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The Strong Horse: Power, Politics, and the Clash of Arab Civilizations
by Smith, Lee | PB | VeryGood
US $9.35
ApproximatelyAU $14.28
Condition:
“May have limited writing in cover pages. Pages are unmarked. ~ ThriftBooks: Read More, Spend ”... Read moreabout condition
Very good
A book that does not look new and has been read but is in excellent condition. No obvious damage to the cover, with the dust jacket (if applicable) included for hard covers. No missing or damaged pages, no creases or tears, and no underlining/highlighting of text or writing in the margins. May be very minimal identifying marks on the inside cover. Very minimal wear and tear. See the seller’s listing for full details and description of any imperfections.
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eBay item number:376328378886
Item specifics
- Condition
- Very good
- Seller notes
- Binding
- Paperback
- Weight
- 0 lbs
- Product Group
- Book
- IsTextBook
- No
- ISBN
- 9780767921800
About this product
Product Identifiers
Publisher
Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
ISBN-10
0767921801
ISBN-13
9780767921800
eBay Product ID (ePID)
99677173
Product Key Features
Book Title
Strong Horse : Power, Politics, and the Clash of Arab Civilizations
Number of Pages
256 Pages
Language
English
Publication Year
2011
Topic
Civilization, International Relations / General, World / Middle Eastern, Social Psychology, Political Ideologies / Democracy, Middle East / General, Middle East / Egypt (See Also Ancient / Egypt)
Genre
Political Science, Psychology, History
Format
Trade Paperback
Dimensions
Item Height
0.6 in
Item Weight
8 Oz
Item Length
7.9 in
Item Width
5.2 in
Additional Product Features
Intended Audience
Trade
LCCN
2011-378358
TitleLeading
The
Reviews
“Succinct and accessible. . . . An important read for anyone interested in the Middle East.â€� - The Christian Science Monitor “Masterful. . . . A unique and vital addition to the current debate on the Middle East.â€� - The Jerusalem Post “In-depth. . . . Provocative. . . . Worth a few evenings of serious reading. . . . “Smith writes clearly and tersely, and his respect and affection for his Arab friends in the Middle East come through clearly.â€� - St. Louis Post-Dispatch “[Smith] treats us to beautifully written portraits of his Arab friends, individuals who illustrate far better than finely wrought theory the difficulties of practical reform.â€� - The New York Times Book Review “Lively. . . . Illuminating. . . . An amalgam of travel journalism, memoir, popular history, and policy-musing. . . . The Strong Horse avoids policy prescriptions-a dime a dozen in books about the Middle East-and instead relies on a series of sharply observed episodes, deftly arranged to demonstrate a civilization in perpetual crisis.â€� - Commentary “[Smith] has drawn some interesting-and in some respects encouraging-conclusions in this fascinating, complicated, eloquent study. . . . [He] makes a compelling case that the United States must understand the ancient conflicts and enmities that animate the Arabs, but must also understand that America, alone among world powers, is uniquely qualified to guide the Arab world out of its troubled past. . . . This is a plea, in effect, for confident, assertive American leadership in the Arab Middle East.â€� - The Weekly Standard “Excellent. . . . An entertaining yet deep and important analysis. . . . Smith’s simple and near-universal principle provides a tool to comprehend the Arabs’ cult of death, honor killings, terrorist attacks, despotism, warfare, and much else.â€� -Daniel Pipes, National Review “Fascinating. . . . [Smith] should be lauded for his commitment and careful research. The book is compelling, well written and worth a read even-or perhaps especially-by those who would disagree with the author.â€� - Publishers Weekly “A bold and significant book that refreshingly rejects the conventional wisdom about the Middle East.â€� - Reason Magazine “The arguments put forward [by Smith] are desperately needed as an antidote to the lock step shibboleths and conventional wisdom that form the basis of much of the scholarship of U. S. Middle East studies. Much of the conventional wisdom that forms the basis of our understanding of the Arab world is challenged here, and rightly so.â€� - American Diplomacy “Blunt. . . . Bracing. . . . Helps to puncture the na vet of the anti-American Left, liberal internationalists, and prodemocratization conservatives.â€� - Claremont Review of Books “ The Strong Horse is hard to describe and even harder to put down. Lee Smith has concocted an addictive and original brew of reportage, memoir, and political analysis that casts the Middle East and its relations with the ‘Great Satan’ in a fresh and fascinating light. Writing about his meetings with everyone from Omar Sharif to Natan Sharansky, he delivers one shrewd insight after another. Anyone seeking to understand the world’s most volatile region should read this timely and entertaining book.