American Orientalism

Douglas Little is professor of history and dean of the college at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. He is author of Malevolent Neutrality: The United States, Great Britain, and the Origins of the Spanish Civil War.

"A wonderfully rich and well-written narrative of American involvement in the Middle East since 1945. . . . [Readers] will ultimately find [Little's] account of American misperceptions of the Middle East and Islam convincing and will recognize that 'they don't hate us' for being benevolent and democratic and fair; rather, those that do 'hate us, ' do so for decades of policies promoting exploitation of cheap oil (often through covert intervention) and Soviet containment rather than Arab-Muslim development, as well as American support for a strong Jewish state, all at the expense of everyday Arabs and Muslims." -- Review of Politics "An excellent resource for students of the Middle East." -- H-Levant ""What emerges clearly from [Little's account] is how little Washington understood the consequences of foisting its cold war obsessions upon a region with other things on its mind. . . . [An] entertainingly written series of essays." -- The Nation "A study of revolutions, Middle East-style. . . . It is remarkable how much of the inside story [Little] has been able to obtain. . . . Little's vigorously argued, thematic account is sound. . . . [This book is] aimed at attracting a wide readership, which [it] certainly deserves." -- Times Literary Supplement "Informative and well balanced, this work of diplomatic and political history raises provocative questions . . . that shed an intriguing light not only on the events of September 11 but on the past 60 years of American encounters with the Middle East." -- Publishers Weekly "Little provides literary flair, both in his references to fiction and in his own writing style. . . . A solid collection of essays dealing with multiple facets of U.S. relations with the Middle East and offer[ing] a bold and simple thesis about American attitudes toward the region." -- Journal of Cold War Studies "Little's book is a valuable contribution to scholarly literature on U.S. involvement in the Middle East. . . . General readers will appreciate its lively prose, broad narrative sweep, and freedom from academic jargon. . . . An impressive achievement." -- Reviews in American History "Little's detailed and well-documented chapters are very much in the manner of Twain, offering an ironic description of American thought and action regarding the Middle East. Not a bad thing, that." -- Foreign Affairs "Seldom has a book been more timely or essential than Douglas Little's essays on American policy in the Middle East. . . . Little offers some refreshing clarity. He has combined broad reading and research with sober judgment to help readers understand the pattern of American Middle East policy." -- Journal of American History "This is a commendable work to all concerned with the Middle East." -- Virginia Quarterly Review