A Line In The Sand: Britain, France And The Struggle That Shaped The Middle East
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- Create Date：2021-12-16 05:50:58
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：James Barr
- ISBN：1847394574
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Summary
It was the middle of World War I。 Two men one， a visionary British politician （Mark Sykes）， the other， a veteran French diplomat （Francois Georges-Picot） secretly agreed to divide the Middle East。 Britain would have mandates in newly created Palestine， Transjordan， and Iraq; France in Lebanon and Syria。
For the next thirty years， this divide would make uneasy neighbors of two great powers and irreparably shape the Middle East。
James Barr combs recently declassified French and British government archives and unearths a shocking secret war and its powerful effect on the local Arabs and Jews。 He follows politicians， diplomats， and spies through intrigue and espionage to show us T。 E。 Lawrence's stealth guerrilla terror campaigns， and he journeys behind closed doors to discover why Britain courted the Zionist movement。
Meticulously well researched and character-driven， A Line in the Sand crescendos with the violent birth of Israel， all along the way brimming with insight into a historically volatile region。
For the next thirty years， this divide would make uneasy neighbors of two great powers and irreparably shape the Middle East。
James Barr combs recently declassified French and British government archives and unearths a shocking secret war and its powerful effect on the local Arabs and Jews。 He follows politicians， diplomats， and spies through intrigue and espionage to show us T。 E。 Lawrence's stealth guerrilla terror campaigns， and he journeys behind closed doors to discover why Britain courted the Zionist movement。
Meticulously well researched and character-driven， A Line in the Sand crescendos with the violent birth of Israel， all along the way brimming with insight into a historically volatile region。
Reviews
Elliot Barclay
，
I bought this book as I knew relatively little about the Anglo-French rivalry in the Middle East and its impact upon the beginnings of the Arab-Israeli conflict。 If you are interested in discovering more about these topics， this could be the book for you。The author covers Anglo-French policy in the Middle East from 1915， when British officials negotiated with Sharif Hussein of Mecca to foment an Arab revolt against the Ottoman Turks， to 1948， when the United Kingdom's battered forces withdrew fr I bought this book as I knew relatively little about the Anglo-French rivalry in the Middle East and its impact upon the beginnings of the Arab-Israeli conflict。 If you are interested in discovering more about these topics， this could be the book for you。The author covers Anglo-French policy in the Middle East from 1915， when British officials negotiated with Sharif Hussein of Mecca to foment an Arab revolt against the Ottoman Turks， to 1948， when the United Kingdom's battered forces withdrew from Palestine。 The book is therefore comprehensive but very focused in its examination of the British and French mandates of the Middle East。 Along the way readers meet numerous familiar and lesser known figures， not only major politicians like Clemenceau， Churchill， and Attlee but military advisers and officials like Orde Wingate and T。E。 'Lawrence of Arabia'。 As the author employs a laser focus upon the Middle East as a region， the fates of these and other figures are not always discussed but this has the benefit of ensuring that the narrative is never derailed。The emergence of the Arab-Israeli conflict is woven throughout as a key theme， and serves as the focus for the final part。 The well-known Hussein-McMahon correspondence as well as the Balfour Declaration are both covered， and their implications for the region's future fully examined。 What I had known so little about was the extent of French and American support for Zionist terrorist groups like Menachem Begin's Irgun。 For example， Broadway in New York hosted a play written by sympathiser Ben Hecht and starring a young Marlon Brando to raise funds for these groups， raking in plenty of money in the process。 Stories like this throughout the book reveal the underhanded nature of practical politics within the Middle East at this time。 I can therefore recommend this book as a fascinating exploration of the beginnings of one of the modern world's most bitter conflicts。 。。。more
