmopolis

University of Pennsylvania
ScholarlyCommons
Departmental Papers (NELC) Department of Near Eastern Languages andCivilizations (NELC)
7-1997
The Near East Since the First World War: A History
to 1995,
Heather J. Sharkey
University of Pennsylvania, hsharkey@sas.upenn.edu
Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.upenn.edu/nelc_papers
Part of the History Commons, Near Eastern Languages and Societies Commons, and the Social
and Cultural Anthropology Commons
Review of: The Near East Since the First World War: A History to 1995, (A History of the Near East)
Available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/23062228
At the time of publication, author Heather J. Sharkey was associated with Princeton University. Currently, she is a faculty member at the University of
Pennsylvania.
This paper is posted at ScholarlyCommons. http://repository.upenn.edu/nelc_papers/21
For more information, please contact libraryrepository@pobox.upenn.edu.
Recommended Citation
Sharkey, H. J. (1997). The Near East Since the First World War: A History to 1995,. Middle East Studies Association Bulletin, 31 (1),
59-60. Retrieved from http://repository.upenn.edu/nelc_papers/21
The Near East Since the First World War: A History to 1995,
Disciplines
History | Near Eastern Languages and Societies | Social and Cultural Anthropology
Comments
Review of: The Near East Since the First World War: A History to 1995, (A History of the Near East)
Available at http://www.jstor.org/stable/23062228
At the time of publication, author Heather J. Sharkey was associated with Princeton University. Currently, she
is a faculty member at the University of Pennsylvania.
This review is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/nelc_papers/21
MESA Bulletin 31 1997 59 
act as historical "injunction[s] against forgetting" Jewish history and efforts to 
"marginalize, vilify and obliterate" the Arab history of Palestine (pp. 43, xxxiii); 
Palestinian subaltern memories as resistance to official narratives, including 
unpopular and controversial recollections of collaboration and assassination; and 
finally, how the recodification and revival of memories of the revolt informed the 
Palestinian intifada that erupted in 1987. This last chapter shows how symbols 
from the revolt exercise an enduring potency in the present. An example is how, 
in naming its military wing the Qassam Brigades, the Islamist group Hamas has 
achieved international name recognition for the revolt's major, revered martyr, 'Izz 
al-din al-Qassam. 
Swedenburg demonstrates the complexities of the engaged dynamics of 
memory and history, and in the process, the very unreliability of assuming any 
kind of Rankeian notions of "objective," recoverable historical truth. Subaltern 
memories, the focus of the book, are not a "unified and coherent outlook on the 
past, but... a jumbled composite" (p. xxxiii). Different individuals' recollections 
of the past were informed by their class, clan and village associations. Converse 
ly, "official" histories interpreted the revolt according to their own past and 
ongoing political priorities, particularly through silencing alternative versions and 
excising certain kinds of information from the narrative. This book shows how 
much is learned through an examination of the interaction between these different 
historical interpretations. Ellen Fleischmann 
Georgetown University 
The Near East Since the First World War: A History to 1995, by M.E. Yapp. 
(A History of the Near East) 597 pages, index, maps, glossary, bibliographical 
guide. New York: Longman Group UK, 1996. 19.99 £GB (Paper) isbn 0-582 
25651-8 
M.E. Yapp's first edition of The Near East Since the First World War surveyed 
the history of the region from 1923 to 1989. This second edition extends the story 
to 1995. It provides up-to-date assessments of recent developments, including 
Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and the Gulf War that followed, the Oslo 
accords between Israel and the PLO in 1993, with their implications for the 
Palestinian people and for Middle Eastern relations, and the effects of the Soviet 
Union's collapse on regional power politics. 
Like all the volumes in Longman's Near Eastern history series, Yapp's The 
Near East makes a solid textbook for a rigorous or advanced-level college course, 
or a reliable reference book for important dates and events. Its coverage of 
political, economic, demographic and diplomatic history is thorough. It comes 
equipped with a bibliographic guide, a glossary, regional maps, lists of political 
leaders by country from circa 1923 and an index. This volume would be suitable 
not only for history courses, but for courses in political science and international 
relations as well. Its value is enhanced by the fair-mindedness of Yapp, who 
shows sympathy for his subject—the peoples of the Near East at large—without 
This content downloaded from 165.123.108.243 on Thu, 22 Oct 2015 18:39:39 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions
60 MESA Bulletin 31 1997 
lapsing into partisanship, especially where such issues as Islamism or the Arab 
Israeli conflict are concerned. 
However, this text would not suit all students, especially those who are 
complete newcomers to Middle East studies. Densely packed with figures and 
facts, it makes for dry reading. A more conceptually oriented, less detailed 
survey—such as Albert Hourani's gracefully written A History of the Arab Peoples 
(1991)—might better suit the needs of students in introductory courses. 
As a general history, Yapp's The Near East also has some basic shortcomings. 
It is weak on cultural history, for example, and lacks even a cursory discussion of 
developments in literature, music and the like. Its geographic coverage is also 
problematic. Yapp covers the states of Arabia, the Levant (including Israel), the 
Fertile Crescent, Iran, Egypt and Turkey, but omits an important part of the Arab 
world—namely, the bulk of North Africa. The exclusion of Libya, Tunisia, 
Algeria, Morocco and Sudan from this otherwise dependable study diminishes its 
value as a general textbook survey of modern Middle Eastern history. Neverthe 
less, for a dispassionate, reasoned account of a region where political passions 
smoulder, Yapp's study retains its value as an eminently reliable account. 
Heather Sharkey-Balasubramanian 
Princeton University 
Sandcastles: The Arabs in Search of the Modern World, by Milton Viorst. 
414 pages, bibliography, index. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1995. 
$17.95 (Paper) isbn 0-8156-0362-2 
Milton Viorst is a journalist with extended experience in the Middle East. In 
Sandcastles, he presents an in-depth account of several Middle Eastern countries. 
"Part scholarship and part journalism," its aim is to "convey a sense—perhaps a 
feel—for Arab society today" (p. xiv). The communities examined are Iraq (in 
two chapters; one before, one after, the Gulf War), Turkey, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, 
the Palestinians, Kuwait and Jordan. Each chapter combines a survey of the 
historical evolution of each society with a lively contemporary portrait based on 
the author's numerous visits in the late 1980s and early 1990s and his extensive 
interviews with individuals at all levels of society. A Postscript addresses the 
repercussions of the Oslo accords on the region. 
The book makes worthwhile reading in several respects. Its perspective is 
both sympathetic to contemporary Arab dilemmas and open-minded in its exposi 
tion of alternative Arab (and Turkish) viewpoints. Except for the chapter on 
Lebanon, where the author had access primarily to the Maronite community, the 
range of interviews is quite rich, encompassing political leaders, cultural figures 
and a sampling of the views of "the average man." The descriptions of both urban 
and rural life are well-crafted and vivid. One does acquire a nuanced and con 
vincing feel for Arab society through reading Sandcastles. 
Perhaps the most original and important dimension of the book is its discus 
sion of the causes and consequences of the Gulf crisis. Based on extensive 
interviews with Iraqi and Kuwaiti officials, the book offers considerable evidence 
This content downloaded from 165.123.108.243 on Thu, 22 Oct 2015 18:39:39 UTC
All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions


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