During the 1950s, Gamal Abdul Nasser dominated the political life of the Middle East. The Egyptian regime gave content to Arab desires for greater unity and reduction of external influences. The ideals of autonomy and progressive reform resonated throughout the region that had only recently achieved its formal independence. This was the age of Nasserism as Egypt embodied the Arab nationalists' hopes and calls for the construction of a new society. No one understood the power and appeal of Egypt better than President Dwight Eisenhower. Employing many declassified American and British...

During the Cold War, few regions offered the American policy-makers a greater challenge than the Middle East. The Eisenhower administration's attempt to balance its Cold War requirements with the demands of the new forces of nationalism established the blueprint of America's policy toward the Middle East for the next four decades. In a richly comprehensive account, Dr. Takeyh employs new documentary evidence to reevaluate US policy toward the revolutionary Egyptian regime; the dynamics of the Anglo-American relations; the evolving nature of the Arab-Israeli conflict; and the Suez crisis and...

For over a quarter century, Iran has been one of America's chief nemeses. Ever since Ayatollah Khomeini overthrew the Shah in 1979, the relationship between the two nations has been antagonistic: revolutionary guards chanting against the Great Satan, Bush fulminating against the Axis of Evil, Iranian support for Hezbollah, and President Ahmadinejad blaming the U.S. for the world's ills.
The unending war of words suggests an intractable divide between Iran and the West, one that may very well lead to a shooting war in the near future. But as Ray Takeyh shows in this accessible and...