R. Stephen Humphreys
Books: History | Politics | Religion | Middle East
Between Memory and Desire: The Middle East in a Troubled Age (1999)
Excellent book.
Discussion of politics, religion and economics in the Middle East, primarily for the past couple of centuries. If you would like to delve into some of the the history behind the current conflicts and unsettled affairs in the Middle East, I highly recommend this book.
He covers population problems, colonialism and its repercussions, the involvement of Islam in politics and power, jihad, the role of women in Islamic society and human rights. Although he does tend to focus upon Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia in many of his examples, he does cover the entire region, and much of what he says in specific can be broadly construed.