This highly documented, academic book is essential to anyone wishing to better understand how the native Egyptian Muslim audience views women, particularly but not exclusively, women who sing and/or "belly dance". It provides an excellent history of female entertainers in Egypt throughout history - following the Ghawazee, wedding and festival performers, and the rise of nightclub culture. After providing that history - which I feel is very important for all Oriental dancers to understand - this book undertakes the challenge of trying to understand how performers are viewed by themselves, their families and neighbors, and the community at large. By looking at these women with an "experience near" insider's eye, rather that an outsider's eye which may misunderstand or romanticize the situation, this book lays out plainly the challenges for the average female entertainer. She focuses mostly on the "common" dancers and singers -those who dance and sing at weddings and festivals, not as much on the nightclub or TV/movie/ radio stars, although they are mentioned.
This book is not focused only on the entertainment part of these women's lives, however, but on their family lives and how they enter and exit the business, and in this capacity it serves as an excellent window into the lives of Muslim women in Egypt. What is expected of an Egyptian woman, how feminine and masculine are defined and why, what is respectable or not, and why and how these women work in this framework in their daily lives. Is it the Muslim view of women, or of entertainers in general, or of female entertainers that is responsible for the challenges these women face? This book answers these questions, and in the process gives greater insight into Egyptian Muslim culture from the inside out. It isn't a light read, but it is very educational and may even challenge women of all cultures to look at their own cultures, morals, and values regarding women differently.

Too many books about Oriental/belly/Middle Eastern dance lean toward fantasy rather than scholarship. Van Nieuwkerk's book explores the seemingly paradoxical love-hate relationship many people have toward Egyptian belly dancing and dancers and details the history of the dance over the past few centuries.

This is a fabulous and unique book which should be read by all scholars of the Middle East. Because entertainment has been so central to the identity of Egyptians this is an essential read. The author provides fascinating insights on the construction of gender in Egypt, the public/private realm, the complex web of morals and the role of dance and music in political development. This is worth twice it weight.

This is a fine book dealing with the history of Afghanistan. It gives us excellent insight into the problems that currently exists, whether it be tribal, race or religious. Anwar's book will keep the reader on edge from start to finish, this book is somewhat of a self fulfilling prophecy as much of what anwar says near the end of the book has occured in recent afghan history. He details the rise of the marxist party and also how yet again the U.S. government poked its nose in business that didnt concern them and aided outsiders who had their own political agenda. The insight is amazing as are the facts which anwar reveals, this book needs to be reprinted during these days and times so that we can see how the problem developed and also who helped it come about.

An excellent book, perhaps the most excellent ever written on the subject. I recommend it strongly to everyone. Although the author has been a Marxist, I do not hold that against him, as many well-meaning fools have remained ones at some stage or other of their lives. This book exposes in very lucid detail the true nature of the various Afghan communist cabals--and indeed, in a larger sense, the true nature of the Afghans overall. It also highlights very well the nature of the Afghans' Pakistani opponents, and in doing so provides a valuable insight into the reality of the ancient, vicious yet petty enemities that govern the relations and conduct of such societies with each other--yet continue to persist strongly even in these "modern" times of ours. It goes without saying that the Afghan situation proved to be the graveyard not only of the fallacies of Soviet communism in toto, but also of many of the West's current naive assumptions, too.

anwar is the first and perhaps the only one who could clearly see through history and write in 1988 that the real bloodiest civil war will start after russian withdrawl.unless you go through this book you can not grasp todays afghan tragedy .the book has stood the test of history . i hope its new edition will be published.

The future of Israel will depend to a large extent on how Israelis deal with the tensions and contradictions between the revolutionary ideals and traditions of Zionism and the aspiration to build a democratic and just society, author Bernard Avishai argues in his book, "The Tragedy of Zionism." Avishai defends the achievements of Labor Zionism and rightly insists that in the context of the period in which Labor Zionism emerged and flourished, it was both necessary, justified and successful, with its greatest triumph evident in the establishment of the state of Israel in May 1948. Following the emergence of Zionism in the late 19th century, Avishai traces its evolution, growth, and transformation from a political and ideological movement into the foundation of a state, and from fragile early statehood into local military power.

