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New Arrivals March 2010:

The Lemon Tree
an Eran Riklis film
2009, DVD, MPI Home Video, Hebrew with English subtitles
Salma Zidane, a lonely Palestinan widow tends a lemon grove along the Green Line dividing Palestine from the West Bank. When the Israeli defense minister, Israel Navon and his wife, Mira move in next door, the lemon grove is seen as a threat as a potential hideout for terrorists. Salma springs into action, hiring a recently-divorced lawyer, Ziad Daud to take her fight to the courts. Then the media gets wind of the skirmish and paints it as a classic David versus Goliath story, but the Israeli Supreme Court will have the final say.
List Price: $19.98
AET Price: $14.50

 

The Fourth Assassin: An Omar Yussef Mystery
Matt Beynon Rees
Soho Crimes, 2010,hardback, 336 pp.

The much awaited 4th installment of the Omar Yussef Mystery starts with a trip to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. Upon arriving Omar Yussef discovers the beheaded body of one of a Palestinian boy. When his son is arrested as a suspect, Omar Yussef must prove his innocence. Haven't read the Omar Yussef mysteries?

“Rees tells this grim story with skill, specificity and richly detailed descriptions of people and places.... Offers a vivid portrait of Palestinian life today.”-The Washington Post

"Omar's probe of a West Bank ruled by political intrigue, religious hatred, and militia thugs lets ex-TIME Jerusalem bureau chief Rees make the Mideast conflict personal."-Entertainment Weekly

 

List Price: $24.00
AET Price: $16
 
American Raj: Resolving the Conflict Between the West and the Muslim World
Eric S. Margolis
Key Porter Books, 2009, hardback, 432 pp.

Acclaimed journalist Eric Margolis outlines the current hostilities between the Western and Muslim worlds and offers an honest and provocative blue print for resolution. A comprehensive and clearly written perspective on a many times overly simplified issue; Margolis provides an essential addition to studies on American-Islamic relations.

American Raj also discusses such topics as:

• Understanding why there is so much anger against the west in the Muslim world
• Why al Qaeda is so popular and can it be defeated
• How each conflict in the Muslim world feeds on the others
• How oil drives western policy in the Muslim world.

FINALIST IN 2009 GOVERNOR GENERAL'S AWARD FOR NON FICTION

List Price: $26.95
AET Price: $20
The Ayatollah Begs to Differ: The Paradox of Modern Iran
Hooman Majd
Anchor Books, 2009, 272 pages

The grandson of an eminent ayatollah explains the modern contradictions of today's cosmopolitan yet authoritarian... Highly readable with side anecdotes - a fun yet essential read to understand US-Iranian relations today. New preface analyses the Iranian mood after the explosive 2009 presidential election.

"Hooman Majd is a stylish and engaging guide through the by-ways of Iranian life. Leading us from seminary to opium den to the presidential compound, his wry sense of humor makes this book a pleasure to read.” -Gary Sick, Ph.D., senior research scholar at Columbia University and member of the National Security Council staff under presidents Ford, Carter, and Reagan

"Illuminating... Captivating... A discerning guide to a complex country." - The Christian Science Monitor

 

List Price: $14.95
AET Price: $11
A Wall in Palestine
Rene Backmann
Picador, 2010, paperback, 272 pp.

A meticulously researched work on the purpose, efficacy, and consequences of the "West Bank Barrier"- expected to be completed in 2010. The author not only addresses the effects of the "West Bank Barrier" on Palestinians, but its' impact on the future of the greater Middle East. Filled with interviews from Israeli officials and architects to ordinary Palestinians who deal with its' effects daily, a well-rounded snapshot on an increasingly dire humanitarian situation.

"Superb...Backmann's book demonstrates a relentless continuity of Israeli purpose, now cemented by a fence."--Roger Cohen, The New York Times

“René Backmann has followed all aspects of this battle engrained in the hills of the West Bank. He has met with those who are building the wall and those who feel its effects. He has heard the arguments of its defenders and spoken with those who resist them.”--Le Monde

List Price: $17
AET Price: $11.50
The Arabs: A History
Eugene Rogan
Basic Books, 2009, hardback, 553 pp.

Told with empathy and great brilliance, esteemed historian Eugene Rogan follows the modern Arab experience from its roots in centuries of Ottoman domination to the present day struggles faced in the post-9/11 world. Highly acclaimed and exquisitely researched, it is both lively and highly informative for general readers new to the subject and scholars alike.

Rashid Khalidi, Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies, Columbia University"A masterful, thorough, and well-written survey of the entire sweep of modern Arab history. Full of lively vignettes but comprehensive at the same time, this book will be of great interest both to general readers and students of the Arab world.”

Avi Shlaim, author of The Iron Wall: Israel and the Arab World “Eugene Rogan writes about the Middle East with exceptional empathy, wisdom, and insight. His book is a landmark in scholarship on this complex and controversial region. Western scholars have written extensively about the Middle East but mostly from the outside looking in. The Arabs often feature in their accounts as mere driftwood on the sea of international affairs. Rogan, by contrast, has narrated the history of the region over the last five centuries from the inside looking out. He tells the history of the Arabs from their own perspective, using an impressive range of Arabic sources. It is a fascinating story and in Eugene Rogan it has found its most gifted chronicler.”

List Price: $24.00
AET Price: $35
Taxi
Khaled Al Khamissi
AFlame Books, 2009, paperback, 218 pp.

A unique anthology of fictional monologues following Egyptian taxi cab drivers as they traverse the hectic Cairene streets in their search of economic prospertity and human dignity. Part poetry, part oral history Al Khamissi provides an illustrative glimpse of the standard Egyptian man of the street trying to make ends meet.

