Rating: 
Summary: Truth mixed with Lies
Review: This is the single worst book on the conflict I've ever read. Don't get me wrong -- titles like The Case for Israel and Right to Exist present equally (probably even more) one-sided information. But at least those books don't pose as neutral. Alpha Books should be ashamed for publishing this thing.Interestingly, there are plenty of citations of Daniel Pipes and his ideological cohorts -- but no mention of Noam Chomsky, Norman Finkelstein, and their ilk. For a more balanced look at the conflict, I recommend Arabs and Israel for Beginners by Ron David and Palestine by Joe Sacco.
Rating: 
Summary: Basic Account
Review: This is not a bad book because it summarizes the complex situation in the Middle East in a relatively compact, easy to understand, book. Not a bad read.
Rating:
Summary: Critical Easily Digested Information
Review: Looking at the conflicting reviews of this book you might think that the data it contains is highly contraversial. Look deeper; most of those who attack the book do not address the facts and figiures it contains, but the idea that the author is 'biased.' Of course biased is a word generally applied by people to those who hold an alternate point of view. Case in point, who do many of the negative reviewers suggest for an unbiassed view? The noted Palestinian propagandist, the late Edward Said. So, how about the actual contents of this work? Like all of the Idiot's Guides, Bard's work offers a cursory glance at the subject not a deep education. Still, he covers the bases, from ancient history, through the birth of Islam and the colonial period right up to the present day. Many oppose this view because they prefer Israel not be placed in an ancient historical context, but begining readers should understand the Jews historic attachment to the sliver of land between the Med Sea and the Jordan River. The Maps and timelines are good and informative, though again, it does not go as deep as a reader seeking real expertise would need. The author focuses most of his attention on the Arab-Israeli conflict, giving short shrift to the challenges facing Arab culture in a post Ottoman world where artifical nation states were created by europeans. Readers interested in this subject should explore the work of Prof. Bernard Lewis, particularly the 'Middle East and the West' and his more recent work 'What Went Wrong?' Bard does a good job presenting the outline of the current conflict and giving the reader a basic understanding of places, names, dates, and outstanding issues. He Does offer both sides perspectives in their own words, though he does not take these statments at face value, often challenging positions that fly in the face of fact or reason. Again, while this will not make a reader an expert, it gives a good basic background which is a good place to start.
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