Avishai offers what has been described as a "post-Zionist" perspective on Israeli society and politics, and fears that the institutions and values of traditional Labor Zionism have become anachronistic and in some ways an obstacle to effective and democratic solutions to the problems facing Israel today. At the same time, he is critical of the "New Zionism" which is championed by Ariel Sharon and his Likudnik supporters, but notes the extent to which the rise of this movement has its roots not only in Vladimir Jabotinsky's "Revisionism" of the 1930s, but in the national security statism which emerged in the 1960s, associated with prominent figures like Moshe Dayan. Clearly the 1967 Six-Day War marked a watershed in the development of this movement, while the subsequent 1973 Yom Kippur War to a certain extent seemed to discredit the security policies of the old Labor establishment and, along with important demographic changes in Israel, opened the door to Begin's election in 1977.

Avishai rightly rejects the notion of Zionism as some kind of arm of a 20th century European or American colonial or neo-colonial project, and recognizes the legitimate security concerns created by Palestinian rejectionism, Arab hostility, and terrorism. At the same time, he raises serious concerns about the current settler movement, the moral and practical problems and costs raised for Israel by the ongoing occupation of the West Bank and Gaza, and the impact of the militarization of Israeli society on the future for Israeli democracy.

Avishai warmly embraces liberal democratic values, and hopes to see these values thrive in Israel. While it is true that Israel is the region's only democracy, he suggests a kind of fragility to this democracy, and worries over how easily terrorists in both the Israeli community(Dr. Baruch Goldstein, for example) and in the Palestinian community (a whole raft of suicide bombers) can subvert efforts by moderates on both sides to find peace. Ultimately, Avishai recognizes that the Israelis and Palestinians are bound to each other, and any effort to achieve a just peace must recognize the legitimate aspirations and rights of both sides. Avishai argues that Israel must address the question of equal rights for Arab Israelis, and defends the notion of a peace process, whatever the limitations of the Oslo effort in the 1990s.

Supporters of the Sharon government probably will find much to argue with in this book, but it would be wrong to say that Avishai is insensitive to the security issues for Israel created by Palestinian terror. Obviously, there can be no peace as long as terror bombers carry out their murderous plans. But just as the effort to make peace carries risks, so does the decision to resolve these problems through war (as was demonstrated by the fate of the 1982 invasion of Lebanon). Avishai offers a profound and thoughtful treatment of these issues and connects that debate to the larger history of the Zionist movement. His urgent concern for the future of Israeli democracy deserves the attention of all who care about the future of Israel, whatever they might think about the specifics of the positions that he takes.

Political Zionism's revolutionary past continues to haunt and effect Israeli democracy and struggles with its neighbors today. Chapters provide a history of Zionism, conflicts, and the underlying concepts which fostered its growth in the 1930s and threaten its continued existence today. The Tragedy Of Zionism, offers a thoughtful and thought-provoking coverage of a sensitive but timely issue bermane to Judaic and American support for the beleaguered Israeli people.

This a reprint with a new introduction of the 1985 book with its eloquent and penetrating discussion of Zionism and a democratic Israel, as topical now as it was when printed. Tracing the source of the current collisions, especially with respect to 1967, the account attempts to define a democratic context in relation to the extraordinary circumstance of Israel, and to point to the limitations of the Zionist revolutionary idea in this regard. Such a controversial subject is--your move. Nothing changes, and nothing seems to improve, and we see in one generation the poison well of a great tradition, the American government paralyzed, and critics classified as anti-semites. A tragedy includes its endgame, or finale. That has not happened yet. In fact, the tragic hero, wringing his hands in aesthetic torment, stands to reap a windfall, a most profitable comedy.
Exeunt omnes.

This book is an expose' of the hypocrisy that defines individuals and organizations that supposedly represent the Jewish communities of the world. Kahane, in his hallmark straighforwrd approach, uncovers with glaring clarity what should have been seen for decades.

This masterpiece takes a hard look at the demons that possesses the State of Israel, Zionism, and Word Jewry. Rabbi Kahane intelectually exposes the lies and fraud of the establishment that lays claim to the representation of Jews and Israel. Hard questions posed to them such as 'do the Arab citizens of Israel, under the current form of western democracy have the legal right under a majority to peacefully remove Jews from power by way of vote? And if so, does that not contradict the true ideals of Zionism (the right for Jews to establish a homeland in Israel)?' Is Israel a Jewish state or a state of Jews? Indeed, those contradictions as well as the the gripping tragedy of a bankrupt ideal which is secular Zionism which has caused urban strife, intermarriage, crime and worst of all..self hatred v.s. religious Zionism based on the everlasting, authentic ideals of the Torah are exposed to the max. It goes to the root of the problem and once exposed, he offers his soloution. Once the reader gets a clear insight to the tragic truth, and understands that the answers to these questions pose a direct threat to the power of the armchair establishment of Israel and American/World Jewry, then he understands why Rabbi Kahane was consistantly slandered and unjustifiably banned. Undoubtably the most misunderstood man of our time. This is a must read book for anyone who wishes to learn the truth and distinguish the lies.

