Storm from the East: The Struggle Between the Arab World and the Christian West (Modern Library Chronicles) | 
 enlarge | Author: Milton Viorst
Publisher: Modern Library
Category: Book
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Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 666700
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 224
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 8.2 x 5.2 x 0.8
ISBN: 0812974190
Dewey Decimal Number: 956
EAN: 9780812974195
ASIN: 0812974190
Publication Date: April 17, 2007
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Product Description
America’s engagement with the Arab world stretches back far beyond the Iraq wars. According to Milton Viorst, the current conflict is simply the latest round in a 1,400-year struggle between Christianity and Islam, in which the United States became a participant only in the last century.
Today, the Bush Doctrine aims to free the Arab peoples from political oppression and create a democratic Iraq. So why are Arabs, and Iraqis in particular, so suspicious of our efforts? The explanation, Viorst says, is simple: “What the American leadership has miscalculated, or simply dismissed, is Arab nationalism.” In Storm from the East, Viorst offers a balanced, lucid, and vital history of America’s uneasy relationship with the Arab world and argues that brutal conflict in the region will continue until the West, with the United States taking the lead, honors the Arabs’ insistence on deciding their own destiny.
Viorst examines the long struggle of the Arab world to overthrow Western hegemony. He explores the Arab experiences with democracy and military despotism; Nasserite socialism in Egypt and Ba’athism in Syria and Iraq; tribal monarchy in Saudi Arabia and Jordan; guerrilla warfare waged by the Palestinians; and, finally, Islamic rebellion culminating in Osama bin Laden’s extremist al-Qaeda. All have the same goal: the liberation of the Arabs from foreign domination.
Storm from the East is a powerful work that, like no other, limns the political, religious, and social roots of Arab nationalism and the present-day unrest in the Middle East.
From the Hardcover edition.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
 An important read for anyone wanting to learn about the Middle East May 13, 2008
I stumbled upon Storm from the East in the library and once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down.
Let me be clear, this is not an exhaustive or authoritative treatise on the Middle East. It is simply a well-written, concise offering on some of the elements, particularly in the 20th century, that have contributed to Arab hostility toward the West. I have noticed that some reviewers say that Viorst is anti-Bush. This was not my interpretation at all. If Viorst is critical of anyone it is the French and the British goverments whose actions in the Middle East caused repercussions that are still being felt today. Their biggest failure, according to Viorst, is that they did not understand the power of the umma, the Muslim community, or the dynamics of a nascent Arab nationalism.
Viorst also spends some time analysing the often dichotomous nature of Arab unity. Often times we see a conflict between Pan-Arabism and Arab nationalism. The chapter spent on Nasser's efforts to create a United Arab Republic, which eventually led to tension with Syria and Jordan, document this scenario very well.
For anyone unfamiliar with the Middle East, this is a good primer. It covers some of the most important events in Middle East history, such as the Balfour Declaration, the Sykes-Picot agreement and the Peel Commission. What I liked about this book is that it is not one of these verbose encyclopedia-like volumes so full of jargon that the reader learns nothing. This is well-written and informative. It could have delved a bit deeper, but it provides the newcomer to Middle East Studies with a good base from which they can continue learning about this fascinating region of the world.
 so so March 31, 2008
This book is an easy read. I found it entertaining but I wouldn't call it a good scholarly book. there is an obvious bias against anything President Bush is involved with and the tint of this sort of ruins the scope of the book
I liked reading it but I couldn't take it that seriously.
must reading February 8, 2008
Viorst's book is must reading for anyone wishing to understand the mess in the Middle East and our role in it. Exporting Western values is difficult at best and Americans need to realize that we cannot save the world.
Surprisingly good January 23, 2008
I was not a fan of Milton Viorst. I had read his Sandcastles and Sands of Sorrows and was disappointed. I saw the book on my list and that President Jimmy Carter had endorsed it. I took a chance. I was surprised on how well Mr. Viorst presented the Arab perspective in such few pages. For a general reader, this book will provide a good introduction. For a the serious student, it provides a quick reference point. I have two observations that made this book a "Four Star" rather than a "Five Star." First, Mr. Viorst's handling of Israel. The complex role Israel has played in the Middle East is not simply relegated to the conflict over Palestine. Israel has played a far more active role. It interfered in Lebanon's politics; it had a policy of aggressive behavior on its borders as admitted by the late Moshe Dayan on the Syrian front; it has reached out to non-Arab players to threaten its Arab neighbors--successful in Turkey and in Iran until the fall of the Shah. Two, Mr. Viorst's analysis of Osma bin Laden was shallow. In the rush to turn this into a war of religions, the emphasis on the most radical and dangerous elements is appealing and gains headlines. For all the hype about bin Laden, his strian of Islam has not brought the community of believers any closer together than Pan-Arabism did. The Sunni-Shiite divide has not been bridged by bin Laden. Moreover, the nationalism of Arabs would go a long way to preventing a pan-Islamic movement. It dosen't take much to have Saudi Arabia fearful of Iran. And, how many Arab/Islamic countries have come to the aid of Syria as it faces the aggressive foregin policy of George Bush? With these two caveats, I do reccommend Mr. Viorst's book and look forward to buying his next writing.
Must Read January 21, 2007
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Outstanding compact storry about the East. Wish Bush and team would read this before sending more troops to the East.
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