â€� -Max Boot, Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of Savage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American Power and War Made New: T, "Succinct and accessible. . . . An important read for anyone interested in the Middle East." -The Christian Science Monitor "Masterful. . . . A unique and vital addition to the current debate on the Middle East." -The Jerusalem Post "In-depth. . . . Provocative. . . . Worth a few evenings of serious reading. . . . "Smith writes clearly and tersely, and his respect and affection for his Arab friends in the Middle East come through clearly." -St. Louis Post-Dispatch "[Smith] treats us to beautifully written portraits of his Arab friends, individuals who illustrate far better than finely wrought theory the difficulties of practical reform." -The New York Times Book Review "Lively. . . . Illuminating. . . . An amalgam of travel journalism, memoir, popular history, and policy-musing. . . .The Strong Horseavoids policy prescriptions-a dime a dozen in books about the Middle East-and instead relies on a series of sharply observed episodes, deftly arranged to demonstrate a civilization in perpetual crisis." -Commentary "[Smith] has drawn some interesting-and in some respects encouraging-conclusions in this fascinating, complicated, eloquent study. . . . [He] makes a compelling case that the United States must understand the ancient conflicts and enmities that animate the Arabs, but must also understand that America, alone among world powers, is uniquely qualified to guide the Arab world out of its troubled past. . . . This is a plea, in effect, for confident, assertive American leadership in the Arab Middle East." -The Weekly Standard "Excellent. . . . An entertaining yet deep and important analysis. . . . Smith's simple and near-universal principle provides a tool to comprehend the Arabs' cult of death, honor killings, terrorist attacks, despotism, warfare, and much else." -Daniel Pipes,National Review "Fascinating. . . . [Smith] should be lauded for his commitment and careful research. The book is compelling, well written and worth a read even-or perhaps especially-by those who would disagree with the author." -Publishers Weekly "A bold and significant book that refreshingly rejects the conventional wisdom about the Middle East." -Reason Magazine "The arguments put forward [by Smith] are desperately needed as an antidote to the lock step shibboleths and conventional wisdom that form the basis of much of the scholarship of U. S. Middle East studies. Much of the conventional wisdom that forms the basis of our understanding of the Arab world is challenged here, and rightly so." -American Diplomacy "Blunt. . . . Bracing. . . . Helps to puncture the naÏvetÉ of the anti-American Left, liberal internationalists, and prodemocratization conservatives." -Claremont Review of Books "The Strong Horseis hard to describe and even harder to put down. Lee Smith has concocted an addictive and original brew of reportage, memoir, and political analysis that casts the Middle East and its relations with the 'Great Satan' in a fresh and fascinating light. Writing about his meetings with everyone from Omar Sharif to Natan Sharansky, he delivers one shrewd insight after another. Anyone seeking to understand the world's most volatile region should read this timely and entertaining book." -Max Boot, Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and author ofSavage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Ris, From Publishers Weekly: Starred Review:Smith, Middle East correspondent for theWeekly Standard, argues that it was tensions within the Middle East-not a clash of civilizations, American policies in the region or the creation of Israel-that prompted the attacks on September 11. He writes, "In believing that 300 million Arabs had really lined up as one against America, we had been taken in by a mirage," and he takes to task Edward Said and others he feels homogenize Arabs into a monolithic group. In the book's strongest sections, Smith looks at continuities from the pre-Islamic Arab world to the present to trace mores and differences that seep into the modern day, adding a fascinating historical angle. While he undermines his argument with a penchant for proclaiming the condition of the region to be immutable ("In the Middle East, political violence is not an anomaly. It is the normal state of affairs"), he should be lauded for his commitment and careful research. The book is compelling, well written and worth a read even-or perhaps especially-by those who would disagree with the author.(Jan.) Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. Praise forThe Strong Horse "The Strong Horseis hard to describe and even harder to put down. Lee Smith has concocted an addictive and original brew of reportage, memoir, and political analysis that casts the Middle East and its relations with the 'Great Satan' in a fresh and fascinating light. Writing about his meetings with everyone from Omar Sharif to Natan Sharansky, he delivers one shrewd insight after another. Anyone seeking to understand the world's most volatile region should read this timely and entertaining book." -Max Boot, Jeane J. Kirkpatrick Senior Fellow for National Security Studies at the Council on Foreign Relations and author ofSavage Wars of Peace: Small Wars and the Rise of American PowerandWar Made New: Technology, Warfare, and the Course of History, 1500 to Today "Lee Smith is a free-thinker in an age of herd mentalities.TheStrong Horseis a powerful book-trenchant, shrewd, informed, vivid, provocative, and full of a wisdom that is not the conventional wisdom." -Paul Berman, author ofTerror and Liberalism "In The Strong Horse, Lee Smith lets readers see beyond the stereotypes by which Western academics have misunderstood, and Western governments have mishandled, the Middle East. Based on wide-ranging conversations in the Arab world as well as on a dispassionate understanding of its intellectual and political history, he shows how the tribal nature of Arab societies combines with Islam to produce a way of life in which force is the ultimate argument. The Strong Horse is a fascinating journey from Cairo's cafes to the Gulf's business offices, to Lebanon and Syria's countryside, and into the region's seminal literature." -Angelo M. Codevilla, Professor emeritus of international relations, Boston University "Lee Smith is the rarest of Middle Ea
Dewey Edition
22
Dewey Decimal
956.05
Synopsis