This book gives you an idea of where the Jews are coming from, where they are, and where they should be...

Having read Kent Week's book "The Lost Tomb" I was impressed with his accessable writing style. So, seeing this book was like waving a red flag at a bull. I have been to many of the sights featured in this book and could not afford to visit all. To my joy, on opening this volume and seeing the quality of the photographs I realised now that I could! It is the next best thing to actually BEING tere and in some cases .. better! I know that sounds odd ... but in reality a lot of the KV paintings are covered with glass to prevent damage ... or you are not allowed to take a camera in ... even if you can, you may not use flash. So your own pictures always fall short. THIS is professionally lit, photographed and documented ... with great care taken to render the Theabian west bank in all it's glory. Bravo!

I had looked forward with great anticipation to the arrival of this book - and I am not at all disappointed. In the past few years a few books have been published which have delighted my eyes, Tutankhamun, by T.G.H. James, and Egyptian Treasures from the Egyptian Museum in Cairo and now the present work. They share in common the photographer - Araldo De Luca.

De Luca is a consumate artist of light. Throughout this book you will see exquisite shots, described and formed by the light of Egypt - Medinet Habu at dawn, The Temples of Hatshepsut and Mentuhotep, from the air in the dawn light, at the precise moment that the entire Valley of the Kings lies in shadows between golden cliffs behind. There are more - photographs of objects and buildings that I have never seen, or at least not so clearly. De Luca has found the perfect vantage point for every shot, it seems, and has waited for the light to lift the ordinary into statement, explanation rather than simple recording.

Sprinkled through the various essays - and each essay written by a distinguished expert in their field - are delightful drawings, diagrams and maps. We have sumptuous renderings of the interior of Tutankhamon's tomb, which are not so uncommon, but this volume goes on to show us drawings of the interior of Nefertari's tomb, and there's more! The tombs of the Nobles are pictured with the same fine sensitivity as well as the mortuary temples of the west bank.

The essays take a back seat, at first glance, so truly wonderful are the photographs, but here you will find rich descriptions and explanations of the monuments and the objects found within them. Kent Weeks is the general editor; there is an introduction by Her Excellency Mrs. Suzanne Mubarek; Rita Freed, Melinda K. Hartwig, Erik Hornung, Christian Leblanc ... the list of eminent persons goes on.

Congratulations to the publishers, Friedman/Fairfax, and to all those who produced this wonderful book, from type-setters to press persons. This is a treasure! Thank you! L.P.H.!!

With out a doubt one of the best and most stuning visual
books I have ever seen about ancient Egypt. Dr Kent Weeks
narative is both interesting and detailed yet should still
appeal to the amateur with an interest in Egypt.
The book details the modern exploration of the valley over the
last few hundred years. It then details the great Temples of
the Luxor area useing altitude photos, maps, line drawings, artist drawings floor plans and photos...lots of photos.
The book then moves into the Valley of the Kings, tomb by
tomb using the same type detailed drawings, photos, plans and
artists renditions.
There is also a detailed section of the Queens Valley using the same techniques as the rest of the book.
But the star of the book is Araldo de Lucas photos. The clearity and detail of the close ups leaps off the pages
and are as near flawless as one can get in colour and content. there are several fold out pages and the detail
is incredable. This book is excellent in every aspect. A must for
anyone interested in Ancient Egyptolgy .

Lyle Schaller is a keen observer of churches, large and small. In this volume, he provides a contemporary update on the very large church.

As senior pastor a very large church, I have found this latest work to be an invaluable resource to help lay leaders and new staff understand. Schaller is able to bring the reader "inside" the day to day life of the very large church.

If it is a book by Lyle Schaller, then it is a book you ought to buy! No one in church assessment, analysis, consulting, and speaking can compare to what Lyle has to offer. He is the Cal Ripken and Energizer Bunny of church and denominational prognostication. Steal enough time from your busy schedule to thoroughly read this book.

