The Making of the Modern Middle East
A Personal History
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Narrated by:
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Jeremy Bowen
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By:
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Jeremy Bowen
About this listen
This audiobook is compellingly read by the author, Jeremy Bowen.
A Spectator and New Statesman Book of the Year
Jeremy Bowen, the International Editor of the BBC, has been covering the Middle East since 1989 and is uniquely placed to explain its complex past and its troubled present. Here, Bowen offers readers a gripping and invaluable guide to the modern Middle East, how it came to be and what its future might hold.
In The Making of the Modern Middle East – in part based on his acclaimed podcast, ‘Our Man in the Middle East’ – Bowen takes us on a journey across the Middle East and through its history. He meets ordinary men and women on the front line, their leaders, whether brutal or benign, and he explores the power games that have so often wreaked devastation on civilian populations as those leaders, whatever their motives, jostle for political, religious and economic control.
Clear throughout is Bowen's deep understanding of the political, cultural and religious differences between countries as diverse as Erdogan’s Turkey, Assad’s Syria, Netanyahu’s Israel and Palestine, whether Hamas-controlled Gaza or the West Bank, and his long experience of covering events in the region.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2022 Jeremy Bowen (P)2022 Macmillan Publishers International LimitedCritic reviews
What listeners say about The Making of the Modern Middle East
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- cc
- 01-08-23
interesting and thoughtful
a really interesting look back on the middle east from someone who as spent a majority of his life reporting on it also some very open and honest accounts of the feelings he had and the negative experience Bowen has had in the last 30 years, all in all a very good listen or read
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- Amazon Customer
- 01-11-23
Fascinating and depressing in equal measure
Considered bc and balanced background to all that is current happening in the Middle East.
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- Colin
- 10-02-24
A superb first hand account
Jeremy’s knowledge of the history of the modern middle east and all its disastrous events is second to none in the West. This account is fast moving with personal experiences of many of the big events in the middle east.
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- patashnik
- 10-12-23
Little Room For Optimism
I bought this book after the events of October 7 2023 because I wanted a better understanding of the recent history and events in the various parts of the Middle East and the historical roots of all the various conflicts. It is informative and related by Jeremy Bowen in a way that is understandable for the interested lay person though the multiplicity of factions involved in each of the conflicts can still be bewildering. It is not a book which gives much room for optimism and some of necessary descriptions and details of the aftermath of bombings on people, be they involved in the fighting but more usually civilians caught in the middle are very distressing. Jeremy is an engaging narrator. A worthwhile and memorable read.
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- dh
- 04-01-24
The clarity of his analysis.
Brilliant insights by an admirably courageous , talented and committed reporter. Recommended for anyone concerned about our future
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- Anthony Holland
- 01-12-23
Amazing and eye opening
Taking the perspective of one man in the centre of some of the most significant recent events in global history gives a unique insight that can only help develop understanding of the most difficult geopolitical issues currently dominating the news. It is so good that in addition to this audiobook version I have bought a paperback copy and fully intend to revisit it from cover to cover.
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- Helena
- 29-01-24
Good
Very insightful especially at the moment. Thoughtful and helpful in times of complexity. Very well read.
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- Vincent O'Sullivan
- 23-11-23
Required listening if concerned/interested in Middle East.
An excellent starting point for anyone trying to understand the history and recent developments in tge Middle East. Highly recommended
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- Jason Freeborn
- 06-03-24
Thorough, accurate and emotionally challenging
Jeremy Bowen has been in the Middle East for over 30 years. His writing is world class, engaging and flows seamlessly between the geographic and political areas in which he has worked. It's very difficult to listen to this book and retain one's sense of optimism, especially when it's very clear that the beliefs arising from religion, drawn from a few old books are fundamental, a word I use deliberately, to the ongoing disputes and intolerances that fuel insurgencies and the fires of war.
I don't expect anyone to 'enjoy' this book. Apart from Jeremy's reassuring voice it's not a pleasant listening experience. It is, though, a very thorough account of the way things have unfolded since the Middle East became of interest to seafaring nations from the Atlantic, even before the age of oil. If you have a walking/running/driving whilst listening habit, it might be a useful way to fill in some of the gaps we all have in our understanding of the Middle East, especially those who have lived here and continue to make it our home.
I write this from my home in Dubai as a British ex pat.
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- Amazon Customer
- 08-05-24
Excellent - must read
I’m sure this isn’t what he’s aiming for as Jeremy comes across as quite an unassuming man, but wow he is a brave and thoughtful. Really impressive.
A great book covering a lot of complex issues, I’ve listened to it intensively and I think I’ll now start again as it’s so interesting and well put together.
Can’t recommend enough.
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