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
Idlib province, Syria.
Middle East Forum Online
The Druze of Idlib in Post-Assad Syria: Interview
An Interview with Issam Ibrahim, a Political and Civil Society Activist of the Jabal Al-Summaq Village of Qalb Lawze
June 6, 2026
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Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Spanish national team players during the 2025 UEFA Nations League quarterfinals.
Middle East Forum Observer
Should Spain Be Banned from the 2026 World Cup?
As a Genocidal Regime That Occupies Other People’s Territories, Moral Clarity and Consistency Require Spain to Sit Home
June 6, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
A view of the Aegean Sea from
Middle East Forum Observer
Turkey’s ‘Blue Homeland’ Agenda and the Future of Maritime Competition
Recent Discussions in Turkey Suggest Ankara May Formalize Parts of Its Maritime Strategy in State Structures and Legislation
June 6, 2026
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Nicoletta Kouroushi
Middle East Quarterly
Stratejik Ortak Olarak Türkiye
June 5, 2026
Middle East Quarterly
Replace Turkey as a Strategic Partner?
June 5, 2026
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Jonathan Eric Lewis
Swiss Bishop Marian Eleganti (left) and Italian Bishop Antonio Suetta (right) have challenged the Catholic Church’s prevailing approach to Islam by warning about the threat of Islamism in Europe and calling for renewed efforts to share the Gospel with Muslims rather than relying exclusively on interfaith dialogue.
FWI News
Two Bishops Tackle Islamism in Europe
Prelates Break Taboo on Evangelizing Muslims and Addressing Jihadi Violence
June 5, 2026
 · 
Jules Gomes
Middle East Forum Online
Algeria’s Generals Have Given Their Verdict Before a Single Vote Has Been Cast
Candidate Disqualifications and Military Oversight Reveal a Parliamentary Election Shaped Before Voters Arrive
June 5, 2026
 · 
Amine Ayoub
Absent an active supreme leader — and there remains no proof-of-life for nominal Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who has not been seen since his appointment — there are multiple Revolutionary Guards factions and power brokers; it is unclear whether any single one can deliver his competitors.
Middle East Forum Online
Iran Thinks Time Is Its Best Weapon Against America. Trump Needs to Take That off the Table
Not Only Will Half-Measures Fail, but a Diplomatic Bargain That Allows the Islamic Republic to Rebuild Will Be as Bad as a Loss
June 5, 2026
 · 
Michael Rubin
Druze demonstrators in Suwayda. Pro-government narratives have increasingly portrayed the province’s opposition as a security threat, obscuring Syria’s broader failures of accountability, minority protection, and governance.
Middle East Forum Online
The Druze Supervillain
Attempts to Securitize Suwayda Risk Obscuring Syria’s Deeper Failures
June 5, 2026
 · 
Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi
Havana, Cuba.
Middle East Forum Observer
A Free Cuba Would Diminish Iranian Influence in the Western Hemisphere
The Trump Administration Should Support Regime Change in Cuba to a Government Committed to Removing Iranian Influence
June 5, 2026
 · 
Elliot Nazar