Stephen Tubbs
，
A well researched account of the grasping greed， the results of which， still reverberates in the region decades later。
Alexandra Ionescu
，
A bit tedious to read， very much anecdotal。 Interesting nonetheless。
Cameron Krogh Stone
，
Extremely informative， intriguing and thorough guide through the history of Francobritish colonial ambitions in the Middle East， and how their competing ambitions drove them to make deals which ultimately didn’t serve any of the parties’ - The French， the Brits， the Arabs or the Jews - best interests， and how their decisions shaped， and to a great extent sparked， the enduring conflicts in the region。
Cem Yüksel
，
Türkçe devamında。 A good reading journey with many details based on deep research and resources about how today’s Middle East has been shaped。 Good analysis about the impacts of ambitions of states and politicians on the region and on the people who were manipulated 。 It covers the impact of Individuals like Lawrence and their personal emotions 。 It is possible to reflect to current affairs how these affect the daily life of ordinary people who may live together in peace if they are allowed。 The Türkçe devamında。 A good reading journey with many details based on deep research and resources about how today’s Middle East has been shaped。 Good analysis about the impacts of ambitions of states and politicians on the region and on the people who were manipulated 。 It covers the impact of Individuals like Lawrence and their personal emotions 。 It is possible to reflect to current affairs how these affect the daily life of ordinary people who may live together in peace if they are allowed。 The book starts with Skyes Picot agreement ， after war conflicts and continue with WW2 till İsrael state’s formation。 Interesting to see the on going fight between France and UK in the region even during the WW2 during which they collaborated。 Similarly ， it is interesting to see how Jews acted against UK， their protector after WW2 。 Good individual stories and a big playing ground from Africa to US ，Middle East and Turkey。 A must read for the people who wants to learn Middle East ， especially Palestine， Bugünün Orta Doğu’sunun nasıl şekillendiğine dair sağlam bir araştırma ve kaynaklara dayalı iyi bir okuma yolculuğu。 Devletlerin ve politikacıların hırslarının bölgedeki ve yönlendirilen insanları üzerindeki etkilerini anlatan iyi bir analiz。 Lawrence gibi insanların kişisel bakış ve duygularının etkisini kapsıyor Bugüne yansımalarını düşünüp ， kendi hallerine bırakılsa beraber barış içinde yaşayabilme ihtimali olan insanlar üzerindeki etkilerini düşünmek mümkün。 Kitap Skyes Picot anlaşması ve savaş sonrası çatışmalar ile başlayıp ， 2。 dünya savaşı ve İsrail Devletinin kuruluşuna kadar gidiyor。 Fransa ve İngiltere’nin işbirliği yaptıkları 2。Dünya Savaşı esnasında， bölgede nasıl çatıştıklarını görmek ilginç。 Aynı şekilde savaş sonrası ， Yahudilerin başlangıçta koruyucuları olan İngiltere’ye karşı eylemlerini görmek de ilginç。 Bir çok kişisel hikaye ve Afrika’dan ABD ， Orta Doğu ve Türkiye’ye uzanan bir coğrafya。 Orta Doğu ve özellikle Filistin ， Suriye ve Lübnan’ı öğrenmek isteyenler için okunması gerekli kitaplardan 。 。。。more
Serkan Olgun
，
James Barr’s book “A Line in the Sand: Britain， France and the Struggle that Shaped the Middle East” as the name suggests tells the story of Middle East starting from the Great War until after the Arab–Israeli War especially focusing on the involvement of Britain and France in particular with good reason for these colonial powers were behind all the newly created nation states， their borders and all the conflicts that were born out of it。James Barr argues that Britain and France， as these coloni James Barr’s book “A Line in the Sand: Britain， France and the Struggle that Shaped the Middle East” as the name suggests tells the story of Middle East starting from the Great War until after the Arab–Israeli War especially focusing on the involvement of Britain and France in particular with good reason for these colonial powers were behind all the newly created nation states， their borders and all the conflicts that were born out of it。James Barr argues that Britain and France， as these colonial powers always do， drew arbitrary lines on the map while totally ignoring the geography and local political & cultural dynamics of the region。 