Praise for the previous editions: "Given ongoing developments in the Middle East and North Africa, this updated edition is most welcome and remains a valuable resource for its comprehensive coverage of the relevant economic, political, social, and religious issues affecting the region⦠[T]his well-written book is the ideal text for a course on the political economy of the region and also for a variety of other courses in the growing field of Middle Eastern studies. Its nontechnical style makes it accessible to those new to the subject. Highly recommended." - Choice "Interesting, informative, and challenging." - Choice (outstanding title) "Richards and Waterbury successfully presented a comprehensive study of the Middle East economies in the first edition of this book, [which was] interesting, informative, and challenging, and many Middle East scholars have found it an indispensable reference source. This second edition is just as successful.⦠This outstanding book is a must for any library collection." - Choice "The best text on the political economy of the Middle East.
The analysis is deep and the coverage is comprehensive." -Maen Nsour, George Mason University "This is one of the best all-around textbooks on the Middle East I know, and the updated edition even improves its status." -Uri M. Kupferschmidt, University of Haifa "Comprehensive and readable presentation of a complex subject, treated with candor and objectivity. A unique, stand-alone text." -John Entelis, Fordham University "In analyzing the ongoing socioeconomic transformations of the Middle East, Richards and Waterbury provide remarkable insights into both the commonalities that give the region its identity and the many variations among countries. They recognize that the region's actors are driven by material as well as nonmaterial concerns, and they identify linkages between political institutions and economic patterns. Clear, informative, and amply documented throughout, the book is unique in its scope.
" -Timur Kuran, University of Southern California "Richards and Waterbury have written a study that should stand not only as the definitive description of the region at the end of the 1980s, but also as a model of political economic analysis." - Journal of Developing Societies "This rich work should form the centerpiece for future study of the economic development of the Middle East." - Current History "This is an excellent, well-written book ⦠a rich tapestry that does justice to the complex subject at hand. Their sociopolitical analyses of the political regimes, the military and the state, and class interests are perceptive and thought-provoking. ⦠This is a book that I would strongly recommend-not only to all those concerned with the Middle East but also to many of those concerned with development issues in these complex times. - Finance and Development "Each generation produces a limited crop of important books on the Middle East. A Political Economy of the Middle East ⦠is one of these books. In a thorough and methodical manner, Richards and Waterbury address the hard development issues, including the role of natural resources, population, agriculture, the growth and frequent dominance of the public sector, and the military as an actor in politics as well as the economy.
⦠In sum, A Political Economy of the Middle East is truly a significant book. It is strongly recommended to anyone who desires a better understanding of the socio-economic forces that drive the region." - Middle East Insight "Seldom has a book been more timely. This volume for years to come will be one of the standard sources for those interested in the Middle East and North Africa." - The Annals of the American Academy "This important and stimulating book will be useful for all students of the contemporary Middle East. Richards and Waterbury provide a comprehensive interpretation of the main structural features of the region in the second half of the 20th century. Not the least of this book's virtues is the author's decision to cover the area from Morocco to Iran, including Turkey and Israel. A second virtue is their insistent focus on human beings, represented in social classes, as the subjects and objects of political and economic change.
⦠This book is clearly a substantial achievement." -Lisa Anderson, Columbia University in International Journal of Middle East Studies "This is one of the most important books about the Middle East to appear in the last thirty years. Richards and Waterbury have broken new ground with what is the first systematic political economy analysis of the region. ⦠Their landmark study will make us rethink the conventional wisdom about Middle East politics." -Michael C. Hudson, Georgetown University "This informative, analytic, and thoughtful book is by far the most comprehensive and best politico-economic study of the Middle East and North Africa. It is the just the book I would like to use in my classes. I wish I had written it.
" -Charles Issawi, Princeton University.