Introduction
My name is Michael Rank, and in this book I'm going to describe the entire history of the Middle East, from the beginning of civilization to post-Sept. 11. By the end you will know as much about the Middle East as you would after a year-long college course, sound highly knowledgeable about world affairs to your friends and associates, and learn all this in a just a few minutes a day.
To most Westerners the Middle East appears utterly bewildering. Palestinians want to bomb Israelis that force them at gunpoint to live in restricted parts of the country. Arab leaders are furious about this situation and want Israelis 'wiped off the map' and their land given back to Palestinians, even though the real estate of the Holy Land looks something like rural Utah. And nearly all the world's leaders see fit to chime in on this dispute, even though it's over a chunk of land the size of New Jersey.