"But instead of weaving together a well-defined narrative or adventure, Khamissi produced a series of vignettes of different drivers experiences, in an attempt to capture the broadest possible picture of the other side of Egyptian politics. (...) His unlikely approach, lucid prose, and rare insight into popular perceptions make Taxi perhaps the most interesting of the works that chronicle the social and political transformations Egypt has undergone during the past five decades. (...) Taxi's brilliance is that it captures the point at which cabs cease to be just a means of transportation and instead become a space for debate and exchange, at a time when all other public spaces, including the street itself, had become inaccessible under the brutal force of the police state." - Omayma Abdel-Latif, Foreign Policy

 

List Price: $10.50
AET Price: $15.95
Understanding the US War in Afghanistan: A Primer
David Wildman & Phyllis Bennis
Olive Branch Press, 2010, paperback, 144 pages
This easy-to-read primer examines the key issues and themes of the war in Afghanistan from the background of the Taliban to the role of NATO and American forces complete with a fantastic Frequently Asked Questions. A must read for anyone needing a clear concise guide to this increasingly complex war.
List Price: $10
AET Price: $8
 

USS Liberty Survivors: Our Story
Sligo Video
I USA, 1992, Color, 60 minutes.
USS Liberty Survivors: Our Story describes the USS Liberty incident through eyewitness accounts of the survivors. It is the only video account free from the Orwellian doublespeak that has obscured the event since June 8, 1967, when Israeli jet aircraft and motor torpedo boats brutally attacked the USS Liberty in international waters. The attack lasted more than two hours, killing 54 Americans and wounding 171 others -- and it inflicted over 800 rocket and torpedo holes in the ship. When the USS Liberty refused to sink, Israeli forces machine-gunned her life rafts and sent in troop-carrying helicopters to finish the job. Details of the attack were hushed up in both countries. Israel claimed that her forces mistook the USS Liberty for an Egyptian ship; America quietly accepted that excuse despite evidence to the contrary. The facts have been covered up, and have never been told on video -- until now. Now learn the truth from the men who lived through it!
List Price: $24.95.
AET Price: $24.95.
Abdullah & His Grandfather
Andy McNab & Patricia Al Fakhri
Jerboa Books, 2009, hardback, 108 pp.
Eleven year old Abdullah and his grandfather explore the wild and mysterious Wadi Hasik of Oman in this touching coming-of-age story. Beautifully illustrated with fantastic watercolors, the work is perfect for elementary or young adults just beginning to read chapter books!
List Price: $21.99
AET Price: $17
Journey to the End of Islam
Michael Muhammed Knight
Counterpoint Press, paperback, 2000, pp.
Hailed as the Jack Kerouac & Hunter S. Thompson of American Islam, the contraversal writer Knight journeys through the holy sites of Islam from Ethiopia to Saudia Arabia. Engaging the more orthodox strains of Wahabism to Sufi folk traditions - he compares the difference between "local" Islam and "gloabl Islam". Agree or disagree with his viewpoints, this book is a facinating look into the face of Islam worldwide today.
List Price: $16.95
AET Price: $13.50

New Arrivals January/February 2010:

Treacherous Alliance: The Secret Dealings of Israel, Iran, & the U.S.
Trita Parsi
Yale University Press, 2008, paperback, 361 pp.
A timely study unraveling the complex relations betweeen Iran, Israel, and United States between 1948 to the present day. Persuasively demonstrates how U.S. foriegn policy has been manipulated by both Israel and Iran - sometimes in secret collusion, sometimes in opposition - to pursue their own nationalist ends. Powerful account of one of today's most pressing but complex conflicts.
List Price: $17.49
AET Price: $12

 

The Crisis of Islamic Civilization
Dr. Ali A. Allawi
Yale University Press, 2009 hardback, 320 pp.
Dr. Ali Allawi, the former minister of defense and minister of finance in Iraq’s postwar government gives his views of the causes of malaise and declines of Islamic civilization and current proposals for future rejuvenation. While marking Western imperialism as part of the problem, his solutions are a creative return to Islamic roots in balance between spiritual and secular life. A provocative and thoroughly engaging message, a timely read in wake of growing distrust between secular ideologies and Islam.
List Price: $15.95
AET Price: $11

 

Palestinian Art: From 1850 to the Present
Kamal Boullata
Saqi Books, 2009 paperback, 363 pp.
A wonderful coffee table book and text, featuring work by artists within Palestine as well as the Palestinian diaspora and their visionary struggle to conceptualize and inform their own political and cultural identity. Wonderfully illustrated with brilliant commentary, it provides a fascinating look at the evolving culture of this increasingly global community struggling for a homeland.
List Price: $24.95
AET Price: $25
 

The Post American World
Fareed Zakaria
WW Norton & Company, 2009, paperback, 336 pp.
Combining politics, economics, and journalistic wit, Zakaria challenges America's increasing preoccupation with terrorism, homeland security, and economic hegemony in wake of the emerging multipolar world fraught with collective issues such as climate change. Zakaria convincingly calls for a transformation in America's global strategy as it is forced to accommodate rising powers - from the business hubs in the Arab Gulf and East Asia to larger players such as Brazil, India, and China.
List Price: $15.95
AET Price: $11

 

Descent into Chaos: The US Disaster in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia
Ahmed Rashid
Penguin Books, 2009, paperback, 484 pp,
Authoritative guide to the political instability in Afghanistan and Central Asia. Rashid provides an insightful and critical study of the U.S. governments' policies and recommendations for reversing American policy in the region. Rashid provides an well thought out and detailed account of the costs of US' dangerous involvement in Central Asia.
List Price: $18
AET Price: $12.50

 

A Country Called Amreeka: Arab Roots, American Stories
Alia Malek
Simon and Schuster, 2009, hardback, 305 pp.
Following a timeline from 1963 to the present day, Malek follows the struggles of Arab immigrants searching for a place within the American cultural tapestry. From a Lebanese-American dealing with discrimination in Alabama in the 1960s to a Yemeni-American Marine deployed to Iraq - this remarkable work brings to the forefront the struggles of Arab-Americans and their own complex and multi-dimensional lives.
List Price: $25
AET Price: $17.50

 

Palestine
Joe Sacco
Metropolitan Books, 2009, hardback, 432 pp.
Acclaimed graphic novelist and journalist Joe Sacco (Palestine and Sage Area Gorazde), journey's to Gaza in this compelling investegation of a bloody massacre of Palestinians in 1956 in Rafah that was buried in the footnotes of history. As Sacco uncovers more about Gaza's violent past he emerses himself in the crowded alleyways and tragic lives of the modern day city. His brilliance as a graphic artist and unparalleled journalistic eye makes this a timeless masterpiece of both art and politics.
List Price: $29.95
AET Price: $19.50

