Book Reviews

Summer 2026 Book Reviews
Book Reviews
The War That Made the Middle East: World War I and the End of the Ottoman Empire
By Mustafa Aksakal. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2026. 264 pp.; $26.66 (hardcover); $17.60 (Kindle)

Book Review by Efraim Karsh
June 1, 2026
Book Reviews
Late Ottoman Gaza: An Eastern Mediterranean Hub in Transformation
By Yuval Ben-Bassat and Johann Büssow. London: Cambridge University Press, 2024. 206 pp.; $88.36 (hardcover); $110 (e-book)

Book Review by Donna Robinson Divine

June 1, 2026
Book Reviews
Syria, Revolt and War in the Digital Age. Edited by Cécile Boëx and Agnès Devictor
Translated by Jane Kuntz. Cairo: American University in Cairo Press, 2025. 282 pp.; $89.95 (hardcover)

Book Review by Daniel Pipes
June 1, 2026
Book Reviews
Islam, Israel and the West: A Former Muslim’s Analysis
By Danny Burmawi. N.P.: Gerasa Books, 2025. 252 pp.; $19.99 (hardcover); $16.99 (paperback); $9.99 (Kindle)

Book Review by Dexter Van Zile
June 1, 2026
Book Reviews
Syria: Civil War to Holy War?
By Charles Glass. New York: OR Books, 2025. 294 pp.; $17.01 (paperback); $9.99 (Kindle)

Book Review by Jonathan Spyer
June 1, 2026
Book Reviews
Israel Under Netanyahu: Populism and Democratic Decline
By Neta Oren. Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner, 2025. 169 pp.; $95 (hardcover); $95 (e-book)

Book Review by Martin Sherman
June 1, 2026
Book Reviews
Frequencies of Deceit: How Global Propaganda Wars Shaped the Middle East
By Margaret Peacock. Oakland, CA: University of California Press, 2025. 326 pp.; $82.75 (hardcover); $29.95 (paperback); $28.45 (Kindle)

Reviewed by Jeffrey Herf
June 1, 2026
Book Reviews
Call at 4 AM: Thirteen Prime Ministers and the Crucial Decisions that Shaped Israeli Politics
By Amit Segal. New York: Wicked Son, 2025. 248 pp.; $23.41 (hardcover); $14.99 (Kindle)

Reviewed by Alex Selsky
June 1, 2026
Book Reviews
Hostage
By Eli Sharabi. Translated by Eylon Levy. New York: Harper Influence, 2025. 208 pp.; $20.74 (hardcover); $14.99 (Kindle)

Book Review by A. J. Caschetta
June 1, 2026
More from MEF
The port of Kyrenia, Northern Cyprus.
Middle East Forum Observer
Compromising with Turkey on Cyprus Will Lead to War in the Aegean
The U.N. Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy for Cyprus Will Soon Unveil a Deal to Resolve Problems with ‘Constructive Ambiguity’
July 20, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
Syria’s military includes many extremist factions with hostility toward non-Muslims and non-Sunni communities.
Middle East Forum Observer
Why Sending Syrian Forces Into Lebanon to Fight Hezbollah Is a Dangerous Idea
Even the Suggestion of Another Syrian Military Presence in Lebanon Could Inflame Political and Sectarian Tensions
July 20, 2026
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Sirwan Kajjo
An anti-Israel protest in Manchester, United Kingdom.
Middle East Forum Observer
Mossad Should Cultivate Strategic Partners Among Europe’s Right-Wing Separatist Movements
To Counter a Leftish Groundswell, Israel Should Begin Outreach to Conservative Factions Among Regional Pro-Independence Groups
July 20, 2026
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Jose Lev Alvarez
The Kashan bazaar in Iran during an afternoon lull.
Middle East Forum Observer
Iranian Regime Hubris Chaffs Citizens as Electricity Fails and Artesh Casualties Mount
The Daily Reality Confronting Ordinary Iranians Stands in Stark Contrast to the Rhetoric of Regime Officials
July 19, 2026
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Potkin Azarmehr
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan with Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamu during a visit to Somalia.
Middle East Forum Observer
Turkey’s Somalia Mediation Is Rooted in Exploitation, Not Diplomacy
Western Capitals Should Be Precise About What They Endorse When They Praise Turkish-Facilitated Dialogue in Somalia
July 19, 2026
 · 
Siyad Madey
Former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami in a file photo.
Middle East Forum Observer
Mohammad Khatami Wants an ‘Honorable Peace.’ Hardliners Do Not
The Former President’s Remarks Suggest the Degree to Which Control Is Fracturing in the Islamic Republic
July 18, 2026
 · 
Shay Khatiri
U.S.-Iran talks are aimed at preventing Iran from attaining a nuclear bomb.
Middle East Forum Observer
If Iran Goes Nuclear, the Middle East Enters Its Most Dangerous Era
Islamist Extremist Voices Advocating More Confrontational Policies Have Gained the Upper Hand in Tehran
July 18, 2026
 · 
Wahied Wahdat-Hagh
Articles by Islamist Watch
Texas Islamist Charter School Funded With $75 Million of State Monies
July 17, 2026
 · 
Sam Westrop
Protesters at a poorly attended Al Quds protest in London promote anti-Israel and anti-Western messaging on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran on March 15, 2026.
FWI News
Report: Foreign Funding Fans the Flames of Britain’s Islamist-Leftist Anti-Israel Protests
Investigative Report Assails Depiction of Grassroots, Spontaneous Demonstrations
July 17, 2026
 · 
Jules Gomes
FWI News
Egyptian Islamist Tours U.K. Mosques as Home Secretary Stays Silent
Imam Accused of Backing Executions of Gays Hosts Jew-Hating Islamist
July 17, 2026
 · 
Jules Gomes