Farrar Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 We just have a few topics left before we will have covered all the history. (Sorry, I'm just still on this incredible homeschool high from that five year undertaking reaching completion.) We're starting fifth grade. One that we need to do is the post-WWII Middle East. I have found lots of individual resources about various things - the creation of Israel and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the wars in Iraq, the conflict with Iran - but I'd love to find a resource that's accessible to this age that weaves together some of the different themes and issues and tells it as closer to a single narrative. I mean, obviously, it's not a single narrative, but a number of the issues intersect in such complex ways - oil and conflict and differences in religion and so forth and it would be so good (and much easier for me) to find a resource that connects the dots a little bit. It's such a grand topic and we're not going to spend a huge amount of time on it (and they're only just turning 10 yo). Anyway... wondering if anyone knows of anything good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 Great individual resources also welcome. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 More individual resources: The Arab-Israeli Conflict (McAleavy) Flashpoints: Israel and Palestine (Gallagher) Living Through the Gulf Wars in Iraq (Bingham) Secret History: The Iraq War (Adams) *Possible* overview resources: World in Conflict series: The Middle East (Gunderson): The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict The Need for Oil Terrorist Groups The Middle East: The History, Conflict, Culture, Faiths (editors of Time Magazine) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tammyw Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 Great thread. I am currently reading Son of Hamas (myself), and looking for good resources for my kids as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stripe Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I took a look at A History of Muslim Civilization vol 1 (no subsequent volumes have yet been published as far as I know) by Abvia and Durkee; it more than half of the book is purely early Islamic history, and it doesn't go far enough. You can get a pretty huge look inside on Google Books. It is a textbook written for use in Islamic private schools. I think Destiny Disrupted by Ansary (who loved Hillyer's CHOW as a child) is probably "too much," age-wise (nearly 400 pages of small print). It does go into the 20th century. It is written to a mainstream audience. Historical Atlas of the Islamic World by Nicolle has a DK-type layout. It ends at 1492. I don't have Susan Strauss Art's Early Times: The Story of Islam, but it looks like it ends around 1599. I also have "Egypt and the Middle East: Alternate Version Download" (CD-404160) from Carson Dellosa. You can download it for yourself at http://www.carsondellosa.com/products/404160__Egypt-and-the-Middle-East-Resource-Book-404160# under Resources (Lower Reading Level Text Download). The phrasing is definitely non-melodious ("Napoleon’s troops defeated the Egyptian army. This was a great shock. People saw that the armies of Europe had modern weapons. Napoleon was only driven out with British help. The people of the Middle East pleaded for reform. They wanted their countries to change and adopt more modern ways" [p 49]). I get the impression that it's a Christian company, and the text does not contradict my feeling about this ("Another small nation that had a large impact was that of the Hebrews. We know a great deal about the history of the Hebrews. Their history is told in the first half of the Bible." [p 32]). Begins with Ancient Egypt and ends in 2011 with the Arab Spring. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 I am eagerly waiting for The Handbook of the Middle East to be delivered. It is supposed to be for 7th and up, but it is the most promising thing I have found. I have been extremely disheartened by the lack of good nonfiction materials for kids on this subject. I have been pleased with the selection of newer fiction books, but due to the ongoing, sensitive nature of the conflicts in this region, I really would like a nice balanced presentation of facts. Most of all, I don't want America whitewashed. To add to my personal issues here, DH has spent more than three years in Iraq and is probably going to be deployed to Afghanistan next year. More than any other era in history I have taught so far, I want to get instruction on this right. http://www.amazon.com/Handbook-Middle-East-Michael-Kort/dp/0822571439/ref=sr_1_18?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=undefined&sr=1-18&keywords=The+Middle+East Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 The Middle East: The History, Conflict, Culture, Faiths (editors of Time Magazine) That looks sort of promising. I wish it had a look inside. And it's less than a decade old, which is a plus. However, the reviews are bizarre. Half of them are clearly about a completely different book about ghosts and monsters or something. The one Alte Veste linked looks good, but like a little too much for us this go around. This one looked like a promising title and intended audience and looks like a series nonfiction library book and those can be decent, but no look inside or reviews so I'm not sure: http://www.amazon.com/Middle-East-Uncertainty-1991-Present-Making/dp/1422201767/ref=sr_1_43?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408395633&sr=1-43&keywords=middle+east We got this one about Israel and Palestine from the library and it seems good - about at level I'd like (though I haven't read through it all yet) and the author has another one about 9/11: http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Holy-Land-Answering-Israeli-Palestinian/dp/0670060321/ref=sr_1_128?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408395767&sr=1-128&keywords=middle+east Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lori D. Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 That looks sort of promising. I wish it had a look inside. And it's less than a decade old, which is a plus. However, the reviews are bizarre. Half of them are clearly about a completely different book about ghosts and monsters or something. Yes, I saw that, too. Every once in awhile, Amazon gets book descriptions and reviews mixed up. That's what it looks like here. … This one looked like a promising title… http://www.amazon.com/Middle-East-Uncertainty-1991-Present-Making/dp/1422201767/ref=sr_1_43?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408395633&sr=1-43&keywords=middle+east We got this one … from the library and it seems good… http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Holy-Land-Answering-Israeli-Palestinian/dp/0670060321/ref=sr_1_128?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408395767&sr=1-128&keywords=middle+east Those look good. The first one you linked (Middle East Uncertainty) -- I did see it while searching for you, but didn't list it because I had the impression it was by a Christian author, and I remembered you prefer secular materials. Now, I see I must have mixed it up with a different title that came up in my search. Hope those two books, along with whatever individual items you collected, will do the job for you! Warmest regards, Lori D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 Yes, I saw that, too. Every once in awhile, Amazon gets book descriptions and reviews mixed up. That's what it looks like here. Those look good. The first one you linked (Middle East Uncertainty) -- I did see it while searching for you, but didn't list it because I had the impression it was by a Christian author, and I remembered you prefer secular materials. Now, I see I must have mixed it up with a different title that came up in my search. Hope those two books, along with whatever individual items you collected, will do the job for you! Warmest regards, Lori D. Oh, you're right. Looking at that author's other books, he has a pretty clear perspective. Sigh. Reasons to never get a book without reviews... Thanks, Lori. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idnib Posted August 18, 2014 Share Posted August 18, 2014 http://www.vox.com/a/maps-explain-the-middle-east Haven't used these, but plan to. Plus I love maps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted August 18, 2014 Author Share Posted August 18, 2014 Ooh, nice resource. Anyone have any good video ones? That suddenly occurred to me. Off to see if there's an amazing Crash Course everything you need to know about the middle east today... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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