 

What's Wrong with the One State Agenda
Hussein Ibish
American Task Force on Palestine, 2009, paperback, 138 pp.
Hussein Ibish, a Senior Fellow at the American Task Force on Palestine, counters the claim of a possible One State Solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict in this well thought and clearly written text. Agree or disagree, this fascinating text takes a hard look at the feasibility and desirability of such an end to hostilities.
List Price: $10
AET Price: $10

 

Fatal Embrace: Christians, Jews, and the Search for Peace in the Middle East
Mark Braverman
Synergy Books, 2009, paperback, 390 pp.
Braverman tackles the question of American ineptitude in confronting Israeli abuses toward Palestinians in this powerful work. Following the spiritual, psychological, and political forces moving the Palestinian/Israel debate, he shows how the Jewish quest for safety and the Christian effort to atone for anti-Semitism have combined to dampen hopes for true Palestinian self-determination. A provocative and courageous account.
List Price: $16.95
AET Price: $14
 

New Arrivals December 2009:

 

Bab'Aziz: The Prince Who Contemplated His Soul
Greg and Lucy Malouf
Typecast Films, 2008, 96 minutes, Arabic/Farsi with English subtitles

Click here to see the trailer!

A visual poem of incomparable beauty, this masterpiece from director Nacer Khemir (Wanderers of the Desert) begins with the story of a blind dervish named Bab'Aziz and his spirited granddaughter, Ishtar. Together they wander the desert in search of a great reunion of dervishes that takes place just once every thirty years. With faith as their only guide, the two journey for days through the expansive, barren landscape.

To keep Ishtar entertained, Bab'Aziz relays the ancient tale of a prince who relinquished his realm in order to remain next to a small pool in the desert, staring into its depths while contemplating his soul. As the tale of the prince unfolds, the two encounter other travelers with stories of their own- including Osman, who longs for the beautiful woman he met at the bottom of a well, and Zaid, who searches for the ravishing young woman who fled from him after being seduced by his songs. Filled with breathtaking images and wonderful music, Nacir Khemir has created a fairytale-like story of longing and belonging, filmed in the enchanting and ever-shifting sandscapes of Tunisia and Iran.

Director Nacer Khemir's past cinematic achievements include his award-winning features Wanderers of the Desert, awarded Grand Prix of the Festival des Trois Continents in 1984, and The Dove's Lost Necklace, which won the Special Jury Prize at Locarno in 1991.

Winner! Best Feature Film - Kazan Golden Minbar Film Festival, 2007 Winner! Golden Dagger - Muscat Film Festival, 2006 Winner! Crystal Simorgh (Spiritual Section) - Fajr Film Festival, 2005

List Price: $24.99
AET Price: $21
Cuisines of hte Axis of Evil And Other Irritating States: A Dinner Party Approach to International Affairs
Chris Fair
Globe Pequot Press, 2008, hardcover, 311 pp.
An unorthodox political satire and cookbook by a foriegn policy analyst exploring cusine from America's "enemy states" (read: Iraq, Iran, and North Korea) and its' more iritating sidekicks (India, China, and Israel). This tounge-in-cheek guide explores the political faultlines with leftist sensibility and follows with exquisite recipes ranging from an Iraqi styled stuffed grapeleaves in tomato sauce to a Kashmiri cardomom and saffron spiced green tea. A truly hilarious, yet brilliantly researched, book that traverses the axis where good food and dirty politics mix. And they mix very well indeed.
List Price: $24.95
AET Price: $17.50

 

 

Artichoke to Za'atar: Modern Middle Eastern Food
Greg and Lucy Malouf
University of California Press, 2008, hardcover, 336 pp.

This richly illustrated book offers a comprehensive collection of 170 recipes, organized alphabetically according to ingredients widely used in Middle Eastern cooking. Written by award-winning chef Greg Malouf and his writing partner, Lucy Malouf, Artichoke to Za'atar covers everything from the basics-almonds, lemons, and yogurt-to less widely known components such as pomegranates, rose water, and sumac. A brief description and history of each ingredient is provided, along with invaluable tips on how to select, prepare, and cook it. Originally published in 1999 as Arabesque, this book has earned international acclaim as the ultimate guide to modern Middle Eastern cuisine by a chef who is considered a master of the genre. Artichoke to Za'atar is a volume to read, use, and treasure-a must for anyone interested in creative cooking and culinary history.

"Recipes for pros and novices alike."-Bon Appetit

"This updated, ingredient-driven cookbook presents the bounty of the Middle East. Each small chapter is divided by the main ingredient, from (of course) artichoke to za'atar, and everything in between, like less common orange-blossom water or quince... Thorough introductions at the beginning of each section make this a solid reference book for anyone interested in exploring the foods of the region." -San Francisco Chronicle

List Price: $29.99
AET Price: $19
Israel and Palestine: Reappraisals, Revisions, Refutations
Avi Shlaim
Verso, 2009, hardback, 392 pp.
Forward by Rosemary Radford Ruether.

Illuminating and highly readable, Shlaim probes the historical relationships that have helped form Israel and Palestine from the 1917 Balfour Declaration to today. Following key intellectual and political figures from Edward Said to Benny Morris, Shlaim exposes past missed opporunities for peace and highlights future prospects.

"Noted historian Shlaim presents a collection of hard-hitting pieces about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict...Shlaim is an important, sage, reasoned voice on the course of Israeli-Palestinian relations." - Kirkus Review

List Price: $34.95

AET Price: $24

Extra Credit
Andrew Clements, illustrated by Mark Elliott
Athemeum Books, 2009, hardback, 183 pp.

Best-selling author Andrew Clements hatches an unlikely friendship between two very different kids. American student is given an extra-credit assignment to find an international pen pal as her last chance to avoid repeating sixth grade. Her letter reaches a school in Afghanistan and into the hands of Sadeed, an excellent student with a good command of English. An enriching friendship develops but becomes problematic for each child's community and cultural traditions. A thoughtful and empatheric young adult novel.

