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Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to the Present |  | Author: Michael B. Oren
Creator: Norman Dietz
Publisher: Tantor Media
Category: Book
List Price: $49.99
Buy New: $15.99
as of 7/30/2010 23:25 MDT details
You Save: $34.00 (68%)
New (18) Used (13) from $9.90
Seller: Hansen's Wholesale Audio
Rating:  110 reviews
Sales Rank: 416995
Format: Audiobook, CD, Unabridged
Media: Audio CD
Edition: Unabridged
Number Of Items: 22
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 6.3 x 5.5 x 1.7
ISBN: 1400104440
Dewey Decimal Number: 327.73056
EAN: 9781400104444
ASIN: 1400104440
Publication Date: May 21, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| • | Paperback - Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to the Present | | • | Hardcover - Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East: 1776 to the Present | | • | Unknown Binding - Power, Faith, and Fantasy | | • | Preloaded Digital Audio Player - Power, Faith, and Fantasy: Library Edition | | • | Audible Audio Edition - Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present | | • | MP3 CD - Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East, 1776 to the Present |
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Product Description
This is the first comprehensive history of America's involvement in the Middle East from George Washington to George W. Bush.Drawing on thousands of government documents and personal letters, this book reconstructs the diverse and remarkable ways in which Americans have interacted with this alluring yet often hostile land. Covering over 230 years of history, Power, Faith, and Fantasy is an indispensable work for anyone interested in understanding the roots of America's Middle East involvement today.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 110
 Good Storyteller? Yes; Balanced Historical Account? Not quite July 30, 2010
Raza S (USA)
I was attracted to the book because it aims to cover the whole time period (1776 - present). I am not a historian myself and did not wish to perform independent research on the subject. The book seemed like a major piece of scholarly work. The author went to great lengths to make the reader think that this is a balanced view of history, until we reach the 20th century; it is then that his credibility starts waning, since I have read many different accounts of the major events of the 20th century. e.g. Margaret Macmillan's book about the Paris Peace conference of 1919, "Six months that changed the World".
He writes a glowing profile of David Ben-Gurion while his account of Mustafa Kamal of Turkey portrays him as a conniving conspirator at best. And that is how most of the 20th century gets covered. US presidents might have made some mistakes but they meant well, while Arab leaders could never be trusted. The fact is that all these figures were trying to manage their volatile environments, while empires were crumbling, any way they could. They were not much better or worse than one another. The things they did had more to do with their political systems (or lack thereof) than their moral superiority. The theme of an enlightened America bringing civilization to the Middle East stands in stark contrast to, for example, America showing up in Japanese waters in the 1850s forcing them to open up for trade at gunpoint (treaty of Kanagawa, one of the so-called Unequal Treaties). That convinced the Japanese that they need a strong military, thereby embarking on their own militaristic ambitions. We all know how that ended. The point is that history is more complicated and inter-connected than to make the simple claim that America became federal and got a navy because of the Barbary wars. Isaac Asimov said: the trouble with logic is that you can prove anything in the world, so long as you make the appropriate assumptions. This is a great example of molding facts to suit one's conclusion.
Comparing George Washington to Moses, King George to the Pharaoh, Atlantic ocean to the Red Sea, America to the promised land, 13 states to the ten tribes, a pattern starts emerging where the author goes to great lengths trying to convince the reader that support for the state of Israel is America's moral, civic and faith-based obligation; that many presidents were instructed by their childhood priests (e.g. Clinton) to defend Israel or burn in hell. He is also grief-stricken that an American was imprisoned for spying for Israel (he mentions it a few times in the book). And then I learn that the author is not just an American historian but also a major in the Israeli Defense Forces. I avoid books by a biased party for the same reason that biased parties are avoided as judges and juries: clouded judgment even if they mean well. The author could have mentioned that fact in the Introduction, but apparently, he did not think it was relevant or material information.
Describing the 2003 Iraqi invasion, the author declares: "While Iraq's buffoonish Information Minister, Mohammed Saeed Alsahaf, known to the press as Baghdad Bob, ...". I have never come across such characterization (buffoonish) by a historian. I am disappointed; many of the things in the book may be true, and yet the half-truths and one-sided accounts make me question not just what he mentions in the book but what he might have omitted. He is a good storyteller though; I'll give him that. May be he should apply his talent to the history of another region of the world, so there's no conflict of interest.
It would be redundant to mention instances that have already been mentioned by other reviewers, like the USS Liberty incident, which, evidence suggests, was an attempt to blame the attack on Egypt and get the U.S. directly involved in the 1967 conflict. After reading a few reviews in each star category, one can make up one's own mind about the pros and cons. The reviews on Amazon represent what is great about America: democracy and open debate, pre-cursors to understanding, which is a pre-cursor to the end of hatred. Again, the world is not so simple and yet Humanity has no choice but to try to achieve that goal. All children of the world are innocent and they deserve our efforts towards that end.
