
The Middle of Nowhere
Why the West Should Get Out of the Middle East
Edward Luttwak(Author)
Atlantic Books (Publisher)
Book
Hardback
176 pages
978-1-84354-818-8 (ISBN)
Description
Edward Luttwak's brilliantly original and provocative book argues that, despite its oil reserves, the Middle East has less global relevance than ever before - and that it would be better for everyone if the rest of the world learned to ignore it.In this landmark short book, Edward Luttwak shows that Western media and policy-makers devote far too much attention to the Middle East. During the Cold War, the region was important as a theatre of competition between East and West. Since then, however, it has become the scene of a cyclical Israeli - Palestinian struggle that has no effect on the oil supply and very little impact outside the region. Luttwak acknowledges that threats from Saddam Hussein or Iran cannot be ignored, but shows that they are dwarfed in their global importance by the activities of the Chinese, Japanese, Russians and Indians."The Middle of Nowhere" argues that the time has come for Westerners to refrain from invasion and intrusive benevolence. The peoples of the Middle East should finally be allowed to have their own history - the very thing that Middle East experts of all stripes seem determined to deny them.
Reviews / Votes
"'Luttwak...writes forcefully and idiosyncratically, he is cosmopolitan and easy to read... At his best, Luttwak blends economic and social criticism almost in the style of John Kenneth Galbraith.' New York Times 'The best thing about [Luttwak's] books, whether you agree with them or not, is the agile, independent intellect at work in them. It makes him, among other things, a superb social critic.' Business Week"More details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Illustrations
1x map
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-84354-818-8 (9781843548188)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Edward Luttwak is an American economist and historian. He is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, and served as a consultant to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, the National Security Council, and the US Department of State. He is the author of many books, including Turbo Capitalism and The Grand Strategy of the Roman Empire.