Grade 7 & Up--Similar in format to the author's The Handbook of the New Eastern Europe (21st Century, 2001) and The Handbook of the Former Soviet Union (Millbrook, 1997), this is a readable, informative introduction to the history and current political state of 16 countries that comprise this book's definition of the Middle East: Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Yemen, plus the Palestinian Authority's territory. The first chapter presents an overview of the region's importance as the cradle of civilization; a crossroad between Europe, Asia, and Africa; the birthplace of monotheism; and the location of the world's richest oil deposits. In five subsequent chapters, the countries are grouped by region.