 The Ultimate Book on the Middle East June 28, 2010
John Thomas (San Francisco, CA)
I just finished reading Power, Faith, and Fantasy: America in the Middle East from 1776 to the Present by Michael B. Oren, an encyclopedic recent history of the Middle East. As an investor, you are going to have to be knowledgeable about this hot spot, because headlines from there will continue to impact global financial markets for the rest of our professional lives. It started when the Ottoman Empire was the controlling superpower of the day, and ruled over one third of the civilized world. Barbary pirate attacks led to the creation of the American navy, and in effect, the modern United States. Missionaries then spent 100 years attempting to convert Muslims to Christianity, with virtually no success. But they did provide a great well spring of future generations of Arabic speaking diplomats, military advisors, entrepreneurs, and spies. British bankers happily piled debt on to emerging Egypt during the US Civil War to grow more cotton for the mills in Manchester, and when that country declared the first ever sovereign debt default in 1875, they seized it as a colony. Up until WWI, the state department formed policy based on information found in travel guides. Today's Chevron managed to lock in crucial oil leases in Saudi Arabia because it offered to pay in gold, while Great Britain was bidding with only paper rupees. The book tracks the Zionist movement from its infancy to the foundation of Israel, spilling much blood along the way. It Chronicles the Arabs' recovery of their own oil resources, from the takeover of Aramco to the nationalist movements of today. The procession of Mideast wars are chronicled in painstaking detail. As a lifetime habitué of the international investment scene, it's hard to avoid the Middle East. I entered the scene as a journalist in the seventies, interviewing the principals for The Economist, and managing to catch the inaugural El Al flight from Tel Aviv to Cairo. I grabbed the opportunity to meet Golda Meir, who remained a domineering school teacher to the end, and was almost shot by Yassir Arafat's bodyguard during an interview. I then spent a decade covering Persian Gulf princes and sheiks for Morgan Stanley. The week I retired, I was drafted to fly for the Marine Corp in desert shield/desert storm. In all, the 778 page opus leaves no stone unturned and delivers a riveting read.
Power, faith and fantasy May 19, 2010
M. Hogan (Midwest)
In the preface to the final section, Oren notes that the purpose of this book is both simple and complex: to identify recurring patterns in U.S./Mid-East relations throughout the years. What the reader can take away with them is a rich tapestry of context in which to view not only the remaining chapters of the book, but ultimately any new developments in the region. In Oren's words, "The objective is to enable Americans to read about the fighting in Iraq and hear the echoes of the Barbary Wars and Operation Torch" (the codename for U.S. operations in North Africa and the mid-east in WWII).
This book turned out to be a surprise for me. History and the written word can be trudge through decades of bland non-events. Middle east history itself-- perhaps due to the sheer amount written on the subject-- can often feel like a barrage of meaningless dates and names. Yet, Oren's lucid writing style makes even centuries of Christian missionary work (not the most thrilling topic in the world) seem crucial and engaging when viewed within a larger picture. As any good historian, Oren acts as a tour guide for a nearly 250-year relationship.
This book will only increase in intellectual value as time goes by and I fully intend to re-read it. As America and the middle-east become more and more inextricably linked (as much as neither party really wants to), our knowledge of each other can be the only way to see through to a mutually happy next 250 years.
American History at it's best March 6, 2010
David in AK
Wow! - I wish Michael Oren would write some more books on Amercian history. This one is a clincher and a must read for any interested in American History. You'll also gain a clear understanding to the Islamic ideology that we so clumsily fight against today - just as we did as a new nation. This book should be sent to every member of congress to re-learn lessons learned and forgotten in our early days of international diplomacy and the military application thereof. Our fore-fathers learned acutely how to fight this fight by the same trial and error we seem to be experiencing today. A MUST READ for all true Americans. David - Bethel, AK
SPECTACULAR IN IT'S SCOPE February 25, 2010
Jon M. Lennon (Chicago, IL)
One of the best histories I've ever read. Packed with more information than one couldn't possibly hope to retain. I don't believe I had ever even heard of the Barbary Wars before reading this book. Possibly the most enlightening information were the chapters dealing with the American evangelical missionaries in the Middle East thru out the 19th century, this is the first respectable book I've read that laid out American christian's 100 years old obession with Palenstine. I highly recommend this book it is filled with treasures, Eygtian invasion of Mexico, Civil War heroes training arab armies, Christians failing to convert anyone but instead plant the seeds of secular education and Arad Nationalism, and the origins of the Saudi-US "friendship" just a great book!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 110
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