History proved once again that it never works out the way they think it would。 Many conflicts and wars in the region， to this day， are born out of the colonial rivalry between Britain and France。 A race to influence later oil what made them use the people of the region from different cultural and religious background as pawns on the chess board。 Even after so many years these powers left the area， the scar is so deep that Middle East is still one of the most unstable regions in the world with several active ongoing conflicts and wars。As a British writer， James Barr generally did a good job not to hold himself back against Britain in their involvement。 I had a slight anticipation of a biased story; but he was able to maintain a level of objectivity throughout the book。 You can expect a well-written story-like book backed with facts based on letters， documents etc。As someone growing up in Turkey being familiar with its history， this book made me reflect on Turkey’s journey in the first half of the 20th century。 Firstly， I am grateful to the founding fathers of the Republic of Turkey to rid themselves of all pro-mandate political agenda and people， and most importantly grateful to them for firmly standing up against Britain and France for an unconditional independence。 Secondly， I am grateful to the Anatolian soil for not having oil reserves profitable enough for the Western colonial powers to “bring democracy” to Turkey。https://serkanolgun。me/2021/09/22/review-a-line-in-the-sand。html 。。。more
Majd
，
هذا الكتاب يتكلم عن موضوع في غاية الحساسية والاهمية وهو الحلف بين بريطانيا وفرنسا لكي يتقاسموا تركة الدولة العثمانية الرجل المريض في اثناء الحرب العالمية الاولى من اتفاقية سايكس بيكو وثورة الشريف حسين واحتلال فرنسا لسوريا ولبنان ويسير معنا الكاتب في الاحداث ليتضح لنا مدى التباين الشديد بين رؤيتي الحليفين وكلما نقرب المشهد في الغرف المغلقة نرى الخلافات اكثر واكثر وتصل احيانا لمستويات خطيرة كدعم حركات مسلحة مضادة للطرف الاخر。。هذا النوع من الكتب بالاضافة الى اهميته لفهم السياق التاريخي لتشكل حدود د هذا الكتاب يتكلم عن موضوع في غاية الحساسية والاهمية وهو الحلف بين بريطانيا وفرنسا لكي يتقاسموا تركة الدولة العثمانية الرجل المريض في اثناء الحرب العالمية الاولى من اتفاقية سايكس بيكو وثورة الشريف حسين واحتلال فرنسا لسوريا ولبنان ويسير معنا الكاتب في الاحداث ليتضح لنا مدى التباين الشديد بين رؤيتي الحليفين وكلما نقرب المشهد في الغرف المغلقة نرى الخلافات اكثر واكثر وتصل احيانا لمستويات خطيرة كدعم حركات مسلحة مضادة للطرف الاخر。。هذا النوع من الكتب بالاضافة الى اهميته لفهم السياق التاريخي لتشكل حدود دولنا يكشف لنا مدى سذاجة معتنقين نظرية المؤامرة المحكمة والخطة المرسومة، هنا نرى الكثير من التخبط وعدم وضوح الرؤية في تقاسم الغنائم وان الحلف قائم على اهداف عامة ومنها تفكيك الدولة العثمانية。 。。。more
Edmund
，
Highly recommended。 I really enjoyed it， was informative and well researched without being intensely academic。
Ana
，
It wasn't an easy read - I've concluded that I deal with long books better when reading physical （paper） editions than their Kindle editions， it's like I can "feel" the progress better。 And， on the Kindle edition， the book content actually ends at around 64% of the book。 Would have been nicer to know that in advance， I hope this helps someone else。About the book: another good example of how we cannot understand the present without knowing the past。 I recommend this book if you want to try to und It wasn't an easy read - I've concluded that I deal with long books better when reading physical （paper） editions than their Kindle editions， it's like I can "feel" the progress better。 And， on the Kindle edition， the book content actually ends at around 64% of the book。 Would have been nicer to know that in advance， I hope this helps someone else。About the book: another good example of how we cannot understand the present without knowing the past。 I recommend this book if you want to try to understand a bit more of what is happening now in that region。Note: the same way that this book gives some context to what is happening in the Middle East today， you should also be aware of the turbulent relationship between the UK/Britain/England and France prior to the period covered in the book。Two paragraphs from the book's Epilogue: "Britain's sponsorship of the Jews in Palestine and France's favouritism of the Christian in the Lebanon were policies designed to strengthen their respective positions in the region by eliciting gratitude from both minorities。 