A World of Trouble: The White House and the Middle East-from the Cold War to the War on Terror by Patrick Tyler
Book Review by Dr Jerry Bograd
If you are at all interested in the Middle East, you will appreciate this book. It is a terrific book. It is a well written, well documented, and well referenced work. The author, Patrick
Tyler, lays out the historical groundwork that helps the reader appreciate the complexities of the Middle East. Using information from personal interviews, United States Presidential Archives, extensive reference material, and his own experiences as a Foreign Correspondent, he has written a book, so engaging, that it is hard to put it down. From chapter to chapter, the book is illuminating as it looks at the evolution of the Israeli- Palestinian conflict, the rise to power of Sadaam Hussein, the events leading to the Iran-Iraq War, the Gulf War, the relationship with Saudi Arabia, 9/11, and the rise of Terrorism and Islamic Fundamentalism. Among other things, the book delves into the power struggle between the former Soviet Union and the United States, and how they became “weapons merchants” in the region. Throughout the entire book, as events unfold, the author creates a sense of “being there.”
While discussing the different struggles of the countries and peoples of the Middle East, Tyler continues an ongoing critical examination of the policies and personalities of American Presidents and their involvements in the region. He assesses the strengths and weaknesses of each American leader, their response to international events and domestic political pressures, and how those pressures influenced their decisions, good or bad. Parallel to this, the author discusses senior members of various Administrations and how they utilized their own positions of power. He makes it clear that Presidents are not the only ones that can affect major events in the world.
This book is worth the time and attention it takes to read it. It places the events of the Middle East into an understandable framework. The only real criticism is that there are no maps in the book. To truly understand the area and its many intricacies, a comprehensive map is definitely recommended.
