Historical dictionary of United States-Middle East relations / Peter L. Hahn.

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The current state of affairs between the United States and the Middle East is probably the most volatile and absorbing relationship the U.S. is involved in today. Prior to 1941, however, the U.S. preferred to limit its involvement with the Middle East to launching ministries of evangelism and social welfare across the region and investing in the pumping, refining, and transportation of oil to Western markets. It was not until World War II and the Cold War, when the threat of losing control of the region and therefore losing its natural resources, military bases, and lines of communication arose, that U.S. officials were motivated to take a greater interest. Since then, the increasing level of violence in the area has led to an increase in U.S. involvement, which_in most cases_has been far from positive: the Iran hostage crisis of 1979-1981, the Persian Gulf War of 1990-1991, and the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq in 2003. The A to Z of United States-Middle East Relations is an essential tool to understanding how diplomatic relations deteriorated to this point. This volume concentrates on the history of diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the Middle East from the onset of the Cold War up to the present. This is accomplished through a chronology, an introduction, a bibliography, an appendix, and hundreds of cross-referenced dictionary entries on the countries involved, significant events, major crises, important figures, controversial issues, and doctrines and policies. For scholars, historians, and students interested in the diplomacy of these two regions, this is an essential reference.

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CHOICE Review

US foreign policy in the Middle East is very important to Americans and to others, following the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, its war against terrorism in Afghanistan, its running war of words with Iran, and its interest in the Israeli-Arab conflict. Hahn (Ohio State) offers a great resource on this important area of the world, and one that fits in well with others in Scarecrow's series of historical dictionaries. Hahn covers all the important people, events, and related topics about the Middle East that one would expect. The articles vary in length, but most are short. Cross-referencing is indicated by terms in boldface type. Hahn provides an extensive bibliography that includes books, journals, and Internet sites. Black-and-white photographs of various people appear in a centerfold. The introduction covers the history of US interest in the Middle East from 1941 to 2006. The main body of the book covers material into 2006. Hahn is the author of Caught in the Middle East: U.S. Policy toward the Arab-Israeli Conflict, 1945-1961 (CH, Nov'04, 42-1838). Summing Up: Recommended. Middle Eastern collections; lower-/upper-level undergraduates and general readers. B. S. Exton St. Gregory's University