The appreciation they generated but doing so was short-lived， but they deeply antagonised the predominantly Muslim Arab population of both countries， and the wider region， with irreversible effects。 As Britain and France became increasingly unpopular， they were forced into oscillating alliances that only polarised Arab and Jew， Christian and Muslim further。 The mandatories' abrupt changes of policy under pressure， and their refusal to institute meaningful， representative government， made it clear to those they ruled that violence worked。（。。。）The wrangling between Britain and the Free French throughout the war years had a further， far-reaching consequence when de Gaulle returned to power in 1958。 As president of France it was he who infamously vetoed the Harold Macmillan's application to join the Common Market。 In tracing exactly why de Gaulle said Non， it is， surprisingly， to the hot and noisy cities of Beirut and Damascus that we should look。 The general's experience of British machinations in both places profoundly shaped his reluctance to allow his wartime rivals to join his European club。 It is a tale from which neither country emerges with much credit。" 。。。more
Morpheus
，
This book is an essential read for Middle East specialists， students， and general readers。 It serves， with its historical context， as an introductory overview of the current Middle East state of affairs。 Written in a cohesively accessible language as well as objectively structured， it renders the reader with an important background knowledge of how and why the Middle East has been shaped in the past the way it was， by unearthing British and French declassified archival documents。 It demonstrates This book is an essential read for Middle East specialists， students， and general readers。 It serves， with its historical context， as an introductory overview of the current Middle East state of affairs。 Written in a cohesively accessible language as well as objectively structured， it renders the reader with an important background knowledge of how and why the Middle East has been shaped in the past the way it was， by unearthing British and French declassified archival documents。 It demonstrates the extent to which the imperial secret struggle between France and Britain resulted in chaotic long term consequences on the wider Arab world， with an in-depth coverage on the Levant region: Palestine， Syria， Iraq， Lebanon， and Jordan。Although written by a former journalist， Barr has done an excellent， if not， a vital contribution to the literature on the Middle East， because of its originality and courage in stating and interpreting the events。 It demonstrates the degree of complexity all actors had to play as the course of events unfolded， following the end of WW1。 The work is centred around the major colonial question of how can both Britain and France— as wartime allies— ensure the future protection of their interests in the Middle East without intruding on each other’s turf following the collapse of the Ottoman Empire。 I cannot stress the fact further that this book needs a cautious read and a mental clarity when analysing the events departing from any prejudice， if one wants to understand how states behave in the international arena。 I highly recommend this book to any would-be a diplomat or someone with a profession that relates to international law and diplomacy in the Middle East。 。。。more
ParisianIrish
，
Loved this book， I read it while the Syrian civil war was at the height of news and TV with ISIS looking seemingly unstoppable。The book goes into the detail of why the Middle East is such a political hotspot with a major conflict arising every 5 years or so。 Hindsight giving us 20/20 vision， we can safely say that the borders drawn up by France and UK after World War 1 are one of the main causes of why the area is such a powder keg。 The author does a phenomenal job going into the detail of this， Loved this book， I read it while the Syrian civil war was at the height of news and TV with ISIS looking seemingly unstoppable。The book goes into the detail of why the Middle East is such a political hotspot with a major conflict arising every 5 years or so。 Hindsight giving us 20/20 vision， we can safely say that the borders drawn up by France and UK after World War 1 are one of the main causes of why the area is such a powder keg。 The author does a phenomenal job going into the detail of this， the key events in Isreal， Jordan， Syria， Lebanon and Iraq during the early years and how all of that is linked into the current conundrum that the region finds itself in now。This is definitely a must read if you want to understand the Middle East， this book will fill in the knowledge gaps。 。。。more
