Irish political guides to Middle East

Yummydaddy

Hi-

Like most people my interest in the Palestine/Israel issue has gone up in recent months because of the Gaza War- I read a book called 'The Israel Lobby' last year which was an interesting but academic look at the powerful lobby in the US.

However I want to spend my Xmas book vouchers on a more general easy to read book about the Middle East. I like reading books with an irish angle on topics- I read one by an Irish guy living in China last year and a few years back I read Richard Downes book about Iraq which was good.

I know Conor Cruise O'Brien wrote a book aout Israel but that does not seem to be in bookshops- anybody know anything about it.

Also there is Richard crowleys book about Israel and Palestine called In Mans Land

and there was a book in the new release section called 'Divided Paradise- An Irishman in the Holy Land' which was written by an Irish journalist and his time spent in Palestine. Anybody read any of these books or do they have any other ideas about what I could get?

Also generally it is argued that Irish media is suppose to be pro-Palestine, but when you read the columnists in the Indo like Myers and others I dont know how anybody could say that!?

Sad Professor

While they're not exactly a dummy's guide to the Middle East, I'd recommend Robert Fisk's two books: Pity the Nation and The Great War for Civilisation. Fisk is an excellent writer, biased but also incredibly passionate. He's lived in the Middle East for over 30 years and knows what he's talking about.

He's British of course but no stranger to Ireland. He did his PhD in Trinity and did a lot of reporting from the North.