A History of the Modern Middle East

"The late William L. Cleveland’s A History of the Modern Middle East became an instant classic upon initial publication in 1994. Unlike classics which remain frozen in time, however, Martin Bunton has provided incisive updates since 2008, culminating in this seventh edition of 2024. For the beginner or the advanced scholar, there is no better introduction to the political and cultural history of the last two and a half centuries of the modern Middle East."

Donald Malcolm Reid, Professor Emeritus, Department of History, Georgia State University / Affiliate Professor, Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures, University of Washington

"A History of the Modern Middle East is by far the best textbook on the Middle East. The writing is clear and the arguments are concise and balanced. I have used many texts over the years; none come close to Cleveland and Bunton."

Joshua M. Landis, Sandra Mackey Chair in Middle East Studies, Director of the Center for Middle East Studies and Farzaneh Family Center for Iranian and Persian Gulf Studies, University of Oklahoma

"One of the most accessible histories of the Middle East, which in this seventh edition covers the long span from the rise of Islam to the aftermath of the Arab Uprisings of 2011 and the subsequent shifts in power dynamics in the region. Its clearly-written account makes it the perfect textbook for survey courses on the Middle East."

Negin Nabavi, associate professor in History, Montclair State University

Praise for Prior Editions

"An excellent overview of the history of the modern Middle East. Eminently clear, comprehensive, and insightful. A truly superior book."

James Jankowski

"Cleveland and Bunton provide a comprehensive history of the Middle East that allows students to understand the decisions of the principal political actors and the results of major events and crises. It has been an indispensable textbook for my survey on how and why the peoples of the Middle East deal with issues of democracy, religious and national identity as well as conflicting reactions toward Western intervention in a variety of forms."

Stacy E. Holden

"Cleveland has written a cogent and comprehensive political history of the Middle East in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, prefaced by a concise and readable introduction to Islamic history. He is particularly successful in pointing to the persistence and strength of traditional modes of thought and belief in bringing about the reassertion of Islamic identity in the face of the moral bankruptcy of contemporary Middle Eastern regimes and the disempowering pressures of everyday life . . . this book should do much to demystify common misconceptions about this complex and frequently misunderstood region."

Peter Sluglett"Cleveland's timely book is now the most comprehensive, up-to-date introduction to the history of the modern Middle East, and it is likely to remain so for a good long while. He does a marvelous job of rendering intelligible the complex political and social changes that the Middle East experienced in the past two centuries. Readers will be grateful to Cleveland for blending much of the best recent historical scholarship into this fine book and for making it eminently readable."

Philip S. Khoury"For almost thirty years, I have depended on Cleveland and Bunton's textbook as the anchor of my course on the history of the modern Middle East. It is, to my mind, the very best and most teachable text available."

Lidwien Kapteijns"One of the most balanced and comprehensive textbooks that exists on Middle Eastern history."

Sreemati Mitter

"The book masterfully intertwines complex strands of history – from sectarian conflict in Lebanon, to the Arab-Israeli conflicts, to the impact of oil wealth and the Iranian revolution. No other volume does this so well."

Elizabeth Thompson

"The difficulties of writing an introductory text on the modern Middle East have largely been overcome by William L. Cleveland in this lucid and impartial history. Perhaps the greatest virtue of the book is the author's sympathetic detachment in his treatment of an ideologically charged history. Always measured in his assessments, Cleveland avoids lionizing and vilifying whether discussing the colonial experience, the rise of nationalism, the struggle for Palestine, the influence of Nasser or the Islamic resurgence.”

Eugene Rogan in British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies"This book provides a comprehensive and compelling history of the modern Middle East and is an invaluable addition to any scholar's library. The authors distill complex and multifaceted aspects of Middle Eastern history and culture for the reader while providing insightful and germane analysis."

Ellen R. Wald
"This is the best comprehensive survey of modern Middle East history in the literature. The authors excel at translating complex and controversial subject matter in a highly readable manner without sacrificing cogent and insightful analysis. I highly recommend it."

David W. Lesch"This survey of the history of the modern Middle East has been well received by scholars in the field. Sophisticated and stimulating . . . Cleveland has contributed a well-balanced, well-researched, and well-planned introductory text for the study of the modern Middle East."

Judith Mendelsohn Rood in Turkish Studies Association Bulletin"This volume is history in the best sense . . . A superbly written analysis of the social and political disruptions of the Middle East. This updated volume does an excellent job of weaving together various strands of a complex subject in a coherent narrative. It is recommended reading for all serious students who want to understand how the Middle East got to where it is today."

Phebe Marr

"With the accuracy and balance that the scholar would insist on and with the spirited readability that the student would hope for, this is a fine interpretive study of the Middle East during the past two centuries. A richly textured history, it handles the challenge of highlighting the cultural unity characterizing the Middle East while also demonstrating the region's diversity – political, religious, cultural, and economic."

L. Carl Brown