When you take the time to read this book you will discover the details concerning three crucial issues surrounding congregations that have more than 800 in average weekly attendance: 1. We need more of them to reach the generations born after 1965. 2. A new rule book is needed to understand the congregation of more than 800 in attendance. The old rules do not apply. 3. Consumerism has changed the congregational game plan, and big congregations are a must during the third millennium.

Very large congregations have a can do attitude about new spiritual and strategic opportunities they believe are presented to them by God. They seemingly have no limits to the resources they have faith that God will provide through them.

This book is an excellent follow-up to earlier books by Schaller where he heralds the full-service, seven-days-per-week, family-focused congregation. One such book, published by Abingdon Press in 1992, is The Seven-Day-A-Week Church.

This book would be very helpful for anyone interested in helping his/her church grow. Also gives solid reasons why many churches are dying.

Illustrates trends in church with trends in the business world...i.e. large offers more choice for the consumer.

User friendly format makes for easy, quick reading.

Living only two hours away from Disney, we visit the Orlando area attractions several times a year, so this book is the perfect companion for getting the most out of each trip. Not only does it include the most up-to-date information on the Magic Kingdom, it also covers Animal Kingdom, Universal Studios, Epcot -- even the non-Disney parks and nightlife and dining. (After all, the trip isn't just for the kids!) The writing is easy to read, entertaining and clear, too. A definite must for anyone planning a daytrip, a weeklong vacation or a monthlong holiday.

Jim and Cynthia did an absolutely fantastic job on this publication. I have read many reviews and help books and this one is, hands down, the best one ever. The writing style is phonomenal as well as it provides much insight on Florida, Disney, attractions......anything you want to know is in this book in a very in-depth, easy-to-follow, and fun manner.

An asset to any traveller, Disney fanatic, travel researcher...this book has endless uses.

I would highly recommend this book to everyone and everyone whether you are travelling or not.

Fantastic! 10/10

We took this book on our return trip to Disney. We hadn't been there in 6 yrs and didn't want to miss anything that was added since our last trip. This book was great! It had information on everything from how to get there, where to stay,getting familiar with the area, dining out, all about Disney, exploring the rest of Orlando, and Orlando nightlife. It finishes up with 2 top ten lists, "Top ten cheap alternatives to the parks." and "Top ten fitness activities". It had an adult review and a child's review of everything. It had several game plans for seeing everything you want to see, including how to take advantage of fastpasses and what were the peak times in each part of the parks, restaurant reviews and prices, everything. It wasn't just a book about Disney. When we say it had everything, we mean it! We highly recommend this book for getting the most out of your vacation to Florida.

World War I, the event that changed everything in European and American history, left Japan little touched -- or so it had long been thought. Frederick Dickinson's book stands many accepted truths on their heads. But it is not a book of wooly revisionist speculation. All of his arguments and interpretations are carefully drawn and meticulously documented. All are thought-provoking and plausible, and most seem to me entirely convincing.

As realist theory would predict, there were few prominent leaders who failed to support Japanese expansion in the favorable circumstances offered by the European conflict. But there was a very crucial divide between those who looked to British-model expansionism of a primarily economic sort and those seeking military-led territorial expansion on the model of Wilhelmine Germany. The struggle for power among (and within) these camps is one major theme of the book. The other is the response of Japanese elites to the wholesale change in the structure of international relations brought by the War, and its domestic correlates. As it shifted from a European power struggle to a world crusade against totalitarianism and the use of force to change the international order, World War I attacked the very foundations of the Meiji state.

I hope that those who (like me) have only slight knowledge of Japanese history will not be put off this book. It is inevitably somewhat dense, but Dickinson avoids academic obscurity, introduces his characters carefully, and pauses frequently for reflection and summary. His concluding chapter ties all his strands together and places the story in a larger context. His contention that it is a vital key to understanding everything in modern Japanese history rings true to me. The book does not require great effort to read, and what effort there is will be well repaid.

There is a wonderful bonus in the book's rich trove of Japanese political cartoons from the period. These speak in a mordant voice that was, tragically, to fall silent as democracy was smothered in the 1930s. They add a great deal to the book.

No doubt many will look at the subtitle, "Japan in the Great War," and conclude that this is too specialized a topic to engage them. In doing so, however, they will miss an important book whose interest extends far beyond the specifics of its subject.

