This book was written in 1990 and is thus a bit dated. The postscript announces the start of the first Gulf War after the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Post World War 1 saw most of the current political boundaries drawn in the Near East or as we now most predominantly label it, the Middle East. The twentieth century saw the rise of nationalism in the various countries and also the fading of colonialism and their influence in the region. At first much had been divided up into British and French mandates. The book examines each area in individual detail for distinct time periods across the studied century. Initially most governments were controlled by traditional notables, the old tribal leaders and landowners. As progress arrived and development occurred, the power of these old notables became less distinct and democratic movements saw the rise of new political elites, be it the Ba’ath political party in Iraq and Syria or the post-1979 Iranian Revolution Ayatollahs. The formation of the State of Israel in 1948 brought a new era of warfare in the region with many conflicts between neighbours in support of the displaced Palestinian Arabs. Egypt was one of the most powerful and influential countries in the Near East and the Suez crisis brought it into a direct Cold War dispute with former Colonial powers, the U.K. and France and also involved Israeli military action. The power of oil can be seen to have brought much wealth and contributed significantly to many states in particular Saudi Arabia and the UAE (United Arab Emirates). The book is well researched and author Yapp is obviously well-educated. There are plenty of data detailing growth and progress and each nation’s political history is explored microscopically. An overview of the whole region within the wider international context reveals just how important the Middle East was during the twentieth century as it came of age and established its own identity. Religion, war, oil, intrigue, the book has it all.