Virginia Cornelia
，
Greu de urmărit pe alocuri， ca audiobook pe scribd， dar extrem de interesanta 。Linia din nisip sau inclestarea dintre Marea Britanie si Franta pentru controlul Orientului Mijlociu。 Initial front comun impotriva Imperiului Otoman， ulterior in lupta una cu cealalta pentru a si securiza pozitia in zona si mai ales la resursele de petrol， situatie care a determinat crearea unor colonii franceze sau britanice sub forma Siriei， Irakului， Palestinei si Libanului。 Actiunea merge mult mai departe de WW2 Greu de urmărit pe alocuri， ca audiobook pe scribd， dar extrem de interesanta 。Linia din nisip sau inclestarea dintre Marea Britanie si Franta pentru controlul Orientului Mijlociu。 Initial front comun impotriva Imperiului Otoman， ulterior in lupta una cu cealalta pentru a si securiza pozitia in zona si mai ales la resursele de petrol， situatie care a determinat crearea unor colonii franceze sau britanice sub forma Siriei， Irakului， Palestinei si Libanului。 Actiunea merge mult mai departe de WW2 si in sfarsit am。aflat si eu cum a aparut terorismul in aceste zone si cine sunt in realitate teroristii。 。。。more
Bradley Saunders
，
Barr does very well to make chronological sense of a time at which so much happened in so many different places， and to tell the story in an easy-to-follow and gripping way。
Jayne
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Dry as heck but very interesting
Omar Kasem
，
هذا الكتاب عظيم ولا يجوز باي شكل من الاشكال كتابة مراجعة عنه ، لانه مهما كتبت فلن توفيه حقه او ستعطي نقطةً قيمةً اكبر على حساب غيرها من النقاط。أكثر جزء اعجبني ذاك الذي تكلم عن ثورة الدروز ووصف بيئة الدروز الجغرافية وتركيبة الدرزي ولمحة عن كيانه ومعتقداته المتوارثة ، وذلك لأنني بحثت عن العديد من الكتب التي تتكلم بهذا الخصوص وبالرغم من هذا لم اجد شيئاً ذا نفع بقدر ما وجدت بفقرة ثانوية ضمن هذا الكتاب。أمانة الكاتب بنقله الاحداث بالتفصيل و بحيادية و دقة شيء يُحسد عليه。。 بالإضافة لوصفه المعارك بشكل مش هذا الكتاب عظيم ولا يجوز باي شكل من الاشكال كتابة مراجعة عنه ، لانه مهما كتبت فلن توفيه حقه او ستعطي نقطةً قيمةً اكبر على حساب غيرها من النقاط。أكثر جزء اعجبني ذاك الذي تكلم عن ثورة الدروز ووصف بيئة الدروز الجغرافية وتركيبة الدرزي ولمحة عن كيانه ومعتقداته المتوارثة ، وذلك لأنني بحثت عن العديد من الكتب التي تتكلم بهذا الخصوص وبالرغم من هذا لم اجد شيئاً ذا نفع بقدر ما وجدت بفقرة ثانوية ضمن هذا الكتاب。أمانة الكاتب بنقله الاحداث بالتفصيل و بحيادية و دقة شيء يُحسد عليه。。 بالإضافة لوصفه المعارك بشكل مشوق وكأنك تقرأ روايةً لا كتاب تاريخي！الترجمة ممتازة جدًا ، و متاكد بأنني سأعود له بين الفترة والأخرى لأقرأ فقراتٍ منه 。 。。。more
Sally Faith
，
Sobering a humbling。 This tale of the unforgivable use of the Middle East as a political pawn by France & Britain in the first half of the 20th Century is a salutary reminder of why the west is so often held in such low regard by the people of that area。 This book contextualises and frames the roles of all the 'great' players of the time whilst not losing sight of the impact their decision had on the every day lives of the local population。 Written with clarity， detail and just enough humour to Sobering a humbling。 This tale of the unforgivable use of the Middle East as a political pawn by France & Britain in the first half of the 20th Century is a salutary reminder of why the west is so often held in such low regard by the people of that area。 This book contextualises and frames the roles of all the 'great' players of the time whilst not losing sight of the impact their decision had on the every day lives of the local population。 Written with clarity， detail and just enough humour to keep you engaged， Barr uses a winning combination of academic research， witness accounts and occasional speculative gossip to flesh out this fascinating account of an extremely discreditable period in French and British international political history。 。。。more
C Corbs
，
Extremely informative and dispelled many misunderstandings I had about the region and where its 20th century history has influenced it today。 At times too much detail and a little dull， mainly in the audiobook version。
