A List for Americans: Some Recent, Some Classics About the Middle East and Afghanistan

I’m an American citizen and thus far, my travels, sadly, have been limited to Western countries and cultures. Before 9/11, I’d had an inkling that trouble was stirring in the East. It wasn’t entirely surprising to me when the towers came down, but it was a painful moment of history to witness. So I stepped up the pace on my reading, since physical travel to some of these troubled regions of the East is not feasible. As I went about reading up on the areas I had heard about in the news, I found some pretty surprising subtleties that a 2-minute sound bite on CNN just can’t convey. A lot of these resources are available in Snell Library. Next time you have some time between classes, check one of the following out. Please add to this list in your comments, I look forward to discovering new sources of debate and knowledge. The Prince of the Marshes: and other occupational hazards of a year in Iraq DS70.65 .S74 2006 The Places in Between DS352 .S74 2006 by: Rory Stewart A British diplomat of Scottish descent and a former fellow of the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, Stewart wrote engaging accounts of his work in Iraq and travels through Afghanistan. The Prince of the Marshes documents the challenges of his year as a deputy governor of the Iraqi province of Maysan and Senior Advisor in the province of Dhi Qar following the invasion of Iraq in 2003 by coalition forces, as a new democracy struggles to gain hold in the war-torn nation. The Places in Between is a travelogue that takes place after the fall of the Taliban regime, Stewart writes of an incredible journey by foot through some of Afghanistan’s most isolated regions. The great war for civilization : the conquest of the Middle East DS62.8 .F53 2005 Pity the Nation: the abduction of Lebanon DS87 .F55 1990 by Robert Fisk A decorated journalist for the British newspaper The Independent, Fisk weaves detailed and insightful story lines in The Great War to produce a rich account of Western involvement in Middle East affairs through the decades. Pity the Nation remains one of the most cited and respected works documenting the tragedy of Lebanon’s descent into civil war. The Satanic Verses PR9499.3.R8 S28 1989 Haroun and the Sea of Stories PR9499.3.R8 H37 1990 Shalimar the Clown: a novel PR6068.U757 S47 2005 by: Salman Rushdie Rushdie, a British writer born in Mumbai, India, spent nearly a decade in hiding for his work The Satanic Verses, a satirical work perceived to be an irreverent depiction of the prophet Muhammad, for which the Ayatollah Ruhollah Komeini of Iran issued an edict of fatwa. Despite protests and controversy, Rushdie is recognized as an author who excels in the portrayal of connection, disruption and migration between the East and West. Haroun and the Sea of Stories is a charming fable of a young boy’s experiences in the battle between a democratic society and one ruled by a demagogue. Shalimar the Clown is a stunning and emotional account of the title character and his descent into madness and revenge in the war torn region of India, Kashmir. A Mighty Heart: the brave life and death of my husband, Danny Pearl  PN4874.P37 P43 2003 by: Mariane Pearl Mariane Pearl, a French freelance journalist, writes her account of the events during her husband’s kidnapping and murder in Pakistan. A touching tribute to Daniel Pearl, former writer for The Wall Street Journal, A Mighty Heart also details the challenges facing government and law enforcement officials in Pakistan, as well as the complex relationships entrenched in the political and religious movements of the country. Infidel  DJ292.H57 A3 2007 by: Ayaan Hirsi Ali In her account spanning several cultures and countries of Africa and the Middle East, Hirsi Ali writes about her experiences as a Muslim woman, her flight from an unwanted and arranged marriage and her entry into politics in the Netherlands. A remarkable journey through countries and minds, Infidel is a controversial and thought-provoking work, worthy of consideration in the ongoing discussion of how to integrate Muslim and non-Muslim cultures. The Cairo Trilogy: Palace Walk, Palace of Desire, Sugar Street,  DJ292.H57 A3 2007   by: Naguib Mafouhz Winner of the 1988 Nobel Prize for Literature, Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz weaved an intricate story of a family living in 1920s Egypt. The smallest detail brings to life the internal conflicts of family men quoting the Qur’an by day, indulging in the wordly pleasures of a city by night, and the women surrounding them. With subtlety, the reader is taken through Egypt’s political transitions from 1917 colonial rule to nationalism and Nasser in the 1950s. Shoot an Iraqi: art, life and resistance under the gun  N7269.B55 A2 2008 by: Wafaa Bilal A diary of an unusual art project in Chicago, in which Iraqi-born artist Wafaa Bilal lives in a gallery for 31 days. During this time online users could watch his every movement, chat or take shots at the artist via a remote-controlled paint gun. 60,000 shots are fired in the course of the work and an account of Bilal’s experiences in Iraq, refugee camps and his emigration to America, leaves the reader questioning the line between art and life. Palestine: peace not apartheid   DS119.7 .C3583 2006 by: Jimmy Carter An engineer of the 1978 Camp David Accords and 2002 recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Jimmy Carter has written a controversial and thought-provoking argument on what he considers to be the main obstacles to the establishment of a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians. Countless will question his interpretations of history, nevertheless his writing is a valuable addition to the current debate. Night  D810.J4 W65 2006 by: Elie Wiesel An unforgetable, slim volume of Wiesel’s experiences in concentration camps during World War II. Hard won lessons and meditation on the nature of man under duress and essential reading for those considering the debate of the Palestinian/Israeli conflct.