Contemporary Middle East

Declan Walsh is one of the New York Times's most distinguished international correspondents. His electrifying portrait of Pakistan over a tumultuous decade captures the sweep of this strange, wondrous, and benighted country through the dramatic lives of nine fascinating individuals. On assignment as the country careened between crises, Walsh traveled from the raucous port of Karachi to the salons of Lahore, and from Baluchistan to the mountains of Waziristan. He met a diverse cast of extraordinary Pakistanis....

What if your only shot at redemption meant risking your life to uncover one of history’s greatest mysteries - buried deep in enemy territory? Set among the sacred stone walls of modern-day Bethlehem, Operation Bethlehem is a gripping spy thriller fused with the suspense of a rare archeological mystery. Beneath this ancient city, where every step is tracked and every motive is suspect, lies a secret no one dares to find. Daniel, a former Mossad operative haunted by failure and desperate to find his purpose again, goes undercover for a dangerous mission of his own. But he’s not alone. ...

She's a commoner, he's a powerful sheikh. Will she ever be good enough? Jazmina Fadel might be praised for her beauty and for being mistress to the powerful Sheikh Fayez Al-Khan, but she can’t ever forget she came from a broken and destitute family. Not that Jazmina craves material wealth. A lovely condo and a closet filled with designer clothes and jewelry means little when she desires her fairytale dream of a husband and children. And she won’t take a backseat while every eligible princess and sheikha in the Middle East vies for his attention and, ultimately, his hand in marriage. ...

In the second edition of The New Middle East, renowned scholar James L. Gelvin explains how in the aftermath of the collapse of the USSR, the American invasion of Iraq, and the Arab uprisings of 2010-11, a new Middle East has emerged. Syria, Libya, and Yemen have become "crisis states," where warlords vie against governments and each other. The economies of Iran, Turkey, and Lebanon, weakened by corruption, sanctions, and neoliberal economic policies, have imploded. Some states have doubled-down on repression, while others intervene in the internal affairs of their neighbors with impunity.

She chose to escape a future of tyranny. He has no choice but to take her as his wife. Sheikha Yasmine Al-Fasih will do anything to escape her soon-to-be-arranged marriage to a vile man older than her father. If that means sleeping with esteemed guest—Sheikh Jamal Qadir—and forcing his hand in marriage, then so be it. Better to live with the mistrust of a fair man than to endure a life with a brutal despot. Sheikh Jamal is grateful that his routine business trip to discuss trade with his neighboring country’s leader, Sheikh Zameer, is almost over. A quick overnight stay and he’ll be...

What if one impossible decision during a suspenseful mission shattered everything you believed about your past? Set deep within the world of contemporary Israeli espionage, Behind the Trigger is a psychological spy thriller where covert operations collide with buried trauma, and the cost of trust is life or death. Irit is no cliché female protagonist. She’s a Mossad field agent, mother, and wife - trained to complete missions, not confront her past. But when a thrilling assignment sparks an unexpected connection with Noor - the wife of a Syrian missiles engineer - everything changes. Two...

Meet four powerful sheikhs and the women who tame them. From palaces in desert landscapes and city centers, be transported to foreign places and fall in love right alongside our heroes and heroines. Book 1 - The Sheikh's Runaway Bride She craves her freedom. He craves her permanently in his bed. Book 2 - The Sheikh's Captive Lover A sheikh wishing for anonymity. A photographer wishing for great success. Book 3 - The Sheikh's Forbidden Wife She chose to escape a future of tyranny. He has no choice but to take her as his wife. Book 4 - The Sheikh's Secret Mistress She's a commoner, he's a ...

A rich and varied collection of contemporary short stories, extracts from novels, and poetry that will go a long way toward informing the English-speaking world of the latest developments in Iranian literature. This sampling - or to use the Farsi term golchine, a bouquet - provides a window onto an important but sorely neglected segment of world culture. We hope it will also serve to awaken further interest in the work and in translations of Iranian novelists and poets.

Meet four powerful sheikhs and the women who tame them. From palaces in desert landscapes and city centers, be transported to foreign places and fall in love right alongside our heroes and heroines. Book 5 – The Sheikh’s Defiant Princess She desires the man of her dreams. Can she resist the attention of another? Book 6 – The Sheikh’s Fake Fiancée She’s an outcast. He’s a newly appointed sheikh. It can’t possibly work—can it? Book 7 – The Sheikh’s Royal Widow He’s running from the past. She’s afraid to face the future. Can they create a perfect today? Book 8 – The ...