Clod McPete
，
Incredible book。 Eye-opening and dumbfounding。 Learned a great deal about Zionism。 Got whiplash from the chaos orchestrated by these western powers。 Would recommend to anyone who needs a starter for understanding the modern region and the power vaccuum left by fall of the Ottoman Empire。 Feels necessary for me before learning about Gaddafi， Hussein， and any other prominent Arab leaders。 Only complaint is this is very slated to British sources and very little Arab input- but the author is English Incredible book。 Eye-opening and dumbfounding。 Learned a great deal about Zionism。 Got whiplash from the chaos orchestrated by these western powers。 Would recommend to anyone who needs a starter for understanding the modern region and the power vaccuum left by fall of the Ottoman Empire。 Feels necessary for me before learning about Gaddafi， Hussein， and any other prominent Arab leaders。 Only complaint is this is very slated to British sources and very little Arab input- but the author is English and this was written in light of declassified British files。"The Conservative MP and Middle East adviser Mark Sykes declared his intention “to draw a line from the ‘e’ in Acre to the last ‘k’ in Kirkuk”， lands north of the line going to France， south of it to Britain。 The division was duly agreed with his French counterpart， the diplomat François Georges-Picot"。 。。。more
Alasdair Gerrard
，
An interesting topic， but a very dense read with a lot of names which can be difficult to keep track of。 Would potentially have benefited from a timeline overview at the start。
نورة عبدالملك
，
هام وغير سري للغاية"خط في الرمال" كانت بداية نهاية الخلافة العثمانية، والسقوط العربي، بخط رسمه سايكس بقلم رصاص… هكذا أعلن مشهد السقوط。لا أشعر بأنني كنت أقرأ كتابا سياسيا أو تاريخيا، بل أشاهد فيلما حماسيا، شعاره "مش حتئدر تغمض عينيك"。 ولا عجب، فأنت في منطقة الشرق الأوسط، حيث الإثارة لا تنتهي، والأحداث في توالد。"إننا مضطرون لبيع أصدقائنا الصغار لندفع لأصدقائنا الكبار"هكذا تبدو المنطقة العربية في الأعين الزرقاء。。 إن كنت مثلي تقرأ الكتاب، تقتص أثر أجدادك، تبحث عن بطولاتهم، فعزائي لك، يبدو دور العرب، هام وغير سري للغاية"خط في الرمال" كانت بداية نهاية الخلافة العثمانية، والسقوط العربي، بخط رسمه سايكس بقلم رصاص… هكذا أعلن مشهد السقوط。لا أشعر بأنني كنت أقرأ كتابا سياسيا أو تاريخيا، بل أشاهد فيلما حماسيا، شعاره "مش حتئدر تغمض عينيك"。 ولا عجب، فأنت في منطقة الشرق الأوسط، حيث الإثارة لا تنتهي، والأحداث في توالد。"إننا مضطرون لبيع أصدقائنا الصغار لندفع لأصدقائنا الكبار"هكذا تبدو المنطقة العربية في الأعين الزرقاء。。 إن كنت مثلي تقرأ الكتاب، تقتص أثر أجدادك، تبحث عن بطولاتهم، فعزائي لك، يبدو دور العرب، المسلمين هنا قصيرا، قد يظهر في مشهد "كومبارس"، هل تتذكر أحد أفلام البطولة المارفيلية؟ يظهر فيها البطل وهو يقاتل قوى الشر。。 هل انتبهت حينها لأولئك المسحوقين خلف حجارة رماها الوحش، أو المدعوسين خلف ركام السيارات، أولئك الذي لم يلق لهم بالا لا عدسة المخرج، ولا أعين المشاهد。。 هكذا ظهر العرب في عيني。。 هكذا كنا حينها。。ينبه تشرشل ضباطه قائلا:"تذكروا أن كل ما يحدث في الشرق الأوسط ثانوي بالنسبة للحد من النفقات"قد يبدو الجنيه وقتها أثمن من أن يضيع على منطقتك。。 فقط هذا هو الباعث على تركك تعيش بسلام。。 تبدو شبيها بصرصار كافكا، لا يستحق الأمر خسارة مادية وعسكرية。。 لأنك ببساطة أتفه من ذلك。。كان هنالك مجموعة من العرب تسمى "التمائم" استخدمها البريطانيون للتعامل مع قنابل اليهود، للكشف عنها، كانوا يضعون العربي في مقدمة السيارة، ثم يحركونها للأمام ليسقط، فإن كان محظوظا انتهى الأمر بكسر قدمه، وإن كان غير ذلك، فإنه يتحول إلى أشلاء، ويضمن الفوج سلامة أفراده。。 هكذا ببساطة。。كصرصار。。 أو فأر تجارب。"-أريد الموصل。-ستحصل عليها。 هل من شيء آخر؟-نعم، أريد القدس أيضا。-ستحصل عليها。"هكذا يدور حوار اعتيادي بين رجلين أبيضين، قد يكون أحدهما أزرق العينين والآخر أخضرها。。 عن مناطق شديدة التصحر، شديدة الحرارة。。 لا يستطيع أحدهما أن يطأها بقدمه دون تعبيدها بالكثير من الدماء！قد يبدو الحوار أمرا حضاريا، لكن -وكما يعبر كليمنصو-: "إن فن تسوية أمور الناس في الحياة أكثر تعقيدا بكثير من ذبحهم" =）بصراحة؟ راقت لي العبارة。。 يبدو القتل أسرع وأريح وأهون بكثير من محاولة جمع الصفوف، وتسوية الأمور。"كانت المصالحة بين قبائل العرب أشبه بمحاولة إصلاح "قلادة مكسورة"هكذا يعبر لورانس الإنجليزي الذي تعب من العرب ومحاولة جمع كلمتهم البائسة :）"ها قد عدنا يا صلاح الدين" "كان يطلق على فريقه -باستخدام الكتاب المقدس- اسم （قوة جدعون）" "رأوا أنهم من واجبهم مساعدة الإسرائيليين على استعادة أرض الميعاد"في حال كنت تتساءل: هل كانت الحروب ولا زالت صليبية حتى عصرنا الحاضر المادي الملحد؟