A Brief Political and Geographic History of the Middle East (Where Are Persia, Babylon, and the Ottoman Empire?)

Book excerpt: Pick up a newspaper or magazine, or turn on the radio or television, and the words Middle East leap out. People around the globe are becoming familiar with places such as Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, and Israel, and not always in a positive sense. These are global “hot spots,” where political and social developments are watched very closely. But what about Babylon, Persia, and the Ottoman Empire? Once, long ago, these names caught people’s attention. What happened in these places changed the lives of millions of men, women, and children. Yet today, they are usually ignored or simply forgotten. In this book, however, they all live again. The conquests and achievements of Middle Eastern leaders are revived as lost worlds become, once more, proud places in time.