Middle East Patterns

Widely regarded as the most comprehensive, authoritative, and geographicalstudy of the region, Middle East Patterns: Places, Peoples, and Politicshas evolved dexterously into a fourth edition that embraces such diversethemes as archaeology and military capabilities, ethnolinguistic features andagricultural developments, and future implications for relations both within and without the region. The additional 221 illustrations – comprising mapsexclusively hand-drawn for the publication as well as images contributed bythe author and tables that elucidate the text through their scrupulous cogency– jointly advance the author’s objective to enhance the reader’s knowledgeof the region through a review of the Middle East’s natural and cultural patternsand their impact upon political and economic developments. Transcendingthe conflicts that have made the region a permanent fixture of theworld’s media, Held presents an enlightening evaluation of the interactionbetween the region’s people and biophysical phenomena in the context ofspatial and historical processes over time.Introducing the region’s historical and geographical foundationsthrough eight chapters, “Part One: Physical and Cultural Geography” examinesthe environment, the historico-political evolution of the power cores,and the spatial interaction between the geographical areas and the politicalevents in a region that encompasses “ancient cultures in new states – oldwine in new bottles” (p. 219). Located in an area of geographical wondersthat range from the planet’s lowest body of water body (1,310 ft. below sealevel) to extreme weather conditions that witnessed a locale southwest of theDead Sea receive its average total annual rainfall in a one-hour downpourduring December 2003, the environment has not escaped the consequencesof political discord ...