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There Was and There Was Not
by Meline Toumani • 2014
An Armenian American moves to Turkey to hate the enemy up close. Istanbul shatters her instead.
4.08
590
There Was and There Was Not Summary
There Was and There Was Not 92%
An Armenian American moves to Turkey to hate the enemy up close. Istanbul shatters her instead.
by Meline Toumani 2014
4.08
590 ratings
Türkiye'nin Yakın Tarihi
by İlber Ortaylı • 2010
Two centuries, six constitutions, three coups: Turkey's struggle between empire and republic.
3.74
1k+
Türkiye'nin Yakın Tarihi Summary
Türkiye'nin Yakın Tarihi 88%
Two centuries, six constitutions, three coups: Turkey's struggle between empire and republic.
by İlber Ortaylı 2010
3.74
1k+ ratings
Orhan Pamuk, Secularism and Blasphemy
by Erdağ M. Göknar • 2012
Pamuk's novels defy Turkey's secular state, resurrecting the Islamic past the nation tried to bury.
4.13
16
Orhan Pamuk, Secularism and Blasphemy Summary
Orhan Pamuk, Secularism and Blasphemy 88%
Pamuk's novels defy Turkey's secular state, resurrecting the Islamic past the nation tried to bury.
by Erdağ M. Göknar 2012
4.13
16 ratings
Eastward to Tartary
by Robert D. Kaplan • 2001
From Budapest to the Caspian, a journey through lands where history refuses to end.
4.05
2k+
Eastward to Tartary Summary
Eastward to Tartary 88%
From Budapest to the Caspian, a journey through lands where history refuses to end.
by Robert D. Kaplan 2001
4.05
2k+ ratings
The Fall of the Ottomans
by Eugene Rogan • 2015
The Ottomans entered World War I to survive, not conquer. Their collapse carved today's Middle East.
4.17
5k+
The Fall of the Ottomans Summary
The Fall of the Ottomans 87%
The Ottomans entered World War I to survive, not conquer. Their collapse carved today's Middle East.
by Eugene Rogan 2015
4.17
5k+ ratings
The Ottomans
by Marc David Baer • 2021
Six centuries, three continents, one dynasty: the European empire the West wrote out of its history.
3.94
2k+
The Ottomans Summary
The Ottomans 87%
Six centuries, three continents, one dynasty: the European empire the West wrote out of its history.
by Marc David Baer 2021
3.94
2k+ ratings
Nutuk
by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk • 1927
A six-day speech that buried an empire, dismissed a sultan, and founded a secular republic.
4.82
6k+
Nutuk Summary
Nutuk 87%
A six-day speech that buried an empire, dismissed a sultan, and founded a secular republic.
by Mustafa Kemal Atatürk 1927
4.82
6k+ ratings
The Great War for Civilisation
by Robert Fisk • 2005
One reporter's fifty-year witness to the West's century-long war on the Middle East.
4.41
6k+
The Great War for Civilisation Summary
The Great War for Civilisation 87%
One reporter's fifty-year witness to the West's century-long war on the Middle East.
by Robert Fisk 2005
4.41
6k+ ratings
Black Garden
by Thomas de Waal • 2003
One Soviet province started an ethnic war in 1988 by voting to secede. The stalemate remains.
4.25
835
Black Garden Summary
Black Garden 87%
One Soviet province started an ethnic war in 1988 by voting to secede. The stalemate remains.
by Thomas de Waal 2003
4.25
835 ratings
The Miracle of the Kurds
by Stephen Mansfield • 2014
After surviving genocide, a forgotten people built the freest, most hopeful society in Iraq.
4.09
335
The Miracle of the Kurds Summary
The Miracle of the Kurds 87%
After surviving genocide, a forgotten people built the freest, most hopeful society in Iraq.
by Stephen Mansfield 2014
4.09
335 ratings
Down with the System
by Serj Tankian • 2024
System of a Down's frontman on metal, meditation, and a family history the world still denies.
4.42
7k+
Down with the System Summary
Down with the System 86%
System of a Down's frontman on metal, meditation, and a family history the world still denies.
by Serj Tankian 2024
4.42
7k+ ratings
Portrait of a Turkish Family
by Irfan Orga • 1950
Fire, famine, and madness: one Turkish family's slow destruction inside the collapse of an empire.
4.23
2k+
Portrait of a Turkish Family Summary
Portrait of a Turkish Family 86%
Fire, famine, and madness: one Turkish family's slow destruction inside the collapse of an empire.
by Irfan Orga 1950
4.23
2k+ ratings
Atatürk
by Andrew Mango • 1999
How a single officer dismantled an Islamic empire and built a secular nation from its ruins.
