- Paperback: 672 pages
- Publisher: Holt Paperbacks (Sep 1 2001)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0805068848
- ISBN-13: 978-0805068849
- Product Dimensions: 20.8 x 14 x 3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 612 g
- Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #131,400 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Review
"Wonderful...No book published in recent years has more lasting relevance to our understanding of the Middle East."—Jack Miles, Los Angeles Book Review
"Extraordinarily ambitious, provocative and vividly written...Fromkin unfolds a gripping tale of diplomatic double-dealing, military incompetence and political upheaval."—Reid Beddow, Washington Post Book World
"Ambitious and splendid...An epic tale of ruin and disillusion...of great men, their large deeds and even larger follies."—Fouad Ajami, The Wall Street Journal
"[It] achieves an ideal of historical writing: its absorbing narrative not only recounts past events but offers a useful way to think about them....The book demands close attention and repays it. Much of the information here was not available until recent decades, and almost every page brings us news about a past that troubles the present."—Naomi Bliven, The New Yorker
"Extraordinarily ambitious, provocative and vividly written...Fromkin unfolds a gripping tale of diplomatic double-dealing, military incompetence and political upheaval."—Reid Beddow, Washington Post Book World
"Ambitious and splendid...An epic tale of ruin and disillusion...of great men, their large deeds and even larger follies."—Fouad Ajami, The Wall Street Journal
"[It] achieves an ideal of historical writing: its absorbing narrative not only recounts past events but offers a useful way to think about them....The book demands close attention and repays it. Much of the information here was not available until recent decades, and almost every page brings us news about a past that troubles the present."—Naomi Bliven, The New Yorker
"One of the first books to take an effective panoramic view of what was happening, not only in Egypt, Palestine, Turkey, and the Arab regions of Asia but also in Afghanistan and central Asia....Readers will come away from A Peace to End All Peace not only enlightened but challenged ? challenged in a way that is brought home by the irony of the title."—The New York Times Book Review
Book Description
The critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling account of how the modern Middle East came into being after World War I, and why it is in upheaval today
In our time the Middle East has proven a battleground of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and dynasties. All of these conflicts, including the hostilities between Arabs and Israelis that have flared yet again, come down, in a sense, to the extent to which the Middle East will continue to live with its political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed upon the region by the Allies after the First World War.
In A Peace to End All Peace, David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies came to remake the geography and politics of the Middle East, drawing lines on an empty map that eventually became the new countries of Iraq, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when all-even an alliance between Arab nationalism and Zionism-seemed possible he raises questions about what might have been done differently, and answers questions about why things were done as they were. The current battle for a Palestinian homeland has its roots in these events of 85 years ago.
In our time the Middle East has proven a battleground of rival religions, ideologies, nationalisms, and dynasties. All of these conflicts, including the hostilities between Arabs and Israelis that have flared yet again, come down, in a sense, to the extent to which the Middle East will continue to live with its political inheritance: the arrangements, unities, and divisions imposed upon the region by the Allies after the First World War.
In A Peace to End All Peace, David Fromkin reveals how and why the Allies came to remake the geography and politics of the Middle East, drawing lines on an empty map that eventually became the new countries of Iraq, Israel, Jordan, and Lebanon. Focusing on the formative years of 1914 to 1922, when all-even an alliance between Arab nationalism and Zionism-seemed possible he raises questions about what might have been done differently, and answers questions about why things were done as they were. The current battle for a Palestinian homeland has its roots in these events of 85 years ago.
Inside This Book
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First Sentence
In the late spring of 1912, the graceful yacht Enchantress put out to sea from rainy Genoa for a Mediterranean pleasure cruise-a carefree cruise without itinerary or time-schedule. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
In the late spring of 1912, the graceful yacht Enchantress put out to sea from rainy Genoa for a Mediterranean pleasure cruise-a carefree cruise without itinerary or time-schedule. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Informative on a zone of upheaval from a British perspective,
By Sami T. Ahmad (Vancouver, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East (Paperback)
As a Grade 11 student of history and current affairs, particularly on the Middle East, reading David Fromkin's A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East was fascinating. Despite its 500 pages, the book held my interest throughout. Mr Fromkin manages to transport us into the start of the last century, give color to the politics and personalities, and depict a colorful tapestry of the cross currents of that time.What stands out are the massive implications and resultant upheavals borne out of the sometimes trivial decision making processes and relatively naïve decision-makers. The childish internal scuffling and petty politics in the top echelons of the British Government was an eye-opener. Though he remains highly complimentary of Winston Churchill, Fromkin also shatters some of the myths of Winston Churchill's so-called "prescience". The author also deals in needless detail about al-Faruqi, but does not really address his authenticity. I also found his comments on Kemal Ataturk to be ungrudgingly positive. In addition, I was unable to get a feel of the economic and social backdrop of the time. Despite sometimes missing the forest because of such a detailed view of the trees, I recommend the book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Read this now! It could all happen again!,
By
This review is from: A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East (Paperback)
It's a bit spooky to read this account of events in the Middle East during the decade that bracketed World War, while the occupation and rebuilding of post-Saddam Iraq is unfolding. The parallels (both good and not-so-good) are fascinating, almost to the point where one could substitute current names like Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz and Condoleeza Rice for Lord Kitchener, Lord Asquith and Sir Mark Sykes.More than one scholar has suggested that this work from David Fromkin is a must-read for anyone wanting to understand the roots of the politics and current animosities of the Middle East. I'm no scholar, but I can't imagine another source that could provide a better accounts of the events and personalities from 90 years ago that have shaped (and often misshaped) the most problematic region of the world. The movie "Lawrence of Arabia" may have been cinema at it's best. But it was also history at it's most trivial. This is the real history, laced with context and the full implications of each development. Fromkin relates in fascinating detail the various acts of hubris, misdirection, treachery, imperialism, nation building, cowardice and more that shaped the arbitrary borders and ruling classes of today's Saudi Arabia, Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran and Israel. From the Young Turks of the Ottoman Empire to the early leaders of Zionism, each player in this vast geopolitical game comes under the author's critical eye. And Fromkin is impartial with both his praise and his criticism. While his portrait of Winston Churchill tosses body blow or two to Sir Winston's image, it also establishes a firm foundation for those that regard Churchill as one of the most dominate and influential leaders of the twentieth century. Knowledge of the mistakes in the past is no guarantee that future mistakes will not occur, but it does help to avoid a repeat of past errors. This book should be required reading for any American, particularly our current leadership!
2 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant - simply the best,
By Christopher Catherwood "author" (Richmond VA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: A Peace to End All Peace: The Fall of the Ottoman Empire and the Creation of the Modern Middle East (Paperback)
The previous reviewer is, alas, the one spouting the nonesense! Israel only exists because of the decisions of Lloyd George and Churchill in 1918-1921: the creation of Israel in 1948 was the cumulation of a process that began with the British capture of Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire in 1917, as Fromkin's book brilliantly and conclusively shows. Christopher Catherwood, author of CHURCHILL'S FOLLY: HOW WINSTON CHURCHILL CREATED IRAQ (Carroll and Graf, 2004)
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