Between Memory and Desire: The Middle East in a Troubled Age

I read the 1999 edition. It appears that the only difference between it and the 2005 edition is that the latter contains an additional 10-page preface, presumably commenting on 9/11 and the War in Iraq. I read the book recently, in 2007. It struck me as mildly dated and I regretted that particularly because it was so informative and insightful that I wished I was able to get the benefit of the author's knowledge and analysis of the most recent developments in the Middle East. If in fact Humphreys has not re-written or updated the text in the 2005 edition, that is unfortunate, but even so the book can be highly recommended. "Between Memory and Desire" is a sober, thoughtful, and objective survey of the social, economic, and political problems confronting the various countries and peoples in the Middle East. Humphreys identifies and then explores at moderate length such issues as a) unprecedented population growth in the Middle East, without anywhere near commensurate economic growth; b) historical reasons for Mideasterners' disdain for constitutional and parliamentary government; and c) the pervasive overlay of Islam and how, in different ways and to differing degrees from country to country, it affects the prospects for democracy, economic growth, the place of women in society, and human rights (as judged by Western standards). There also is a trenchant chapter entitled "Jihad and the Politics of Salvation". Humphreys takes pains to note and discuss separately, where relevant, the situations in different Mideastern countries. (In hindsight, much of the discussion of conditions in Iraq is remarkably prescient, and one can't help but wish the Bush Administration had shared and/or taken more into account Humphreys' views.) This is not easy reading. It demands careful attention, and seems most directed at a college-level audience, maybe even as an undergraduate or graduate text. But neither is the book unnecessarily dense or academic. For the type of hardheaded analysis of history, politics, economics, and social conditions that it is, it is very well written and presented. At the back, there are useful footnotes for those who wish to pursue certain issues in greater detail. Again, I recommend the book highly.

Most of the books on the modern Middle East have axes to grind, and this book, say professors Jonathan Bloom and Sheila Blair, is the notable exception. Stephen Humphreys is one the HUGE names in Islamic history, and extremely well-respected academician at the University of California. His book is readable and unbiased. It portrays an intelligent picture of that part of the world that is still perceived very strangely by the many people outside it. (By the way, the previous reviewer, Daniel Pipes, is part of the same organization as Martin Kramer, who advocated removal of funding for Middle East Studies Programs. Pipes himself has just set up a McCarthyan website in which he keeps "dossiers" of any professors who might be sympathetic toward Islam and the Middle East and in which he urges students to report others. He's hardly objective.) So much of what's going on in the Middle East today is the result of recent history, and it's important to understand that history for any kind of modern understanding. This book discusses the politics, economics, social tensions, and religious issues that shape the character of the Middle East. Very recommended for anyone who wants to understand what's going on there and how -- increasingly -- it will affect us in the Western world.

If one tries to understand the present political situation in the middle east, one is left lost and wandering helplessly. This book helps us to to understand this situation by digging deep into the political past of the middle east , and succeeds spectacularly !!A definite read for all those interested in the middle east