The end of the Ottoman Empire and the formation of the modern Middle East

_The End of the Ottoman Empire and the Formation of the Modern Middle East_ In one hundred and twenty pages, this book provides an interesting account of the formation of the modern Middle East, and the pivotal role that the Ottoman Empire played in this process, even in its stages of disintegration. The book is a treasure trove of essential information for anyone who wants to understand the current scene. Thirty-four carefully selected documents, most of them from the archives, reinforce and illuminate the narrative. —Jonathan Schneier, Georgia Institute of Technology, author of The Balfour Declaration: The Origins of the Arab-Israeli Conflict. ## Internal Dynamics of the Middle East The internal dynamics of the modern Middle East can only be understood through a full understanding of its Ottoman past. Despite this, the starting point of the majority of general studies on the subject is the Sykes-Picot Agreement, with occasional references to the disintegration of the Ottoman Empire. ... The book "The End of the Ottoman Empire and the Forging of the Modern Middle East](https://hackettpublishing.com/the-end-of-the-ottoman-empire-and-the-forging-of-the-modern-middle-east)" is an excellent attempt to correct this shortcoming in scholarship. Rich in information, analysis, and lucid style, this study weaves a detailed account of the emergence of the new Middle East, placing it in a long historical context of imperial and post-imperial structures. — M. Shukri Hanioglu, Princeton University ## Valuable Contributions “A valuable contribution to understanding the modern Middle East. Better than any other book, it refutes some of the ethnocentric views of the Ottoman Empire, such as the concept of the ‘sick man of Europe,’ and suggests instead that some key decisions by Ottoman leaders contributed to its demise.” \- Ross Harrison, Senior Fellow, Middle East Institute, Washington, D.C. Using 34 carefully selected documents to support a comprehensive account of the origins of the modern Middle East, authors Bunton and Winder (both of the University of Victoria, Canada) provide readers with valuable background information to a complex historical process. Drawing on material covering crucial moments from the beginning of the collapse of the Ottoman Empire to the early twentieth century, this concise book fulfills its purpose in providing readers with a background for understanding modern events in the region. This book distinguishes itself from previous works that have aimed to explain the modern Middle East, in that it usefully guides readers around misleading claims about Europe's preordained rise at the expense of the region's peoples. Indeed, the well-documented examples of Ottoman decision-makers who contributed to the modern history of the region reinforce the key lesson we hope young students will take away from this well-crafted survey. With the Ottoman Empire and its ethnically diverse leadership of the Middle East heading into World War I, and the resulting catastrophes inaugurating the modern era for the region and the wider world prove more complex. Therefore, the book offers better starting points for teaching global history from a new perspective.