Book: A Concise History of Middle East (9th Ed)

This is a book in reading.

Knowing a bit of world histories except that of the Middle East sometimes made me feel like a link is missing in my information chain. I dare not to say knowledge chain as knowledge must be internalized to the fullest and I have not yet reached that stage in this aspect of my self-learning.

I have never seriously read any history books before. I did not plan on this reading either. It was rather a haphazard encounter when I stepped into our local public library. This would be my first serious reading of a history book. It has so far turned out to be a fun, easy, clear, chronological, and appropriately systematic rendition of the Middle East history. It reads more like a conversation between the reader and the author. The author seems to be a very popular one as evidenced by the reviews and the number of editions it has gone through. Somehow I got the impression (not confirmed through any online check yet) he must a Muslim or must be fond of Islam, despite the fact that his name sounds more Jewish (Arthur Goldschmidst).

I do hope that by the time I finish the reading, I will be more informed and of better understanding of the Middle East and its people.