In a field where hardly anyone seems to bring the threads together, this is perhaps the building block to better and more thorough understanding of japanese history during the war. A sound well researched piece which never forgets to be reaable to the average postgraduate and with plenty of resources noted in bibiography for further study.

Politics and international relations of japan pre-1945 require a thoroughgoing understanding of the period before 1931. thisbook offers a great portion of this for the serious scholar beginning or reviewing that quest.

This is a wonderful book that offers many insights into the development of Japanese politics in the first half of this century. Dickenson carefully and convincingly shoots down much of the conventional wisdom about who were supposed to be the cautious elder statesmen in the early 20th century. This debate has important implications for properly understanding Japans expansionist policies in the 1930s. Many people who have been hailed as supposed cautionary leaders are shown to be (soemtimes extraordinary) expansionist. As Dickenson shows, these foreign policies can all clearly be traced back to domestic politics and a clash over the direction the state between the genro and the Kato Takaaki, where the latter aimed for parliamentary overnment. The book is alo very well written with many fascinating quotes and clever and funny illustrations from the Tokyo and Osaka Puck. Political scientists who have read Jack Snyder's "Myths of Empire," should find this a particularly fascinating and elucidating book.

This is an excellent work, probably even more readable than Dadrian's earlier "History of the Armenian Genocide". Meticulously researched, with sources from everywhere in many languages, this book gives undeniable evidence of the Turkish intention to solve the "Armenian Question" by exterminating the Armenians. It is a very scholarly and unbiased work, not failing to mention the existence of good Turks and bad Armenians, while all the while giving the historical and social background for the slaughter that was to come. This is a must read for those new to the subject or those looking for more information on this little known Genocide.

Dadrian is the pre-eminent scholar on the Armenian genocide. His command of all the main languages for source documents (Turkish, Armenian, German and English), 30 years of meticulous research, and his intellect all come through. His fundamental premise is that a valid study of the Armenian genocide is contingent upon a proper study of the Turko-Armenian conflict, which he subsumes under three categories: theocracy, demography, and Turkish domination of the Turko-Armenian power relationship.

This book is for people who have read at least one other book about the Armenian genocide and wish to thoroughly understand the root causes, the protracted phases, the escalation and the violent consummation of the Turko-Armenian conflict. It is a compelling work.

Dadrian's no-nonsense approach, coupled with the evidence he presents, is one of the most reliable examinations of the age-old relationship between Armenian and Turk. He does not shy away from discussing Turkish "schindlers" nor, on the other hand, the European players in the tragedy we have come to call the Armenian Genocide. The punch of this book lies in Dadrian's trademark method of demonstrating, through Non-Armenian sources, the mode of thinking and string of circumstance that made the massacres inevitable. His extensive footnotes also create opportunities for further exploration.

This book may be read simply for what it is or better yet highlight any research library regarding this topic. As a documentary filmmaker, I have found this book a tremendous help.

A magnificent book, all 228 pages. Huband's documentation alone is enough to guarantee the high quality of this book to anyone interested in the Islamist movement.

More than ever, it has become imperative for the West to understand the Arab world. Warriors of the Prophet chronicles Osama bin Laden's ascent to power during the Islamic Afghan resistance to the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979. Author Mark Huband reveals the important role bin Laden played in uniting the Arab Muslims with their Afghan compatriots and spreading the ideology of the jihad, or holy war, to protect Islam, to all the various Islamic factions that took part in the war in Afghanistan. Although a number of recent books address the rise of fundamentalist movements in the Islamic world, none attempt to explain to general readers the emergence, character, and significance of that revival, nor do they bring together the many voices dividing both conservative and liberal currents in the region. I found this book extremely useful and quite compelling - a surefire way to get at the Middle East "problem" and ways in which we can do something about it. The tone is fluid yet serious, just the kind of perspective I needed. I recommended this with great confidence.

...I turned to this book with the hope that author Mark Huband could shed some light upon the enigma known as the fundamentalist Islamic phenomenon. From a layperson's standpoint, this book was an invaluable resource for understanding the complexities of the Middle East factions, including their history, motives, religious beliefs, and political alliances. Fortunately, the book takes specific notice of Osama bin Laden and the Islamic movements in Afghanistan, an eerie predilection of their role in future world events. With the author's journalistic style and personal anecdotes, the book held my interest as well as its significance to present circumstances. Educating ourselves is the only way we can begin to make sense of the motives behind the terrorist acts, and I found no better resource than Warriors of the Prophet. It has my highest recommendation.