Resurrecting Empire: Western Footprints and America's Perilous Path in the Middle East

by Rashid Khalidi

Book Overview

Begun as the United States moved its armed forces into Iraq, Rashid Khalidi's powerful and thoughtful new book examines the record of Western involvement in the region and analyzes the likely outcome of our most recent Middle East incursions. Drawing on his encyclopedic knowledge of the political and cultural history of the entire region as well as interviews and documents, Khalidi paints a chilling scenario of our present situation and yet offers...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0807002356
• ISBN13: 9780807002353
• Release Date: April 2005
• Publisher: Beacon Press
• Length: 223 Pages
• Weight: 0.88 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.5"

Customer Reviews

Strongly Recommended

The reviews by the standard troupe of Israel apologistas and Judea-Samaria crowd aside, this is a great book for the novice reader of contemporary Middle-East history. It is not exactly an easy read, perhaps due to language barrier issues, but with a little patience, the Westerner who has only been exposed to drivel from mainstream media has a lot to learn from this book. To those who fault this book, and many like it, for being "one-sided", I have to say, I wonder how you would write a book about a murder or a rape? Validate both sides equally? The obvious point being, there do not exist two equally valid sides to all human conflicts, and to admit to that is the first step to find a workable remedy. And to the other few who have trashed this book and other works by Khalidi, I have seen from your other reviews that even works by Israeli Zionist foreign ministers (Shlomo Ben Ami) and pro-Israeli historians (Benny Morris) don't please your taste, since any criticism of the State of Israel is tantamount to an unforgivable sin to you. People like Ben Ami and Morris, despite being strongly pro-Israel and unabashed Zionists, have the couraged to admit that many massacres and atrocities were committed by the Yishuv and later Israel. Their justifications may not appeal to the non-Jewish non-Arab outsider (Morris' famous line: "You have to break quite a few eggs to make a good omlette"), but at least they do not try to deny all historic facts. But to some, mere mention of such facts is a deal-breaker. Let the silence go on ...

A Brave Voice of Political Clarity on Middle East Affairs

Khalidi cuts through the pretense and rhetoric of mid-east politics to deconstruct the xenophobic and misguided U.S. policy decisions which laid the destructive ground work toward a perpetual state of perceived unrest. The unrest, of course, being those instances that events do not favor U.S. economic and political gains. This is a facinating and insightful treatise which should be required reading for the President, and every Senator, Congressman, and cabinet member.

Stongly recommended history from colonial to contemporary

An excellent history from precolonial to contemporary relations. Does not create a "faux Islam" purported to explain things like the Orientalists, Lewis, Huntington. Does not argue from Zionist presumptions while recognizing a fait accompli of Israeli aggression to a point. Useful, even necessary, balance for those spoon fed by the mainstream media and phoney 'pundits' (Khalidi has choice examples of their sometimes absurd incompetence). Masterly use of history and historical analysis rather than ideolgy or neoCon fictions to explain the present predicament. Not excusing locals for appalling politics in the Middle East he recognizes a not inconsiderable Western role that has disrupted and skewed developments. Readers need to know this reality or they will be mislead by ideologues whether Bush, NeoCon, Zionist, or any other brand of Fundamentalist claptrap including those 'preaching' a World War IV and unending war on terrorism.

The book Bush should have read

When an administration clothes itself in secrecy, oblivious to the history of a region before charging into war, it runs the risk of failure. As Rashid Khalidi carefully explains, this is exactly what is happening in Iraq and the consequences will long be felt. "Resurrecting Empire" is a hard-hitting critique of a White House that has gotten us into a mess with no end in sight. It is a timely book exposing the naivete of leaders with tunnel vision.The author writes with a serious and often weighty pen; this is not a book to be read in one sitting. Khalidi effectively lays out the history of the region, the strategic importance of oil, the Palestinian/Israeli situation and America's reactions and responses to what has happened in the Middle East prior to the U.S. occupation of Iraq, and what the ramifications may be. I found those chapters about oil and Palestine to be the most fascinating sections of the book. Oil is an issue that the Bush White House doesn't like to talk about too much and the Palestinian question, as the author points out, has become even more of a problem with the administration's tilt toward Israel."Resurrecting Empire" is a highly laudable work and is for the serious reader who wants to get to know more about the heart and the history of this volatile region of the world. Had Bush and his cronies made any attempt to learn more of what the Middle East is like, the United States might not be in the rough situation we face in Iraq today.

Thoughtful, sensitive and knowledgeable work

As an American from Turkey, I am impressed with Prof. Khalidi's depth of understanding of Iraq and Middle East, and, of course, our country's not so successful relationship with Middle East. It is easy to hurl insults by some Americans to all that is not American (see the comments by a reviewer from Chicago below) but we have previously experienced our "imperialistic" tendencies in Vietnam when we're not clear about our reasons for being there. We left after terrible sacrifices and, behold, Vietnam turned out to be a friend down the road. No thanks to us, they are doing fine as an independent country. Prof. Khalidi brings a similar sensitivity to our goals, methods and end games in Iraq and the rest of the Middle East. His approach is refreshing, honest, clear and doable. Bush administration may not like the objective outside voices but most administrations do not. This isn't the time to be pig-headed but to be level-headed and extremely clear. Prof. K. brings that thoughtfulness. Those who'd like to "nuke" any country who doesn't do what we tell it, will not like this book.