Historical Dictionary of the Arab-Israeli Conflict

Kumaraswamy, a scholar who has written extensively about this knotty political area, has enlarged his original 2006 edition of this work by more than 200 pages, with substantial updates to each section (acronyms, chronology, dictionary, bibliography) and the welcome addition of political maps. The expanded 47-page introduction could stand independently as a readable, in-depth synopsis of the genesis, events, scope, and issues of this conflict. The detailed chronology provides specific dates for relevant global events from 1869 through November 2014, pinpointing actions such as various peace plan proposal dates and summits, political election results, and incendiary incidents regionally as well as germane occurrences worldwide. The 600-plus dictionary definitions are encyclopedic, often multiple paragraphs long with bolded terms indicating cross-references and additional see also recommendations. The bibliography is organized by ten major topics, with an introduction pointing readers to broader information sources. As a comprehensive, detailed, single source for the 19th- to 21st-century events and issues that continue to shape this crucial, ongoing conflict, this second edition of the Historical Dictionary of the Arab-Israeli Conflict is highly recommended and supersedes the first edition. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All libraries. All levels. * CHOICE *
All in all, students of the world’s most intractable problem will agree that he has compiled rather a good book: clear, concise and well-organised…. Professor Kumaraswamy clearly knows his subject. His resume printed at the back of the book indicates a lifelong scholar of Middle Eastern affairs. He has allowed himself enough space to treat the subject thoroughly – the main sequence of articles is 450 pages long. Few of the topics that I looked up had not been treated and in the later stages of the chronology he is listing events almost week-by-week…. If you have a gap on your Middle East shelves and £90/$135 to spare you might venture it on this good, meat’n potatoes reference book. * s *