"Andrew Clements set the standard for the school story" - New York Times

List Price: $16.99
AET Price: $13.50
Spy Trade: How Israel's Lobby Undermines America's Economy
Grant F. Smith
Institue for Research-Middle Eastern Policy, 2007, paperback, 180 pp.

In 1984 the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) obtained a secret US governments industry report via the Israeli Embassy even as spy Jonathan Pollard looted vast quantities of national defense information. Since then AIPAC mandates and election manipulations have created a $71 billion US-Israeli trade deficit, equivalent to 100,000 American jobs in each of the past five years.

The US is still locked out fo lucrative high-growth foriegn markets. This is the story of unprosecuted economic espionage conducted by Israel's lobby naming violators based on newly declassifed FBI files - dispersing decades of AIPAC public relations fog and excuses from the department of justice.

"Meticulously detailed in this riveting addition to his earlier exposes, Grant Smith reveals yet another facet of the extent to which the pro-Israel Lobby is beyond dangerous, and has become a serious threat to a braod range of American ideals, objectives, and interests abraod, as well as here at home. This book contains many highly disturbing, documented revelations. Read it." Ambassador Edward L. Peck, former Chief of Mission in Iraq and Former Deputy Director, Cabinet Task Force on Terrorism, Reagan White House.

List Price: $12.95
 

November 2009:

Palestine in Pieces: Graphic Perspectives on the Israeli Occupation
Kathleen and Bill Christison
Pluto Press, 2009, paperback, 176 pp.

In this comprehensive pictorial guide based on their many visits to Palestine, former senior CIA analyst Bill and Kathleen Christison portray the devestating effects of the Israeli occupation. Aided by more than 50 photographs, the duo provides a comprehensive and compelling description of the systematic ways occupation effects the daily lives of Palestinians.

"The Christisons provide an unbearably grim, authoritative, and persuasive account of Palestine under Israeli occupation. PALESTINE IN PIECES is a miracle of truth-telling, enriched greatly by pictures, maps, and first-hand witnessing. It is must-read for anyone concerned with the dark realities of the Israel/Palestine conflict." -Richard Falk, Albert G. Milbank Professor of International Law Emeritus, Princeton University

List Price: $19.95
AET Price: $14
 
Zeitoun
Dave Eggers
McSweeny's, 2009, hardback, 302 pp.

Award-winning author Dave Eggers tells teh story of Abdulrah-man Zeitoun, a successful Syrian-born contractor who decides to stay in New Orleans and protect his property while his family flees Katrina. After the levees, break, he uses a small canoe to rescue people, before being arrested by an armed squad and accused of beign a memeber of al-Qaeda. Drawn from extensive interviews and research, Eggers paints a wonderfully written narrative exploring the intersection of the badly managed Katrina and the disastrous "War on Terror".

"Imagine Charles Dickens, his sentimentality in check but his journalistic eyes wide open, roaming New Orleans after it was buried by Hurricane Katrina.... Eggers’s tone is pitch-perfect--suspense blended with just enough information to stoke reader outrage and what is likely to be a typical response: How could this happen in America?... It’s the stuff of great narrative nonfiction.... Fifty years from now, when people want to know what happened to this once-great city during a shameful episode of our history, they will still be talking about a family named Zeitoun." -- Timothy Egan, The New York Times Book Review

List Price: $24
AET Price: $14.50
The Invention of the Jewish People
Shlomo Sand
Verso, 2009, hardback, 432 pp.

"The Invention of the Jewish People is an indispensable challenge and a very complex intellectual exercise…a more secure society [than Israel] would include the book in the core curriculum of its school system."-Avraham Burg, former Chairman of the Jewish Agency for Israel, Yedioth Ahronoth

"One of the most fascinating and challenging books published here in a long time."-Tom Segev - Haaretz

"Shlomo Sand has written a remarkable book... Anyone interested in understanding the contemporary Middle East should read it." -Tony Judt, author of Postwar: A History of Europe Since 1945

A leading Israeli historian shatters the national myth of the Jewish exodus from the promised land. A historical tour de force that demolishes the myths and taboos that have surrounded Jewish and Israeli history, The Invention of the Jewish People offers a new account of both that demands to be read and reckoned with. Was there really a forced exile in the first century, at the hands of the Romans? Should we regard the Jewish people, throughout two millennia, as both a distinct ethnic group and a putative nation-returned at last to its Biblical homeland?

Shlomo Sand argues that most Jews actually descend from converts, whose native lands were scattered far across the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The formation of a Jewish people and then a Jewish nation out of these disparate groups could only take place under the sway of a new historiography, developing in response to the rise of nationalism throughout Europe. Beneath the biblical back fill of the nineteenth-century historians, and the twentieth-century intellectuals who replaced rabbis as the architects of Jewish identity, The Invention of the Jewish People uncovers a new narrative of Israel's formation, and proposes a bold analysis of nationalism that accounts for the old myths.

After a long stay on Israel's bestseller list, and winning the coveted Aujourd'hui Award in France, The Invention of the Jewish People is finally available in English. The central importance of the conflict in the Middle East ensures that Sand's arguments will reverberate well beyond the historians and politicians that he takes to task. Without an adequate understanding of Israel's past, capable of superseding today's opposing views, diplomatic solutions are likely to remain elusive.

In this iconoclastic work of history, Shlomo Sand provides the intellectual foundations for a new vision of Israel's future. .

List Price: $34.95
AET Price: $23
People Like Us: Misrepresenting the Middle East
Joris Luyendijk
Soft Skull Press, 2009, paperback, 256 pp.

Groundbaking book by an award winning Dutuch journalist who explores the contradictions in Western media with the on-the-ground realities of the Middle East. Told with humor and wit, Luyendijk comments on how the media again and again favor stories that confirm poularly held (and often overly simplified) Western beliefs about the Middle East.