In this provocative and timely book, Middle East expert Lee Smith overturns long-held Western myths and assumptions about the Arab world, offering advice for America's future success in the region. Seeking the motivation behind the September 11 attacks, Smith moved to Cairo, where he discovered that the standard explanation-a clash of East and West-was simply not the case. Middle East conflicts have little to do with Israel, the United States, or the West in general, but are endemic to the region. According to Smith's "Strong Horse Doctrine," the Arab world naturally aligns itself with strength, power, and violence. He argues that America must be the strong horse in order to reclaim its role there, and that only by understanding the nature of the region's ancient conflicts can we succeed. Smith details the three-decades-long relationship between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the United States, and gives a history of the Muslim Brotherhood, which would likely play an important role in the formation of a new government in Egypt. He also discusses Lebanon, where tipping the balance against Hezbollah in favor of pro-democracy, pro-US forces has become imperative, as a special tribunal investigates the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Eye-opening and in-depth, The Strong Horse is much needed background and perspective on today's headlines., In this provocative and timely book, Middle East expert Lee Smith overturns long-held Western myths and assumptions about the Arab world, offering advice for America's future success in the region. Seeking the motivation behind the September 11 attacks, Smith moved to Cairo, where he discovered that the standard explanation--a clash of East and West--was simply not the case. Middle East conflicts have little to do with Israel, the United States, or the West in general, but are endemic to the region. According to Smith's "Strong Horse Doctrine," the Arab world naturally aligns itself with strength, power, and violence. He argues that America must be the strong horse in order to reclaim its role there, and that only by understanding the nature of the region's ancient conflicts can we succeed. Smith details the three-decades-long relationship between Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak and the United States, and gives a history of the Muslim Brotherhood, which would likely play an important role in the formation of a new government in Egypt. He also discusses Lebanon, where tipping the balance against Hezbollah in favor of pro-democracy, pro-US forces has become imperative, as a special tribunal investigates the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. Eye-opening and in-depth, The Strong Horse is much needed background and perspective on today's headlines.
LC Classification Number
D63.6.S656 2011
Item description from the seller
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- c***m (426)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseWOW!; I cannot believe this 3 Days to Hawaii! ; AAA+++; Excellent Service; Great Pricing; Fast Delivery-Faster Than Expected to Hawaii!; Shipped 05/05, Mon, Received 05/08, Thu to Hawaii using free shipping; USPS Ground Mail, Book in Excellent Condition--Better Than Described ; TLC Packaging; Excellent Seller Communication, Sends updates . Highly Recommended!, Thank you very much!The Internment of Japanese Americans During World War II (#146005407795)
- v***v (2065)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseAlthough this book was not as described, with no picture of it in the listing, the seller communicated well and quickly gave me a full refund while letting me keep it. The minimal packaging left the book a bit vulnerable (typical for ThriftBooks), but it did arrive safely and timely. As usual, it’s hit or miss with this seller, but often times you can get great values, and their customer service is always very good. Many other sellers with millions of transactions don’t even communicate.
- 2***j (113)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseI've ordered several items from this vendor now and they've always been what they were advertised as. This was no exception. Both discs were in great shape as well as their jewel cases. Delivery is good, packaging is simple but effective for what you're paying and I haven't had any get damaged. Will keep buying from this vendor because of the results so far and good prices, too.
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Seller feedback (5,704,631)
- c***m (426)- Feedback left by buyer.Past 6 monthsVerified purchaseWOW!; I cannot believe this 3 Days to Hawaii! ; AAA+++; Excellent Service; Great Pricing; Fast Delivery-Faster Than Expected to Hawaii!; Shipped 05/05, Mon, Received 05/08, Thu to Hawaii using free shipping; USPS Ground Mail, Book in Excellent Condition--Better Than Described ; TLC Packaging; Excellent Seller Communication, Sends updates . Highly Recommended!, Thank you very much!The Internment of Japanese Americans During World War II (#146005407795)
- v***v (2065)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseAlthough this book was not as described, with no picture of it in the listing, the seller communicated well and quickly gave me a full refund while letting me keep it. The minimal packaging left the book a bit vulnerable (typical for ThriftBooks), but it did arrive safely and timely. As usual, it’s hit or miss with this seller, but often times you can get great values, and their customer service is always very good. Many other sellers with millions of transactions don’t even communicate.
- 2***j (113)- Feedback left by buyer.Past monthVerified purchaseI've ordered several items from this vendor now and they've always been what they were advertised as. This was no exception. Both discs were in great shape as well as their jewel cases. Delivery is good, packaging is simple but effective for what you're paying and I haven't had any get damaged. Will keep buying from this vendor because of the results so far and good prices, too.