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Offering a comprehensive, up-to-date examination of the complex web of wars and proxy wars, revolutions and counter-revolutions that are ripping the Middle East apart, this book puts these events in their historical context and leads readers through the labyrinth that is the new Middle East. This book seeks answers to pressing, contentious questions. Why are there so many hereditary heads of state in the Middle East when the Prophet Muhammad did not appoint a successor? Why do Western countries claim to want democracy in the Middle East, yet support dictators? Why did Israel become a democracy while the Arab states did not? Why are there so many wars in the Middle East? And, most importantly, what happened to the hope and optimism of the Arab Spring? M.E. McMillan offers fresh answers to these difficult questions. Firmly grounded in historical research and insightful analysis of current events, this book gives readers a new understanding of what´s really going on in the Middle East.

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"McMillan effortlessly stimulates readers by retelling how a contingent event or one person´s small decision has surprisingly altered and significantly sealed the fate of the Middle East from the outbreak of the First World War. ... Nevertheless, From the First ... Middle East? remains an invaluable addition to the field of Middle East Studies and democratization studies. ... the unique contribution of this book should also be of interest to scholars in the field of the Global South." (Wai Yip Ho, Bandung: Journal of the Global South, December, 2018)

"The book´s wealth of historical and contextual background allows for an empirically rich analysis of the major historical events. McMillan has produced a work of exceptional lucidity that scholars, students and policy makers alike will consult for years to come. It is a valuable contribution to academia as well as highly recommended reading for the generalist, who will find it compelling and informative." (Ahmed Sajjad, Middle East Policy, Vol. 24 (3), 2017)

"I would certainly recommend it. It is clear, well written and accurate, but above all balanced and sympathetic, and a great place to start." (Hugh Kennedy, Times Higher Education, timeshigherededucation.com, May, 2016)

"M. E. McMillan has written a cultural and political history with the clear and objective language of unbiased journalism. ... McMillan succeeds admirably in presenting readers with a complete yet concise briefing on the last fifteen hundred years. ... It is a truly brilliant piece of writing." (Hubert O´Hearn, San Diego Book Review, sandiegobookreview.com, December, 2015)

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M. E. McMillan is author of Fathers and Sons: The Rise and Fall of Political Dynasty in the Middle East and the acclaimed The Meaning of Mecca: The Politics of Pilgrimage in Early Islam. She has worked as a translator for the United Nations in New York and Geneva.

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