فسأجيبك: تبدي الصورة لي أن الحرب في دوافعها وتوجهاتها وأغراضها توسعية انتهازية، تصبو لإشباع الطمع الإمبريالي أولا وأخيرا。。 أما عن الوقود الذي يشعل فتيلها، ويؤجج شبانها، ويذكي روح قتالها، فهو الدين "الانتماء لفكرة، هوية، قومية، وطن" بلا شك。。كانت مخاوف الغرب تتمثل في هذه العبارة:"إسلام عربي النزعة يستمد من غزواته قوة جديدة للتوسع ومقاومة النفوذ المسيحي"。أتعلمون ما هو الدرس الذي تعلمه الكيان المحتل خلال سنوات ولم نتعلمه طوال قرون؟"أن العنف كان نافعا في التعامل مع البريطانيين"。لقد نافح الصهاينة في طرد الإنجليز المحتلين من فلسطين -والذين فتحوا لهم باب الهجرة بالمناسبة- وقاتلوهم باعتبارهم دخلاء في دولتهم！يبدو المشهد ساخرا أليس كذلك؟لصوص، يحكمون بالإعدام على قاضي السوء الذي سمح لهم بالسرقة！ تخيل！ومع ذلك لقد نجحوا في طردهم، ثم إنشاء دولة معترف بها عالميا وعسكريا، بماذا؟ليس بالحوار يا "روح أمك" ولا بالإقناع。。 لقد كان تاريخهم حافلا بمنظمات إجرامية، وعنف، وقتل。。 حتى صارت الكثير من الدول داعمة لهم للتخلص من شرهم！ هل استوعبت يا معادي الإرهاب؟ أيها المتبكبك على كل تفجير。。 المعادي لفكرة المقاومة، المؤمن بالسلام والبطيخ！يبدو مشهد "الدواعش الصهاينة" المتمثل في عصابة "الإرغون" و"شتيرن" مختلفا، فعلى عكس دول العالم، استغلت الدولة المحتلة الشباب الطائش، والعصابات المجرمة في صفها، وبدل رميها لتتلاعب بها الأمم، كونت من تلك العصابات حصنا منيعا، وهجوما عنيفا ضد من يمانع سياساتها، وعلى رأسها الدول التي رعتها وساهمت في نشأتها。。 إن شباب "الهاجاناه" المتعصب كان لبنة أساسية في نشأة ما يسمى اليوم "إسرائيل"، فهل يضعك ذلك أمام تساؤلات جديدة فيما يخص تعامل دولنا اليوم مع المنظمات الإرهابية؟ماذا لو أنها استفادت منهم سياسيا، واستخدمتهم كوسيلة ضغط لها لا عليها。。 كما كان استخدام اليهود في أمريكا لوسائل الإعلام والمسارح فعالا وملفتا。。 من خلاله تستوعب لم العالم مر عليه مرور اغتصاب فلسطين مرور الكرام؟ لقد استغل اليهود محنتهم مع النازية كورقة ضغط، قاموا بتثبيتها عبر المسرح، الأفلام، الصحف。。 ثم انتهى الأمر بركل قضيتهم إلى حيث الهدف "فلسطين"، فكان على العالم الغربي الذي يريد إسكات ضميره التغاضي عن حادثة الاغتصاب، وتبني التبرير النفسي والتاريخي لأجل أولئك المساكين، بالإضافة إلى "أنهم لا يريدون الكثير من اليهود في نيويورك" كما عبر الكثير منهم عن ذلك。。 فكانت العاقبة على رأس العرب والفلسطينيين。كان مشهد تسليم فلسطين للصهاينة مذلا، لقد ثبتت دول العالم الغربي فلسطين بالأرض، لتساعد المحتل على اغتصابها。。 هذا هو دور دول العالم أجمع في حال كنت تتساءل。كون الكتاب لدي صورا متعددة لكثير من الأسماء التاريخية، فمثلا "لورانس" والذي بدت صورته حسنة وأشعرني الكتاب تجاهه بصدق شعوره تجاه العرب مع أصالة إنجليزيته، كذلك "تشرشل" من الأسماء التي أثار لدي حافز قراءة سيرتها، فيبدو شخصية ماكرة، تملك القدرة على الوصول إلى ما تريد بدهاء، يبدو مغرورا حتى على مستوى مكتبه الواسع وانتهاء بالأراضي التي تصل إليها يده، وبعيدا عن الجانب السياسي لشخصيته فقد بدا لي شخصا أود التعرف عليه على المستوى الاجتماعي، هنالك كذلك روزفلت والذي يبدو سياسيا ماهرا。。 كما أن هنالك الكثير من الشخصيات الفرنسية البغيضة، وأصدقك القول لا أحسن الظن بهم جميعا، لكن بدت لي فرنسا هنا أكثر عنجهية وبغضا، وإنجلترا أكثر هدوءا وحنكة، أما الولايات المتحدة فيبدو أنها "بنت المحظوظة" في عصرنا الحديث، والقوة الأكثر نفوذا وتوسعا بالرغم من قصر تاريخها الاستعماري والحربي！ستشاهد هنا في منطقة عربية -فلسطين مثلا- صراعا "إنجليزيا، فرنسيا" برعاية أجنبية من دول مثل الولايات المتحدة، وبجنود "أفارقة، أستراليين، عرب。。إلخ" تبدو صورة الحروب في العصر الحديث سائلة مختلطة！ لم نعد نشهد صورا واضحة، "جندي أصفر يتدرع بلباس إفرنجي، تعلوه علامة الصليب، أمام جندي أسمر يحمل راية التوحيد" لم تعد الصور بهذا الوضوح وهذا الصدق، بل إنك تجد في بقعة عربية حربا إفرنجية إنجليزية، بأيد إفريقية وآسيوية وعربية！ حتى تتساءل: لأي هدف يقاتل هذا الأفريقي المسكين في تلك البقعة البعيدة جغرافيا وتاريخيا عنه؟دماء مختلطة، تمتد فيها أذرع الاستعمار إلى مواطن ما كان ينبغي لها الدخول إليها، بدماء لا تنتمي إليها، ولا تحمل فكرها。。 مشهد يختصر لك صورة الإمبريالية والنزعة الاستعمارية بأيديها القذرة。لقد كان الكتاب ثريا، كتب "بذمة" كما يقال، وثق فيه صاحبه لكل حدث وحوار وقعت عليه عينه، ولو أنه دعمه بالوثائق والصور لكان أكثر إمتاعا وإقناعا。"كانت الحدود التي رسمها سايكس بخط مرسوم بقلم رصاص عبر خريطة العالم" رغم تهافتها، وسخفها، ولا مبالاتها… أقوى من توحد العرب واجتماع كلمتهم。。 لقد كانت الخلافة الإسلامية بحال من الضعف ما يكفي لإسقاطها بخط رسم على الرمال。 。。。more
Joe