"People Like Us helps explain the geopolitical tragicomedy of the past eight years. (...) Much of Luyendijk’s argument is familiar from the field of media studies. However, what sets People Like Us apart is that it is theory written by a practising journalist about a fantastically misunderstood region. The book applies beyond the Middle East: in Russia, where journalists trot around Kremlin press conferences as if that was the way to find out what was happening; and in South Africa, where journalists living in white Johannesburg suburbs were stunned by popular support for Jacob Zuma." - Simon Kuper, Financial Times

List Price: $14.95
AET Price: $11
Negotiating with Iran: Wrestling the Ghosts of History
John W. Limbert
US Institute of Peace, 2009, paperback, 217 pp.

A must-read for anyone who hopes for (or fears) an American reengagement with Iran. Superb diplomatic history focused on lessons learned rather than festering grievances. I hope Iranians read this as well as Americans. Limbert is one of our few genuine Iran experts.” —Richard W. Bulliet, Columbia University

Former Iranian hostage and scholar John W. Limbert tackles American foriegn policy in Iran. A pragmatic yet positive assssment of how to engage Iran based on past failures and successes. Limbert clearly demonstrates in concise language the importants of renewing negotiations and dialogue with this long isolated powerful Middle Eastern state.

Visit this NPR interview to hear an interview with the author!

List Price: $19.95
AET Price: $14
Waiting for Mercy: The Case Against Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain
Ellie Bernstein
2009, DVD 68 minutes
A facinating documentary following an FBI sting operation in Albany, New York. The complex operation was designed to entrap Yassin Aref, 37 a refugee from Kurisatn and Mohammed Hossain, 51, a United States citizen. Were thse two Muslim men who had no prior terrorist history set up to appear as criminals or are they indeed possible suspects? Bernstein takes a look at the complexities and pitfallas on the continuing War on Terror and its' effects on Muslim-Americans.
 
AET Price: $20
Almond Blossoms and Beyond
Mahmoud Darwish, translated by Mohammad Shaheen
Interlink, 2009, hardback, 95 pp.

The first English translation of recent poetry by the late Mahmoud Darwish, the most important Palestinian contemporary poet

"If I die before you, I leave you the impossible."--Mahmoud Darwish, in "Exile"

"A brilliant poet--certainly the most gifted of his generation in the Arab world."--Edward Said

"I can only hope that the day will soon come, especially in English, when Darwish's night and dream, jasmine and almond blossoms are seen for what they are: the private lexicon of a singular and eternal, timeless voice in the history of human literature."--Fady Joudah

The first English translation of the most recent poetry of the late Mahmoud Darwish- Palestine's most important contemporary poet. Threading the beauty and fragility of life into his unparalleled lyrical form, the work makes an excellent read for Darwish aficiados and novices alike.

List Price: $16
AET Price: $25
Lords of the Land: The War for Israeli Settlement's in the Occupied Territories
Idith Zertal and Akiva Eldar
Nation Books, 2009, paperback, 531 pp.

A New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice

"Powerfully underscores teh problems with the West Bank occupation.. THe book argues that the occupation has been a catastrophe for both Israelis and Palestinians" - Nicholas D. Kristof, New York Times Columnist

"A strong and important book" - Noam Chomsky

"Hard-hitting... Lords of the Land provides a passionate and informed history.." - Foriegn Affairs

A rich and hard-hitting history outlining the tragic history of Palestinian occupation and the detrimental effects to both the Palestinian independence movement and the possibilities of a viable democratic Israeli state. One of the most comprehensive guide to the history of the settlements from their inception to the present day and their impact on the Israeli psyche and politics.

List Price: $19.95
AET Price: $14
Mirror of the Arab World: Lebanon in Conflict
Sandra Mackey
WW Norton & Co; 2009, paperback, 309 pp.
A facinating read connecting the tensions in Lebanon to larger Middle East issues such as the Palestine refugee crisis, the rise of Shia Iran, and territorial tensions between Arab States and Israel. With wit and a clear journalistic writing Mackey manages to distill the complexity of Lebanon's internal strife and make clear connections to large issues in other Arab states.
List Price: $17.95
AET Price: $12

New Arrivals Sept/October 2009:

Engaging the Muslim World
Juan Cole
Palgrave Macmillan, 2009, hardcover, 228 pp

Investigating the faulty logic of the Bush years and how best to change course with US-Islamic relations. Meticulously researched, Cole debunks popular misconceptions about the nature of US-Islamic relations and provides a helpful guide on how to move forward in forward in key countries such as Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iran as well as the seemingly elusive Al-Qaeda and goal of American energy independence.

"The Obama administration, as it seeks to correct a decade of self-fulfilling phobias, will find no better guide than this nuanced, clear-headed, visionary book." -The Huffington

List Price: $26.95
AET Price: $18
  
The Night Counter: A Novel
Alia Yunis
Shaye Areheart Books, 2009, hardback, 365 pp.
Eighty-five year old, Fatimah Abdullah is dying. Just as Scheherazade, the storyteller of the Arabian nights, spun magical stories for 1,001 nights to save her own life, Fatima has spent each night telling the mysterious Scheherazade her life stories, all the while knowing that on the 1,001st night, her storytelling will end forever. “Yunis takes readers on a magic carpet ride….[A] sometimes serious, sometimes funny, but always touching tale of a Middle Eastern family putting down deep roots on U.S. soil.” –Publishers Weekly
List Price: $24.00
AET Price: $16
Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner's Guide
Ben White, Forward by John Dugard
Pluto Press, 2009, paperback, 172 pp.

A powerfully concise guide for beginners and experts alike detailing the tragedy of Israeli Apartheid. Highly readable with excellently researched testimonies. It compares the system of apartheid within Israel itself as well as West Bank.

"Most accessible... this book is an excellent guide" - Ilan Pappe

"A highly commendable effort to throw light on a fraught subject" - Archbishop Desmond Tutu .

List Price: $15.95
AET Price: $12
Osama Bin Laden: Dead or Alive?
David Ray Griffin
Olive Branch Press. 2009, paperback, 101 pp

From the acclaimed writer of the New Pearl Harbor duet comes an tackles the claim that bin Laden is no longer with us. Using meticulous evidence and concise language this is a must read for anyone interested in the controversy or conspiracy surrounding the elusive Bin Laden.