4.16
1k+
Atatürk Summary
Atatürk 86%
How a single officer dismantled an Islamic empire and built a secular nation from its ruins.
by Andrew Mango 1999
4.16
1k+ ratings
A Peace to End All Peace
by David Fromkin • 1989
The modern Middle East was drawn in European offices; a century of instability is the result.
4.22
10k+
A Peace to End All Peace Summary
A Peace to End All Peace 86%
The modern Middle East was drawn in European offices; a century of instability is the result.
by David Fromkin 1989
4.22
10k+ ratings
The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy
by John J. Mearsheimer • 2006
How a single interest group has reshaped U.S. Middle East policy, often against American interests.
4.12
4k+
The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy Summary
The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy 86%
How a single interest group has reshaped U.S. Middle East policy, often against American interests.
by John J. Mearsheimer 2006
4.12
4k+ ratings
Culture and Resistance
by Edward W. Said • 2003
Peace rebranded, occupation maintained: dismantling the language hiding Palestinian dispossession.
4.10
419
Culture and Resistance Summary
Culture and Resistance 86%
Peace rebranded, occupation maintained: dismantling the language hiding Palestinian dispossession.
by Edward W. Said 2003
4.10
419 ratings
Palestine
by Jimmy Carter • 2006
The peace treaty Carter brokered was honored. The promises to Palestinians inside it were not.
3.92
5k+
Palestine Summary
Palestine 86%
The peace treaty Carter brokered was honored. The promises to Palestinians inside it were not.
by Jimmy Carter 2006
3.92
5k+ ratings
Conversations with Orhan Pamuk
by Orhan Pamuk • 2024
A fictional love affair, a real museum, and a Nobel laureate's lifelong argument with his city.
4.00
1
Conversations with Orhan Pamuk Summary
Conversations with Orhan Pamuk 86%
A fictional love affair, a real museum, and a Nobel laureate's lifelong argument with his city.
by Orhan Pamuk 2024
4.00
1 ratings
Ten Myths About Israel
by Ilan Pappé • 2017
Ten founding myths of Israel, debunked: the land wasn't empty and the flight wasn't voluntary.
4.40
6k+
Ten Myths About Israel Summary
Ten Myths About Israel 86%
Ten founding myths of Israel, debunked: the land wasn't empty and the flight wasn't voluntary.
by Ilan Pappé 2017
4.40
6k+ ratings
The Flea Palace
by Elif Shafak • 2002
At a decaying Istanbul apartment building, a pest control van unearths the tenants' tangled secrets.
3.39
8k+
The Flea Palace Summary
The Flea Palace 86%
At a decaying Istanbul apartment building, a pest control van unearths the tenants' tangled secrets.
by Elif Shafak 2002
3.39
8k+ ratings
Tomorrow Is Yesterday
by Hussein Agha • 2025
Diplomacy suppressed the past, so the past kept returning, until it finally overwhelmed the present.
3.96
502
Tomorrow Is Yesterday Summary
Tomorrow Is Yesterday 86%
Diplomacy suppressed the past, so the past kept returning, until it finally overwhelmed the present.
by Hussein Agha 2025
3.96
502 ratings
Birds Without Wings
by Louis de Bernières • 2004
Muslims and Christians share a town until war draws a border through every home.
4.16
17k+
Birds Without Wings Summary
Birds Without Wings 85%
Muslims and Christians share a town until war draws a border through every home.
by Louis de Bernières 2004
4.16
17k+ ratings
Twelve Tribes
by Ethan Michaeli • 2021
Half of Israel's next generation comes from communities rejecting the state. The reckoning is here.
3.93
145
Twelve Tribes Summary
Twelve Tribes 85%
Half of Israel's next generation comes from communities rejecting the state. The reckoning is here.
by Ethan Michaeli 2021
3.93
145 ratings
The Envoy
by Zalmay Khalilzad • 2016
An Afghan immigrant becomes America's envoy in the Muslim world, finding a crisis wars cannot solve.
3.64
163
The Envoy Summary
The Envoy 85%
An Afghan immigrant becomes America's envoy in the Muslim world, finding a crisis wars cannot solve.
by Zalmay Khalilzad 2016
3.64
163 ratings
The Dark Side of Democracy
by Michael Mann • 2004
Modernity's worst mass killings were not by tyrants alone, but by democracies that turned ethnic.