Maze of Destiny paints a vivid picture of a Syrian family struggling to survive amidst the chaos and brutality of war. Mullah Abdullah, a respected imam, sees his peaceful world shattered when a bombing devastates his mosque. Injured and grappling with fear, he must confront the terrifying reality of a war that spares neither places of worship nor human lives. Meanwhile, his wife Amani faces a mother's worst nightmare: their daughter, Zahra, has been kidnapped. As Amani desperately seeks news of her daughter and tends to her injured husband, Zahra finds unexpected solace in her friendship ...

A park ranger is haunted by the memory of the woman, left for dead, whose life he’d saved 20 years ago. He is haunted by the rape and attempted murder of a young woman, who was left for dead in a national park .She survived, but police were unable to solve the case and eventually stopped looking for the perpetrator. Shlomki, the park ranger’searnest and naïve demeanor leads him into conflict with the local security forces, who are used to bending the rules. He is determined to pursue the investigation, discovering much more than he’d imagined about the people who control the area. ...

She desires the man of her dreams. Can she resist the attention of another? Sheikha Aisha Al Wahed might be the sister to Sheikh Hamid—one of the most renowned and unconventional Sheikhs on the planet—but it doesn’t mean she is cut from the same cloth. She wants what almost every girl wants: to marry the love of her life. That she’s had a crush on Tabari Usamah for so long makes her more determined for him to notice her. So why is Dhamar, one of her brother’s many friends, distracting her beyond all reason? Sheikh Dhamar Qadir desires one thing—Aisha Al Wahed. A pity she is ...

The final book in the Billionaire's Club Trilogy! A year after her best friend Amara's wedding united them, Kim Pritchard finds herself in the hospital with the baby she conceived with billionaire internet mogul Bel Hafiz. Not only has Kim neglected to tell Bel about his son, now she will have to tell him he's fighting for his life in the NICU. Since the handsome middle eastern playboy "ghosted" her, she wonders if he even cares enough about either of them to reach out. Little does she know that Bel Hafiz has plenty to hide, including the fact that he hasn't been able to get the gorgeous, ...

How do you protect the woman you love…when the greatest danger is sleeping in her bed? Sydney can’t remember a time when Chas wasn’t part of her life—from childhood playmates, to high-school sweethearts, to long-distance friends. Now, after twelve long years, Chas is leaving the Marines and coming home. Sydney’s thrilled to have him back on American soil, safe and sound, even if his return is doing funny things to her heart. The second he stepped off the plane and locked gazes with Sydney, Chas refused to waste a minute more on their “just friends” status quo. Together again, ...

The Middle East is notoriously complex and difficult. This compact book on the topic by the University of Oxford's leading expert does not shirk the challenge. Organised thematically, and dealing with all the pivotal issues in the region, from oil and religion to gender and conflict, this comprehensive primer is both easy-to-read and full of insight. Stuffed with historical background, real-life examples, profiles of key figures from Nasser to Gadaffi, and even popular jokes from the area, The Middle East: A Beginner’s Guide will captivate tourists, students, and the interested general reader alike.

Hayden Hawkins made a deathbed promise to his brother, Ian: Hayden would watch over Ian's son, Nick, and the boy's mother, Ronni. Despite Hayden's initial feelings for Ronni, everything changed when she captured - then broke - Ian's heart. Hayden's avoided her since. Now, Nick's in trouble and needs Hayden's guidance. It's time to keep his promise. But getting close to Ronni stirs up old emotions, not all of them good. Then there's the new chemistry they're both feeling.

In "Love in the House of War," Sarah Rajiv, a young Afghan girl yearning for freedom, believes her dreams will come true when American soldiers arrive in her war-torn land. Hoping for her long-awaited prince charming to whisk her away to paradise, she discovers the harsh reality of the ruthless Taliban, who seek to crush any notions of love and escape. Amidst the backdrop of a turbulent war, Staff Sergeant Ron Hawkins finds himself drawn to Sarah's captivating spirit and determination. As their forbidden love blooms, they embark on a perilous journey through the treacherous Hindu Kush ...