Reaching for Power: The Shi'a in the Modern Arab World

Nakash is a noted expert in Iraqi Shi'ism and modern Shi'i socio-political movements. His book was meant to serve as a primer on the evolution of Shi'i politics in the twenty-first century. The writing style is clear and easy to read while still including vital information.

Yitzhak Nakash's brief but detailed look at the resurgence of Shi'i power explores one of the most important issues facing the modern Middle East. After an introductory chapter that establishes Shi'ism's place and history in the region, Nakash provides case studies on four Arab countries where Shi'is play an influential role. He demonstrates that the Shi'i experiences in these countries: Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Lebanon, and Iraq are as different as they are similar. In each instance, Shi'is faced official discrimination in some form or another, sometimes as the minority, but also as the majority. The political climate in each of these countries as it relates to Shi'ism is quite varied and by no means operates in a vacuum. As such, one of the book's strongest features is that Nakash shows how events in one of these countries affects developments in the others. After providing the case studies, Nakash includes a final chapter that covers more recent developments dealing with Shi'i politics in each country. These pages are particularly strong as they demonstrate the impact of the past on events occurring today. At the time this review is being written, only one other reviewer has provided comments on this book. It would be a shame if this one misguided review has discouraged anyone from picking up this book. Nakash's book is a pretty easy read for someone versed in Middle Eastern history, but an extensive background in the subject is by no means a prerequisite here. The Sunni/Shi'i conflict is one of the most important issues facing the Middle East (and by extension anyone dealing with the Middle East) today. Nakash's book is not an all-encompassing and sweeping history and was not meant to be, although he goes into more detail about Bahrain than most people have read about, even if their field is the Middle East. Anyone interested in Middle Eastern issues and history would do well to read this brief, but informative book.