4.06
159
The Dark Side of Democracy Summary
The Dark Side of Democracy 85%
Modernity's worst mass killings were not by tyrants alone, but by democracies that turned ethnic.
by Michael Mann 2004
4.06
159 ratings
Can We Talk About Israel?
by Daniel Sokatch • 2021
A guide to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for people who want to move beyond the slogans.
4.33
2k+
Can We Talk About Israel? Summary
Can We Talk About Israel? 85%
A guide to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict for people who want to move beyond the slogans.
by Daniel Sokatch 2021
4.33
2k+ ratings
Modi, Muslims and Media
by Madhu Purnima Kishwar • 2014
No court convicted him. Every headline did. The evidence the Gujarat narrative left out.
3.83
125
Modi, Muslims and Media Summary
Modi, Muslims and Media 85%
No court convicted him. Every headline did. The evidence the Gujarat narrative left out.
by Madhu Purnima Kishwar 2014
3.83
125 ratings
The Politics of Collective Violence
by Charles Tilly • 2003
Violence isn't chaos; it's politics, shaped by regimes and the relationships leaders exploit.
3.85
151
The Politics of Collective Violence Summary
The Politics of Collective Violence 85%
Violence isn't chaos; it's politics, shaped by regimes and the relationships leaders exploit.
by Charles Tilly 2003
3.85
151 ratings
The Palestinian Delusion
by Robert Spencer • 2019
The conflict is religious, not territorial. There is no solution, only management.
4.01
506
The Palestinian Delusion Summary
The Palestinian Delusion 85%
The conflict is religious, not territorial. There is no solution, only management.
by Robert Spencer 2019
4.01
506 ratings
Kashmir
by A.S. Dulat • 2015
A spy chief's discovery: talking to Kashmiri militants worked. The politicians wasted it.
3.81
948
Kashmir Summary
Kashmir 85%
A spy chief's discovery: talking to Kashmiri militants worked. The politicians wasted it.
by A.S. Dulat 2015
3.81
948 ratings
Der Nahost-Komplex
by Natalie Amiri • 2025
A reporter tours the post-October 7 Middle East and finds Berlin's foreign policy in ruins.
4.66
140
Der Nahost-Komplex Summary
Der Nahost-Komplex 85%
A reporter tours the post-October 7 Middle East and finds Berlin's foreign policy in ruins.
by Natalie Amiri 2025
4.66
140 ratings
Istanbul
by Orhan Pamuk • 2003
An artist's soul forged in a city of ruins: Pamuk's Istanbul memoir of black-and-white melancholy.
3.82
22k+
Istanbul Summary
Istanbul 85%
An artist's soul forged in a city of ruins: Pamuk's Istanbul memoir of black-and-white melancholy.
by Orhan Pamuk 2003
3.82
22k+ ratings
Shadowplay
by Tim Marshall • 2003
Europe's last war wasn't decided by bombs but by spies, media spin, and a stolen election.
3.87
4k+
Shadowplay Summary
Shadowplay 85%
Europe's last war wasn't decided by bombs but by spies, media spin, and a stolen election.
by Tim Marshall 2003
3.87
4k+ ratings
Kurdish Women's Stories
by Houzan Mahmoud • 2021
Kurdish women, cast as victims or fighters, tell their own stories here. Neither label fits.
4.40
194
Kurdish Women's Stories Summary
Kurdish Women's Stories 85%
Kurdish women, cast as victims or fighters, tell their own stories here. Neither label fits.
by Houzan Mahmoud 2021
4.40
194 ratings
Lipstick Jihad
by Azadeh Moaveni • 2005
A pink headscarf, a bugged apartment: she returned to Iran to belong, but the country disagreed.
3.70
5k+
Lipstick Jihad Summary
Lipstick Jihad 85%
A pink headscarf, a bugged apartment: she returned to Iran to belong, but the country disagreed.
by Azadeh Moaveni 2005
3.70
5k+ ratings
The Other Side of Israel
by Susan Nathan • 2005
A Zionist settles among Israel's Arab citizens. What she discovers overturns a lifetime of belief.
4.08
274
The Other Side of Israel Summary
The Other Side of Israel 85%
A Zionist settles among Israel's Arab citizens. What she discovers overturns a lifetime of belief.
by Susan Nathan 2005
4.08
274 ratings
Gaza in Crisis
by Ilan Pappé • 2010
Five hundred villages erased, seventy years before October 7: the history the peace process buries.
4.15
2k+
Gaza in Crisis Summary
Gaza in Crisis 85%
Five hundred villages erased, seventy years before October 7: the history the peace process buries.
by Ilan Pappé 2010
4.15
2k+ ratings
A Genocide Foretold
by Chris Hedges • 2025
Gaza: not a war but the predictable endpoint of settler colonialism, backed by American billions.
