The Closed Circle: An Interpretation of the Arabs [Paperback]

This is definitely a book to be read, if also one to be thought about carefully and rather critically.Powerful . . . must be considered and appreciated even by those who think they disagree with it.A brilliant book.A landmark for understanding the politics of the Middle East . . . as brilliant as it is depressing.Refreshing . . . most stimulating . . . as with the best historical works, The Closed Circle is the outcome, and the resolution, of a puzzlement.A brilliant insight into the way Arab societies work. A healthy corrective, a thought-provoking study.Excellent. Having lived in Arabia for six years, I can say that this text superbly sets out the historical events that led us to the current situation today and explains many aspects of the culture that are misunderstood.This important book explains how Arabs are closed in a circle defined by tribal, religious, and cultural traditions. David Pryce-Jones examines the tribal forces which, he believes, drive the Arabs in their dealings with each other and with the West. In the postwar world, he argues, the Arabs reverted to age-old tribal and kinship structures, a closed circle from which they have been unable to escape, and in which violence is systemic. A healthy corrective, a thought-provoking study.David K. Shipler, New York Times Book Review.As the violence of the Middle East has come to America, many Westerners are stunned and confounded by this new form of mayhem that appears to be a feature of Arab societies. This important book explains how Arabs are closed in a circle defined by tribal, religious, and cultural traditions. David Pryce-Jones examines the forces which drive the Arabs in their dealings with each other and with the West. In the postwar world, he argues, the Arabs reverted to age-old tribal and kinship structures, from which they have been unable to escape. In tribal society, loyalty is extended to close kin and other members of the tribe. The successful nation-statethe model that Westernels)