This is a politically neutral guide to help the reader understand the complex and controversial issues that influence the volatile Middle east. The book provides a historical context for events, biographical sketches of major figures, and a chronology of major events. Now in its twelfth edition, The Middle East continues to be the most comprehensive, balanced introduction to the region. This long trusted and time-tested resource has not only been updated for currency, but the scope of the book has also been thoughtfully modified to capture a more complex and complete picture of the Middle East. Its new editor, Ellen Lust, has gathered an outstanding group of scholars to bring important revisions to this edition: a) new chapters on political economy, domestic and regional politics, and international relations have been added to the overview section; b) new organization of the country profiles mirrors the topics covered in the overview section, making them more thorough, consistent, and easier to teach; c) new profiles feature the North African countries of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia; d) thorough updates on the latest events in the region, including election results from Iran and other countries, current immigration trends, developments in peace negotiations between Arab and Israeli leaders, as well as changes in diplomatic relations; and e) more maps, tables, and figures show political and demographic data.