Inside the Middle East

Making Sense of the Most Dangerous and Complicated Region on Earth

By: Avi Melamed

Narrated by: Vikas Adam

Acclaimed Israeli intelligence analyst Avi Melamed has spent more than 30 years interpreting Middle East affairs. His long-awaited Inside the Middle East challenges widely accepted perceptions and provides a gripping and uniquely enlightening guide to make sense of the events unfolding in the region.

Melamed considers all the major power players in the Middle East, explains the underlying issues, and creates a three-dimensional picture, an illustration that connects the dots and provides a fascinating road map. He elucidates developments such as the Arab Spring, the downfall of the Muslim Brotherhood, the rise of ISIS, the epic Sunni-Shiite animosity, the essence of the war in Syria, the role of the Caliphate and Jihad, and the looming nuclear arms race. He also provides a rare opportunity to journey into the psyche of Arab society.

This unparalleled volume is a milestone in our understanding of the Middle East. It is the untold story of the struggles that will shape the region, and the world, for decades to come, and a groundbreaking guide that will shake you to the core, force you to reevaluate your outlook, and give you tips to navigate the future.

©2016 Avi Melamed (P)2016 Tantor

Critic reviews

"Avi Melamed's inside knowledge of the Middle East makes him a vital resource for anyone striving to find accurate context for today's news from one of the world's most intractable battle zones." (Linda Solomon Wood, Editor-In-Chief at the National Observer)

informative Israeli view.

A one sided, yet informative Israeli view provides a good analysis of the region but blinded with respect to Israel and particularly the Palestinian Authority.

Great Book

Loved the book, mostly. I believe the information could have been presented in a shorter listen.

That said, the information was very good. The analysis of all the political players was extensive yet in reality, it is Islams death wish for Judaism and Christianity, that forms a basis of it all.

Looking back a lot of what the writer had hoped for in 2015 didn’t come to pass, and in the end we had Oct 7th, complements of the Obama administration and the EU believing money would be put to peaceful use by Iran. The analysis of Hezbollah papers found in the Gaza tunnels will be a great benefit to the re editing of this book or others down the road.

Listen with a grain of salt

I ventured into this book expecting it to be biased and I wasn't disappointed; it turned out to be exactly that. To be fair, the author attempts to be objective and sometimes even succeeds at it. Despite the author's blinkered narrative, the book is very informative about the different actors involved in the Middle-East conflict. The most significant point in the book, for me, was learning about Aliaa Magda Elmahdy's bold activism against misogyny. On the whole, this is an edifying book that's worth a read to get a new perspective on the complex subject of Israel-Palestine and Arab world.

A book from an insider

I recomend this book. Well thought. Written with a pragmatic view of what is the middle east nowadays. Mind that it was written before Oct 7th.

Middle East

Extremely interesting. First account of the issues preventing peace that was substantive and insightful. Ought to be required reading for Congress and any President although I realize Trump doesn't read.