Paths to the Middle East: Ten Scholars Look Back.

• Author: Ochsenwald, William

While the development of Middle Eastern and Islamic studies in Europe has been extensively treated, the history of scholarship dealing with the Islamic Middle East in the United States has largely been unstudied. This book substantially meets that deficiency.

The work begins with a preface by the editor, Thomas Naff, in which he briefly reviews the accomplishments of the first half of the century in the field of Middle Eastern studies, before proceeding to analyze the main trends of the last fifty years. He then discusses the principles used for selecting the writers of the ten autobiographical essays which follow. Naff particularly regrets that no women scholars are represented; several were asked to participate but declined to do so. The chief goals of the book are to preserve the contributors' insights and visions about changes in Middle Eastern studies in the United States while also showing the personal side of this process.

Pierre Cachia, Albert Hourani, J. C. Hurewitz, Halil Inalcik, Charles Issawi, Ernest McCarus, George Makdisi, Don Peretz, Dankwart Rustow, and Farhat Ziadeh present their essays apparently in response to a common set of guidelines prepared by the editor. Each chapter therefore covers some of the same matters: early life, how career choices were made, educational training, chief research topics, students taught, university careers, and reflections on the theme of Middle Eastern studies. There are also substantial differences in emphasis, often reflecting the personalities or life experiences of the authors. The chapters by Cachia, Hourani, and Issawi are filled with the charm, wit, and important insights that one associates with the writers. Perhaps the most valuable aspects of the selections by Hurewitz...