4.57
542
A Genocide Foretold Summary
A Genocide Foretold 85%
Gaza: not a war but the predictable endpoint of settler colonialism, backed by American billions.
by Chris Hedges 2025
4.57
542 ratings
Orientalism
by Edward W. Said • 1978
Western knowledge of the East was never innocent: it invented the Orient to justify imperial rule.
4.14
30k+
Orientalism Summary
Orientalism 85%
Western knowledge of the East was never innocent: it invented the Orient to justify imperial rule.
by Edward W. Said 1978
4.14
30k+ ratings
A Very Short History of the Israel–Palestine Conflict
by Ilan Pappé • 2024
Not two equal claims to one land, but one population replacing another, the removal never stopped.
4.37
6k+
A Very Short History of the Israel–Palestine Conflict Summary
A Very Short History of the Israel–Palestine Conflict 85%
Not two equal claims to one land, but one population replacing another, the removal never stopped.
by Ilan Pappé 2024
4.37
6k+ ratings
Treacherous Alliance
by Trita Parsi • 2007
Israel and Iran wage a cold war for regional dominance, not an ancient religious feud.
4.12
555
Treacherous Alliance Summary
Treacherous Alliance 85%
Israel and Iran wage a cold war for regional dominance, not an ancient religious feud.
by Trita Parsi 2007
4.12
555 ratings
Resistance
by Alastair Crooke • 2009
The Islamist revolution isn't about land: it's a fight over what a human being is.
4.00
36
Resistance Summary
Resistance 85%
The Islamist revolution isn't about land: it's a fight over what a human being is.
by Alastair Crooke 2009
4.00
36 ratings
The World After Gaza
by Pankaj Mishra • 2025
The West did not remember the Holocaust to prevent genocide. It remembered to license it.
4.06
1k+
The World After Gaza Summary
The World After Gaza 85%
The West did not remember the Holocaust to prevent genocide. It remembered to license it.
by Pankaj Mishra 2025
4.06
1k+ ratings
The Return of Marco Polo's World
by Robert D. Kaplan • 2018
Liberal order collapsed. Eurasia fused into one war-prone corridor, and America is an island.
3.79
848
The Return of Marco Polo's World Summary
The Return of Marco Polo's World 85%
Liberal order collapsed. Eurasia fused into one war-prone corridor, and America is an island.
by Robert D. Kaplan 2018
3.79
848 ratings
America and Iran
by John Ghazvinian • 2020
The 300-year relationship America and Iran forgot: a story that begins with admiration, not hatred.
4.36
1k+
America and Iran Summary
America and Iran 85%
The 300-year relationship America and Iran forgot: a story that begins with admiration, not hatred.
by John Ghazvinian 2020
4.36
1k+ ratings
Power, Politics and Culture
by Edward W. Said • 2001
The scholar who revealed how Western learning became a tool of empire, in his own words.
4.26
613
Power, Politics and Culture Summary
Power, Politics and Culture 85%
The scholar who revealed how Western learning became a tool of empire, in his own words.
by Edward W. Said 2001
4.26
613 ratings
Islam, Israel and the West
by Danny Burmawi • 2025
Not about land. A former Muslim traces the theology that makes peace with Israel impossible.
4.73
120
Islam, Israel and the West Summary
Islam, Israel and the West 85%
Not about land. A former Muslim traces the theology that makes peace with Israel impossible.
by Danny Burmawi 2025
4.73
120 ratings
On Palestine
by Noam Chomsky • 2015
The peace process masks land theft; only a democratic single state can break the cycle.
4.26
13k+
On Palestine Summary
On Palestine 85%
The peace process masks land theft; only a democratic single state can break the cycle.
by Noam Chomsky 2015
4.26
13k+ ratings
In the Land of Israel
by Amos Oz • 1982
After Sabra and Shatila, a novelist travels Israel asking one question: What now?
4.11
856
In the Land of Israel Summary
In the Land of Israel 85%
After Sabra and Shatila, a novelist travels Israel asking one question: What now?
by Amos Oz 1982
4.11
856 ratings
Black Wave
by Kim Ghattas • 2020
The 1979 contest between Saudi Arabia and Iran that dismantled a region’s cultural soul.
4.40
6k+
Black Wave Summary
Black Wave 85%
The 1979 contest between Saudi Arabia and Iran that dismantled a region’s cultural soul.
by Kim Ghattas 2020
4.40
6k+ ratings
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