Book Reviews guidelines

Al Sharq Forum invites reviews that inform readers about the topic of security and offer critical evaluation of the book under review. If you would like to contribute, kindly choose one of the books enlisted in the MENA Security web page and send your choice along with your CV (and a writing sample if required) to research@sharqforum.org.

We ask that the review be completed within 60 days of receipt of a confirmation email. The book will be made available to you.

Following evaluation, you will receive a feedback after which the final draft should be submitted within a week. Your review will be published on Al Sharq Forum website.

Deadline for application: August 25, 2019

Eligibility

Researchers in the social sciences, especially those who are experts on the Middle East politics, are eligible to write the reviews. In addition, junior researchers, graduate students, and final year undergrad students are also welcomed to participate. However, they are kindly requested to send a writing sample with their CVs.

Book Review Format

  • Total word count is between 800 – 1000.
  • The recommended structure is to divide the review into two parts: the first part is a summary of the book which should not exceed one third of the word counts. The second part that will include your analysis and critical insights.
  • The first part should include bibliographic reference to the book (Title: Subtitle. Place of Publication: Publisher, Date of Publication) as well as some information on the author’s background.
  • The review should situate the book within the literature of the relevant field, and insights and analysis should avoid normative and subjective judgments.
  • Please submit the review as a MS Word file.
  • Please name your file “Book Author by Reviewer” (e.g., Goldziher by Hodgson).

Books for Review:

Cover Title Author(s) Date ISBN
1 Salafi-Jihadism: The History of An Idea Shiraz Maher 2016 9780190651121
2 From Byron to Bin Laden: A History of Foreign War Volunteers Nir Arielli 2018 9780674979567
3 Jihad and Death: The Global Appeal of Islamic State Olivier Roy 2017 9780190843632
4 Regional Security Dialogue in the Middle East: Changes, Challenges and Opportunities Chen Kane and Egle Murauskaite (Eds.) 2014 9781138018389
5 Food Security in the Middle East Zahra Babar and Suzi Mirgani (Eds.) 2014 9781849043021
6 The Red Star and the Crescent: China and the Middle East James Reardon-Anderson (Ed.) 2018 9781849048217
7 Water Scarcity, Climate Change and Conflict in the Middle East: Securing Livelihoods, Building Peace Sandra Rucksthuhl and Christopher Ward 2017 9781784537760
8 Policymaking in the GCC: State, Citizens and Institutions Mark C. Thompson and Neil Quilliam (Eds.) 2017 9781784538842
9 Twenty Years of Euro-Mediterranean Relations Richard Youngs (Ed.) 2015 9781138101319
10 What Is Russia Up To in the Middle East? Dmitri Trenin 2017 9781509522316
11 The Changing Security Dynamics of the Persian Gulf Kristian Coates-Ulrichsen (Ed.) 2017 9780190877385
12 Hezbollah: Mobilization and Power Aurélie Daher 2018 9780190495893
13 Inside The Arab State Mehran Kamrava 2018 9781849049399
14 Businessmen in Arms: How the Military and Other Armed Groups Profit in the MENA Region Zeinab Abul-Magd and Elke Grawert (Eds.) 2016 9781442254558
15 Arab Approaches to Conflict Resolution: Mediation, Negotiation and Settlement of Political Disputes Nahla Yassine-Hamdan and Frederic S. Pearson 2014 9780415817448
16 Arab Migrant Communities in the GCC Zahra Babar (Ed.) 2017 9781849045889
17 Emerging Security Threats in the Middle East: The Impact of Climate Change and Globalization Anders Jägerskog and Ashok Swain 2016 9781442247635
18 Jihad & Co.

Black Markets and Islamist Power

 Aisha Ahmad 2017 9780190656775
19 Patterns of Democracy: Government Forms and Performance in Thirty-Six Countries Arend Lijphart 1999 9780300172027
20 The Transnational Middle East: People, Places, Borders Leïla Vignal (Ed.) 2016 9781138361454