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Book topics: Royalty, History, Travel, Fiction, Assyria, Babylonia, Bahrain, Caliphate, Egypt, Iran/Persia, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, Oman, Palmyra, Phoenicia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sumer, Syria, Turkey, UAE, Yemen

Modern Middle East

All in the Family by Michael Herb is about absolutism, revolution, and democratic prospects in the Middle Eastern monarchies. Published in 1999.

The Modern Middle East: A Political History Since the First World War by Mehran Kamrava. Takes readers from fall of the Ottoman Empire to modern times.

A Peace to End All Peace by David Fromkin is about the fall of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of the modern Middle East.

The Ottoman Gulf: The Creation of Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, 1870-1914 by Frederick Fallowfield Anscombe examines the role the Ottoman Empire played in the creation of modern Gulf states.

Three Kings: The Rise of an American Empire in the Middle East After World War II by Lloyd C. Gardner. The story of the U.S. scramble for influence, oil, and a military presence based on generous aid to shaky regimes in Saudi Arabia, Iran, Egypt, and Iraq.

The Making of the Modern Gulf States by Rosemarie Said Zahlan. Explores the history of the royal families of Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Oman.

Power and Succession in Arab Monarchies by Joseph Kechichian. A reference guide.

Reform in the Middle East Oil Monarchies edited by Anoushiravan Ehteshami and Steven Wright. Can Arab traditions provide the basis for constitutional monarchy? What are the risks of change and what has been achieved so far? Articles by academics and government officials address these issues.

Power and Politics in the Persian Gulf Monarchies by Christopher Davidson. About the six traditional monarchies comprising the Gulf Cooperation Council -- Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

Monarchies and Nations: Globalisation and Identity in the Arab States of the Gulf edited by Paul Dresch and James Piscatori. Examines such issues as Gulf-owned media, the role of women in the Kuwaiti state, and the way Saudi Arabia manages its yearly influx of pilgrims.

Middle East History

History of the Arab Peoples by Albert H. Hourani covers thirteen centuries of Arab history.

The Arabs: A History by Eugene Rogan. Traces five centuries of Arab history, from the Ottoman conquests through the colonial periods and up to the present age, drawing from Arab sources little known to Western readers.

Brotherhood of Kings: How International Relations Shaped the Ancient Near East by Amanda H. Podany. From 2300 to 1300 BCE, great kings kings forged friendships across hundreds of miles which gradually made wars between them less common.

The Forgotten Queens of Islam by Fatima Mernissi, translated by Mary Jo Lakeland, is a history of Islamic royal women.

Encyclopedia of Modern Middle East edited by Reeva S. Simon, Philip Mattar, and Richard W. Bulliet. A comprehensive reference book about the Middle East over the past 200 years.

Travel Guide

Lonely Planet Middle East by Andrew Humphreys, Ann Jousiffe, Lou Callan, and Cathy Lanigan. Includes notes on the history and culture of the region.

Fiction

The Legend of the Wandering King by Laura Gallego Garcia. Fantasy novel inspired by the life of Imru'l Qays, a real 6th century poet who was said to be the son of the last king of Kindah in Arabia. For young adult readers.

Syria and Palmyra

The Archaeology of Syria: From Complex Hunter-Gatherers to Early Urban Societies by Peter M. M. G. Akkermans and Glenn M. Schwartz. The first comprehensive presentation of the archaeology of Syria from the end of the Paleolithic period to 300 BC.

Roman Syria and the Near East by Kevin Butcher. The provinces that the Romans called Syria covered a vast area occupied today by several modern states. These included some of the most spectacular ruins of the ancient world -- Palmyra, Baalbek, and Apamea -- and fabled cities such as Antioch, Damascus, Sidon, and Tyre.

Historical Dictionary of Syria by David Dean Commins. Covers significant persons, events, and institutions from the earliest settlements to the present.

Palmyra and Its Empire: Zenobia's Revolt Against Rome by Richard Stoneman. In the 3rd century AD, the Syrian city of Palmyra -- under the rule of its queen, Zenobia -- broke away from Rome. This is the first comprehensive book about Roman Syria, the revolt of Zenobia, and the city of Palmyra.

Empress Zenobia: Palmyra's Rebel Queen by Pat Southern. Biography of the third century Syrian queen who challenged the authority of Rome.

More Books About Queen Zenobia
More Books About Palmyra
More Books About Syria

Turkey

Books About Royalty in Turkey

United Arab Emirates

Books About the UAE
Books About Abu Dhabi
Books About Dubai

Yemen

Islam, Memory, and Morality in Yemen: Ruling Families in Transition by Gabrielle vom Bruck. Tells a story of a Yemeni hereditary elite that was overthrown in the 1962 revolution in North Yemen after enjoying exclusive rights to the leadership of the Imamate, the religiously sanctioned state, for over a millennium.

Historical Dictionary of Yemen by Robert D. Burrowes. Covers people and events in Yemen from ancient times through the 1990s.

Studies in the Medieval History of the Yemen and South Arabia by G. Rex Smith.

A History of Modern Yemen by Paul Dresch. A single Yemeni state was not formed until 1990. Much of Yemen's 20th century history was taken up constructing a state after years of civil war. Book includes illustrations, maps and a detailed chronology.

Yemen: Jewel of Arabia by Charles and Patricia Aithie. A large format, full-color photography book.

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World Royalty