List Price: $15
AET Price: $12
The Iraqi Cookbook
Lamees Ibrahim
Interlink Books, 2009, hardcover, 302 pp.
A beautiful and tasty collection from Morocco, Libya and Tunisia, complete with contextual articles and stories by local cooks that gives character to these uniquely North African recipes. Photographs by Simon Wheeler.
List Price: $35.00
AET Price: $25
Sharq
Marcel Khalife with Italian Phillharmonic and Choir of Piacenza
Nagam Records, 2007, CD, 38 min., 9 tracks.
Live recording of Khalife's latest composition "Sharq". A fusion of East and West, old and new, Sharq (Orient) is the placement of Eastern melody and its unique expressiveness in a new context that propels it forward as a complete medium of expression. Combining elements of mawwal, tarab, muwashah, samai, qadd, longa, and sufi, this concert recording is a unique musical biography
List Price: $17
AET Price: $11
The Lemon Tree: An Arab, A Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East
Sandy Tolan
Bloomsbury, 2007, paperback, 384 pp.
A moving work bringing the tragedies of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to a human scale. In 1967, Bashir, a young Palestinian journeyed to Israel with the goal of seeing his beloved old stone house that he had fled nineteen years earlier. Instead, he is greeted by he was greeted by Dalia, a nineteen-year-old Israeli college student, whose family fled Europe for Israel following the Holocaust. Dalia and Bashir began a rare friendship tested over the next thirty-five years in ways that neither could imagine.
List Price: $15.95
AET Price: $10.50
Invisible History: Afghanistan's Untold Story
Paul Fitzgerald & Elizabeth Gould
City Lights Publishing, 2009, paperback,300 pp

A telling work by two seasoned journalists providing a highly readable history of the roots of the conflict in Afghanistan and the impact of the current NATO occupation. A must read for anyone wanting a clear background of Afghanistan and what its’ future may hold.

"…A critically important contribution to our understanding of some of the most dramatic and significant developments of current history..." -- Noam Chomsky

List Price: $18.85
AET Price: $14.50

New Arrivals August 2009:

Between Arab and White: Race and Ethnicity in the Early Syrian American Diaspora
Sarah M.A. Gualtieri
University of California Press, 2009, paperback, 270 pp.
Between Arab and White focuses on the first wave of Arab immigration and settlement in the United States in the years before World War II, but also continues the story up to the present. It presents an original analysis of the ways in which people mainly from current day Lebanon and Syria the largest group of Arabic-speaking immigrants before World War II came to view themselves in racial terms and position themselves within racial hierarchies as part of a broader process of ethnic identity formation.
List Price: $21.00
AET Price: $17.00
Einstein on Israel and Zionism
Fred Jerome
St. Martin's Press, 2009, hardback, 334 pp.
Einstein on Israel and Zionism focuses on correcting a widely accepted story – that Einstein was a major supporter, a “champion” of the state of Israel – a story told and retold primarily by the mainstream media.

While Einstein was a secular Jew and a Cultural Zionist – he supported the establishment of Jewish cultural centers within Palestine and elsewhere – he opposed the establishment of a Jewish state with borders and an army, and he never wavered from arguing forcefully for equal rights and equal power for the Arabs whom he called “kinfolk” of the Jews..
List Price: $25.95
AET Price: $18.00
The Attack on the Liberty: The Untold Story of Israel's Deadly 1967 Assault on a U.S. Spy Ship
James Scott
Simon & Schuster, 2009, Hardback, 374 pp.

On June 8, 1967, the Israeli Air force and navy pounded the liberty as the ship trolled alone in international waters off the coast of the Gaza Strop, eavesdropping on the war between Israel and its Arab neighbors. The attack left 34 Americans killed and injured 171 injured in the most deadly assault on an American ship since the U.S.S. Indianapolis was torpedoed in the waning days of World War II.

List Price: $27.00
AET Price: $22.00
Saviors and Survivors: Darfur, Politics, and the War on Terror
Mahmood Mamdani
Three Leaves Press, 2009, hardback, 398 pp.

From the author of Good Muslim, Bad Muslim is an important book unlike any other that looks at the crisis in Darfur within the context of the history of Sudan and examines the world's response to that crisis.

"...radical reevaluation of the Darfur problem is a major contribution to understanding and, it is to be hoped, to ending a shocking human disaster." - Sir Brian Urquhart, former Under-Secretary of the United Nations

"Bold, near brilliant reexamination of the conflict in Darfur..." - Publishers Weekly

List Price: $26.95
AET Price: $17.00
  
Danger ZOne: A Diplomat's Fight for America's Interest
John Gunter Dean
New Academia Publishing, 2009, paperback, 232 pp. List: $26, AET $20
Compelling autobiography by former Ambassador John Gunther Dean who outlines his role as an activist diplomat. From an assassination attempt linked to Israel during his mission in Lebanon, to stints in Vietname and Cambodia, Dean provides an unheralded insider look into the struggles of diplomatic life
List Price: $21.00
AET Price: $17.00
Iranophobia: The Logic of Israeli Obsession
Haggai Ram
Stanford Press, 2009, paperback, 220 pp.

Haggai Ram demonstrates that the conflict between Israel and Iran may not be as essential and polarized as common knowledge assumes. He explores the connection between domestic anxieties about the nature of the Jewish state as well as exaggerated and displaced strategic concerns in the era of the "war on terrorism."

"Boldly challenges conventional assumptions about Iran and works to debunk Israeli and Western myths" - Yehouda Shenhav, Tel Aviv University

"... the most insightful book about the current-day Israel and the social psychology of its own fearful fantasies... an indispensable, piece of scholarship for anyone interested in eh current tug-of-war between the Islamic Republic and the Jewish state." - Hamid Dabashi, Columbia University, author of Iran: a People Interrupted

List Price: $19.95
AET Price: $13.50
State Practices & Zionist Images:
Shaping Economic Development in Arab Towns in Israel
David A. Wesley
Berghahn Books, 2009, paperback, 256 pp.

