Middle Easterners today are caught between memories of a glorious but painful past and frustrated hopes for the future. They strive to find solutions to profound crises of every kind. In recent decades Islam has become central to this struggle, and almost every crisis involves fierce, sometimes violent debates over the role of religion in public life. R. Stephen Humphreys’ new book presents a much-needed and thoughtful analysis of Islam’s place in today’s Middle East. In clear, accessible language, he examines both the medieval and modern history of the region to show the interweaving of the sacred and secular in its political and intellectual life. Humphreys recognizes the Western tendency to dismiss Middle Eastern politics as an incoherent tale of violence and fanaticism, and his book is especially valuable for its analysis of the deeper issues behind the headlines. He discusses the conflicts over power and resources that engage Middle Eastern politicians, and looks at the major ideologies that have shaped these conflicts. He examines Muslim ways of thinking about the secular versus the religious. What is the impact of Islam on public life? What challenges does it pose to “ordinary” politics? What resources does it bring to the struggle for social justice? Between Memory and Desire reminds us how Middle Easterners remember the past: the colonial era as a time of shame, the post-independence period as disappointing, and the Middle Ages as glorious. Driven by these memories, they struggle to liberate themselves from that past and to seize what they view as rightfully theirs. “An outstanding piece of work on the relationship between secular and religious politics in the Middle East. It brings together medieval, modern, and contemporary Middle East history beautifully in a book of exceptional clarity and depth. Humphreys is nonjudgmental yet candid, focused yet comprehensive. His integration of early Islamic and contemporary history is novel, bold, and successful.”— Leila Fawaz, author of An Occasion for War: Ethnic Conflict in Lebanon and Damascus in 1860 “‘People know a lot of things that aren't so,’ warns Stephen Humphreys, and then he tells us all we should really know about the Middle East—a vast, complex, and frequently misunderstood universe. It is a rare achievement that combines erudition, compelling writing, and personal experience.” —Meron Benvenisti, author of City of Stone

R. Stephen Humphreys is professor of history and Islamic studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is the author of Islamic History: A Framework of Inquiry (AUC Press, 1992), among other works.