Fragmentation of the Middle East
The last 30 years
Hutchinson Education, London 1988
Translated by Selina Cohen, Ruj Isar
and Margaret Owen
Well received on its first publication in France, this stimulating and cogent
analysis is now available for the first time in English.
The shifting turmoil of the Middle East continues to have international
repercussions. In grasping the reality of social and cultural experiences, and
placing them in an historical perspective, Dr Corm clarifies admirably the
complex political, religious, economic and cultural currents that have
stirred these turbulent waters from the 1950s to the present day.
What problems has the oil boom created for Arab society? Why has the
Palestinian national movement failed to achieve its goal? What lies behind
the desperate love-hate attitude of the Arab to the West? How long can Israel
continue to impose its domination on a fragmented Arab World? How is this
same Arab world coping with the challenging international and socio-economic
problems it faces? These are just some of the questions addressed
in an illuminating study.
Georges Corm, a Lebanese himself, is a wise and well-known
commentator on the Middle East. He now lives and works in France as a
consultant and lecturer. He has written a book that will sharpen the insight
of anyone with even the most superficial knowledge of the Middle East and
its recent past.
Cover photograph by courtesy of J. Charbonnier
/Camera Press
Printed in Great Britain