Although the Israeli state subscribes to the principles of administrative fairness and equality for Jews and Arabs before the law, the reality looks very different. Focusing on Arab land loss inside Israel proper and the struggle over development resources, this study explores the interaction between Arab local authorities, their Jewish neighbors, and the agencies of the national government in regard to developing local and regional industrial areas.

List Price: $34.95
AET Price: $25.00
Slingshot Hip Hop
Jackie Salloum
2008, DVD, 94 min.Arabic, English & Hebrew
Subtitles available in English, Arabic, French

Official Selection at Sundance, Best Director at Beirut International Film Festival, Audience Award at Films de Femmes Festival, and Awarded at the Festival des Libertes.

"Profoundly uplifting... Its a refreshing take on the conflict" - Now Toronto

"The Culture of Hip Hop and Rap is at its most powerful and yet its most tender in Slingshot Hip Hop" - Chuck D, Public Enemy

Slingshot Hip Hop weaves together the stories of young Palestinians living in Gaza, the West Bank, and inside Israel as they discover Hip Hop and employ it as a tool to surmont divisions imposted by occupation and poverty.

Follow DAM - the first ever Palestinian Hip Hop group from their early years to their world wide success. Through DAM we meet Mahmoud Shalabi, an irreverent rapper from Akka, along with R&B singer Abeer and rap duo Arapeyat, rising female artists determinded to express themselves. And trapped within Gaza the rap group PR have begun emulating DAM to protest their own terrible conditions

List Price: $25
AET Price: $20
From Veils to Thongs: An Arab Chick's Surivival Guide to Balancing One's Ethnic Identity in America
Dalel B. Khalil
iUniverse Inc., 2008, paperback, 229 pp.
A Syrian-American woman's hilarious guide to balancing her Western lifestyle and Eastern roots. A great guide for Arab-American women and anyone looking to understand the current cultural tug of war between east and west on a more personal scale.
List Price: $15.95
AET Price: $13

 

New Arrivals July 2009:

A Child in Palestine
Naji al-Ali
Verso, 2009, paperback, 120 pp.
This new collection of cartoons by the assassinated Palestinian cartoonist Naji al-Ali is the first of its kind for English-language audiences. A long overdue introduction to Handala, perhaps the Middle East’s most iconic symbol of the struggle for justice, and his brilliant, sardonic creator. Foreword by Joe Sacco.
List Price: $19.95
AET Price: $15
Jerusalem: The East Side Story
Mohammed Alatar
Palestinian Agriculture Relief Committees, 2008, DVD, 57 min
An excellent visual and oral history of Jerusalem and Jerusalemites, from Lord Balfour to Israel’s current efforts to “Judaize” the city through cordoning Palestinians into walled cantons and pursuing a policy of ethnic cleansing.
List Price: $25.00
AET Price: $15
Ali Zaoua: Prince of the Streets
Nabil Ayouch
Film Movement, 2006, DVD, 98 min. with special features
A disturbing story of survival and redemption centered around three endearing, glue-sniffing street kids in Casablanca who struggle to rise above their despairing lot. Excellent acting and cinematography. Arabic with English subtitles.
List Price: $19.95
AET Price: $15
Life at the Crossroads: A History of Gaza (New Addition)
Gerald Butt
Rimal Publications, 2009, paperback, 264 pp.
Recently updated, this unique survey covers Gazan history from ancient times through Operation Cast Lead. A timely and important reference that sheds light on the region’s geopolitical importance and the tumultuous experience of its people.
List Price: $20
AET Price: $15
Unprotected: Palestinians in Egypt Since 1948
Oroub El-Abed
Institute for Palestine Studies, 2009, paperback, 253 pp.
Focusing on Palestinians in Egypt, Unprotected is perhaps the first comprehensive English-language study to focus on this often forgotten but important segment of the Diaspora. Dr. El-Abed’s research provides an indispensible reference on the lives of Palestinians in Egypt and a unique perspective in understanding the Arab world’s most populous state.
List Price: $14.95
AET Price: $12
The Taqwacores
Michael Muhammad Knight
Soft Skull Press, 2004, paperback, 254 pp.
A gripping story of a Pakistani college student who lives in a house of Muslim punkrockers ("Taqwacores"). The housemates gather young disillusioned Muslims into an alternative and irreverent Muslim community that engages and debates the future of Islam among young Muslim-Americans.
List Price: $12.95
AET Price: $10
The Collaborator of Bethlehem
Matt Beynon Rees
Mariner Books, 2007, paperback, 264 pp.
UNRWA schoolteacher Omar Yussef comes to the aid of a former student charged with the assassination of a local militia leader.
List Price: $13.95
AET Price: $11
A Grave in Gaza
Matt Beynon Rees
Mariner Books, 2008, paperback, 340 pp.
Omar Yussef works to exonorate an UNRWA teacher in Gaza accused of espionage, leading him deep into the underbelly of Gaza'’s politics and militias
List Price: $13.95
AET Price: $11
The Samaritan's Secret
Matt Beynon Reese
Soho Crime, 2009, hardcover, 310 pp.
In Nablus, Omar Yussef investigates the disappearance of an ancient Samaritan scroll and the murder of a local Samaritan who had valuable information.
List Price: $13.95
AET Price: $11

New Arrivals May/June 2009:

