A Companion to the History of the Middle East" offers a fresh account of the multifaceted and multi-layered history of this region. A fresh account of the multifaceted and multi-layered history of the Middle EastComprises 26 newly-commissioned essays by leading international scholarsPrimarily focused on the modern and contemporary periodsCovers religious, social, cultural, economic, political and military historyTreats the region as four differentiated political units - Iran, Turkey, Israel and the Arab worldIncludes a section on current issues, such as oil, urban growth, the role of women, and democratic human rights