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Stopping 150 pages in。I can see why those interested in a certain kind of history might enjoy this， but I was hoping for more focus on the middle-eastern and Arab countries affected by what was essentially a western scramble for power。 This feels like a very particular type of history book - this happened， then this happened， then this happened， then this politician threw a fit， then this nasty French man blew his top。 If less attention were given to petty squabbles and more to the societal impo Stopping 150 pages in。I can see why those interested in a certain kind of history might enjoy this， but I was hoping for more focus on the middle-eastern and Arab countries affected by what was essentially a western scramble for power。 This feels like a very particular type of history book - this happened， then this happened， then this happened， then this politician threw a fit， then this nasty French man blew his top。 If less attention were given to petty squabbles and more to the societal importance of these events， I'd have carried on reading。 。。。more
Mike Pinter
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A very， very interesting read！It explains why there has been such tension in the Middle East all these decades since "the powers that be" started thinking in 1914 about what would happen to the regions governed by the Ottoman Empire for centuries at the end of First World War。The heavy-handedness of French and British ministries and individual pettiness of their representatives in different places at different times in history have had amazining and atrocious results for over a hundred years！Odd A very， very interesting read！It explains why there has been such tension in the Middle East all these decades since "the powers that be" started thinking in 1914 about what would happen to the regions governed by the Ottoman Empire for centuries at the end of First World War。The heavy-handedness of French and British ministries and individual pettiness of their representatives in different places at different times in history have had amazining and atrocious results for over a hundred years！Oddly enough， Kuwait is barely mentioned， and Iran， Saudi Arabia and the Emirates barely get a mention beyond a certain point in their histories， but perhaps they were left out of the scope of this book from the beginning of the Second World War on purpose。 。。。more
Koen
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3。5
Marco
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all in all it's a good and detailed review of the 1917-1948 scramble for the middle east， but one must ignore the heavy pro-british bias， even if at times there are attempts to tone it down， including the conclusion。 all in all it's a good and detailed review of the 1917-1948 scramble for the middle east， but one must ignore the heavy pro-british bias， even if at times there are attempts to tone it down， including the conclusion。 。。。more
Matt Barrie
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Superb - review coming soon。
Gareth Evans
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Clear account of Anglo-French rivalry in the Middle East from 1910 to 1949。 Very much focussed on the Western perspective。 A good solid read。
Amirpasha Mozaffari
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 It is such an insightful book。 So much information about how the middle east history forged by colonialism and arrogant British and French。 It covers years before WWI and competition to secure as much as a possible foothold in the region， WWII， to the end of the British mandate in Palestine and the creation of Israel。 I wonder， as a person （who is from the middle east）， why none of these facts was in my school colloquium。 I highly suggest reading it for all interested in the history of the middl It is such an insightful book。 So much information about how the middle east history forged by colonialism and arrogant British and French。 It covers years before WWI and competition to secure as much as a possible foothold in the region， WWII， to the end of the British mandate in Palestine and the creation of Israel。 I wonder， as a person （who is from the middle east）， why none of these facts was in my school colloquium。 I highly suggest reading it for all interested in the history of the middle east， Palestine and Israel。 。。。more
John Frasene
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This edition really needed some maps。
Andrew
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Mostly found it interesting， but wish it had been less singularly focused on Britain/France and had more in depth stuff about Soviets / Turkey / Nazis。
Nikita Chizhov
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