State of the Middle East: An Atlas of Conflict and Resolution, The

Journal of Third World Studies, Spring 2008 by Abraham, A J

Smith, Dan. The State of the Middle East: An Atlas of Conflict and Resolution. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press, 2006. 144 pp.

This short work by Dan Smith is excellent. It combines an atlas with an insightful analysis of the region while exploring the area's numerous conflicts. The State of the Middle East presents the complex issues of the region with both understanding and a lack of bias. This modem-day atlas clarifies the importance of the region and our on-going commitment to its various people.

The State of the Middle East is a new approach to map making in a political context; it is brief and therefore easily digestible for scholars, politicians and interested readers.

The study presents the Arab-Israeli conflict in clear and concise terms objectively describing the plight of the Jewish survivors of WW II, and the plight of the Christian and Moslem Palestinian refugees.

This book is long overdue.

A.J. Abraham John Jay College (CUNY)