Related Topics

• Middle East patterns

Middle East Quarterly

• Jail for Iranian Journalists
  by Arash Sigarchi
• Iran's Revolutionary Guards - A Rogue Outfit?
  by Michael Rubin

Get Involved with the MEF

• Campus Activities
• Donations
• Employment & Internships

Articles by MEF Staff

• Obama or McCain, Iran stance won't change
  by Michael Rubin
• Boxed In: Containing a Nuclear Iran
  by Michael Rubin

MEF Wires

• "My Pentagon Years"
  by Douglas J. Feith
• What's at Stake for the West in Lebanon?
  by David Wurmser

Press Releases

• Irfan Yusuf Apologizes Again to Daniel Pipes
  October 1
• Irfan Yusuf Apologizes to Daniel Pipes
  September 17

Most Viewed Articles

1. Assessing English Translations of the Qur'an
2. Iran's Revolutionary Guards - A Rogue Outfit?
3. The Middle East's Tribal DNA
4. Beheading in the Name of Islam
5. Ahmadinejad and the Mahdi

Most Mailed Articles

1. Obama or McCain, Iran stance won't change
2. Iran's Revolutionary Guards - A Rogue Outfit?
3. The Middle East's Tribal DNA
4. Ahmadinejad and the Mahdi
5. Does Islam Justify Honor Killings?

SUMMER 2001 • VOLUME VIII: NUMBER 3

Subscribe   |    Archive   |    Submit Manuscript   |    Board of Editors   |    Contact Editor   |

Middle East Patterns: Places, People and Politics. 3rd edition

by Colbert C. Held
Boulder, Colo.: Westview Press, 2000. pp. 562. $35, paper.

Reviewed by Jonathan Schanzer

Middle East Quarterly
Summer 2001

Print

Send

RSS

Its title implies a more ambitious book than is actually the case; Middle East Patterns is really less the case than Middle East Facts. Held's survey covers ancient history, water, topography, climate, flora, fauna, soil, ethnicities, religions, agriculture, fishing, oil, manufacturing, transportation, urban patterns, and regional conflicts, as well as a substantial report on every state in the region (including Turkey and Iran, but excluding North Africa). The chapter on petroleum, with sections on reserves, marketing, and production, is a stand-out, providing one of the best, up-to-date surveys around. The chapter on the region's many conflicts is also valuable; Held's balanced, unbiased, and judicious voice is refreshing.

In fact, the book is reminiscent of a college textbook. With two columns to a page, sixty-five different maps, more than 100 black and white photos and about a dozen tables and graphs, one may experience flashbacks of studying for exams in a dorm room with a large pot of coffee.

And strong coffee is a near-prerequisite if one aims to stay awake while reading Middle East Patterns from cover to cover. While informative and instructive about a fascinating region, Held holds to a rigid and dulling chapter structure. While a fine volume for point-of-reference purposes and a useful addition to any library, it was not designed to be read straight through.

It should be noted that the author miraculously produced this third edition while battling lung cancer. With that illness now in remission, his readers can now look forward to further updated versions in the years ahead.

Related Topics: Middle East patterns

To receive articles regularly by email, join the MEF News mailing list.
To receive the full, printed version of the Middle East Quarterly, please see details about an affordable subscription.

Related Items

• Other items from the Summer 2001 Middle East Quarterly
• Other items by Jonathan Schanzer