Under the Bombs
Philippe Aractingi
Film Movement, 2007, DVD, 98 min. with special features
Filmed on location during Israel’s 2006 attack on Lebanon, “Under the Bombs” is the fictional story of Zeina, a Shi’a Lebanese ex-pat who returns from Dubai during the war to find her son, and Tony, a Christian taxi driver who helps her. Lebanon’s Official Selection for the 2009 Academy Awards and winner of the Venice International Film Festival “Altre Visioni” & Human Rights awards. Arabic with English subtitles.
List Price: $19.95
AET Price: $15
We Can Have Peace in the Holy Land: A Plan That Will Work (unabridged)
Jimmy Carter
Simon & Schuster Audio, 2009, CD(4) plus bonus CD, “Bible Study with Jimmy Carter” from his book Sunday Mornings in Plains, 240 min. as read by the author.
The former president’s perspective on a framework to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict peacefully.
List Price: $29.99
AET Price: $20
The New Pearl Harbor: Disturbing Questions about the Bush Administration (2nd edition)
David Ray Griffin
Olive Branch Press, 2004, paperback, 288 pp.
By the author of The New Pearl Harbor Revisited. Together, these two books provide the most comprehensive resource on questions, controversy and conspiracy surrounding the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Foreword by Richard Falk. New afterword by the author.
List Price: $15
AET Price: $12
The New Pearl Harbor Revisited: 9/11. the Cover-up, and the Exposé
David Ray Griffin
Olive Branch Press, 2008, paperback, 358 pp.
By the author of The New Pearl Harbor. Together, these two books provide the most comprehensive resource on questions, controversy and conspiracy surrounding the events of Sept. 11, 2001. Foreword by Richard Falk. New afterword by the author.
List Price: $20
AET Price: $16
Tale of the Three Jewels
Michel Khleifi
Arab Film Distribution, 1995, DVD, 107 min. with special features.
The first feature film made in the Gaza Strip, “Tale of the Three Jewels” is a beautiful story of young love amid Israel’s brutal occupation. Arabic with English subtitles.
List Price: $24.99
AET Price: $20
Beirut Diaries & 33 Days
Mai Masri
Arab Film Distribution, 2006 & 2007, DVD, 150 min.
“Beirut Diaries” follows a passionate young Lebanese activist and her involvement with the Martyr’s Square encampment following the assassination of Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri. The documentary “33 Days” was filmed during Israel’s 2006 attack on Lebanon. Together these films provide an excellent window into recent events in Lebanon. Arabic with English subtitles.
List Price: $24.99
AET Price: $20
Lebanese Political Parties
Sabbah Media
Arab Film Distribution, 2003, DVD(6), 900 min.
One of the best available resources on the modern political history of Lebanon. Includes in-depth episodes on the Amal Movement, Hezbollah, the Kataeb Party, the Lebanese Forces, the Progressive Socialist Party and the Syrian Social National Party. Arabic with English and French subtitles.
List Price: $150
AET Price: $120
The Wedding of Zein and Other Stories
Tayeb Salih
Lynne Reinner Publishers, 1999, paperback, 120 pp.
Three stories by the recently deceased lion of Sudanese literature, including “The Doum Tree of Wad Hamid” and “A Handful of Dates.” Translated by Denys Johnson-Davies and illustrated by Ibrahim Salahi.
List Price: $13.95
AET Price: $10
Palestinian Costume
Shelagh Weir
Interlink Books, 2009, paperback, 288 pp.
Perhaps the most in-depth book published in English about the history and style of Palestinian traditional apparel, this beautiful large-format photo essay spans more than 100 years of Palestinian life and culture as expressed through fashion.
List Price: $40
AET Price: $30

New Arrivals April 2009:

What Kind of Liberation?: Women and the Occupation of Iraq
Nadje Al-Ali and Nicola Pratt
University of California Press, 2009, hardcover, 221 pp.
An impressive documentation of Iraqi women's experience that fiercely rejects both the imperial "feminist" agenda for Iraq and the subjugation of women's issues to the struggle for Iraqi self-determination.
List Price: $24.95
AET Price: $18
Backlash 9/11: Middle Eastern and Muslim Americans Respond
Anny Bakalian and Mehdi Bozorgmehr
University of California Press, 2009, paperback, 348 pp.
A remarkable and comprehensive survey of Middle Eastern and Muslim communities' post-9/11 struggle against marginalization in the United States.
List Price: $21.95
AET Price: $18
The Invisible Cage: Syrian Migrant Workers in Lebanon
John Chalcraft
Stanford University Press, 2009, paperback, 310 pp.
A sweeping historical analysis and theoretical engagement of migration and labor relations from Ottoman times to the present.
List Price: $24.95
AET Price: $18
Enduring Hope: The Impact of the Ramallah Friends Schools
Patricia Edwards-Konic
Friends United Press, 2008, paperback, 138 pp.
Written by one of the thousands of people whose lives have been touched by the Ramallah Friends Schools, Enduring Hope is a labor of love that surveys this Palestinian institution's history. Foreword by Max Carter.
List Price: $15
AET Price: $13
Le Grand Voyage
Ismaël Ferroukhi
Film Movement, 2006, DVD, 108 min. with special features.
A beautiful film about a father and son who drive from France to Mecca for Hajj. Venice Film Festival winner. Arabic, French and English.
List Price: $19.95
AET Price: $15
Surrounded: Palestinian Soldiers in the Israeli Military
Rhoda Ann Kanaaneh
Stanford University Press, 2009, hardcover, 213 pp.
Kanaaneh's engagement of Palestinian soldiers serving in the Israeli military is a bold and sagacious trip to the heart of "Jewish democracy."
List Price: $24.95
AET Price: $18
Sowing Crisis: The Cold War and American Dominance in the Middle East
Rashid Khalidi
Beacon Press, 2009, hardcover, 308 pp.
Khalidi astutely roots current Middle East strife in the Cold War era, providing a crucial road map to understanding U.S. foreign policy in the region.
List Price: $25.95
AET Price: $18
Kill Khalid: The Failed Mossad Assassination of Khalid Mishal and the Rise of Hamas
Paul McGeough
The New Press, 2009, hardcover, 456 pp.
A rare and exciting piece of balanced investigative journalism that uses the Mossad's 1997 botched assassination attempt on Khalid Mishal to tell the intriguing story of Hamas from its beginnings in the 1970s as an alternative to the PLO to its struggle with the trappings of power in the Gaza Strip after it unexpectedly won the 2006 Palestinian legislative elections.
List Price: $26.95
AET Price: $18
Four Feet, Two Sandals
Karen Lynn Williams, Khadra Mohammed and Doug Chayka
Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2007, hardcover, 29 pp.
The bright story of two Afghan girls who find friendship and community in a Peshawar refugee camp. Recommended for ages 7 to 10.
List Price: $17
AET Price: $14