A fluent Arabic speaker with in-depth knowledge of the culture, customs and politics of the Near East of his time, Burkhardt is amongst the few westerners to have gained access to the holy cities of Mekka and Medina. He describes in great detail his travels, the trials and tribulations...

Sir Richard F. Burton was an English explorer, translator, writer, soldier, orientalist, ethnologist, linguist, poet, hypnotist, fencer and diplomat. He was known for his travels and explorations within Asia and Africa as well as his extraordinary knowledge of languages and cultures.

The American engagement in Iraq has been looked at from many perspectives — the flawed intelligence that provided the war's rationale, the failed effort to secure an international mandate, the rapid success of the invasion, and the long ensuing counterinsurgency campaign.

The author is a well-respected Afghan historian who has published several volumes detailing Afghan history and who spent five years in a Kabul prison for his outspoken opposition to the Soviet occupation. Readers gain a deeper understanding of the complex issues that led to 

A compact, user-friendly handbook for U.S. Policymakers interested in understanding the Islamic Republic of Iran. It synthesizes existing analyses on Iran and draws from non-American experts with a different interpretive lens for viewing the seemingly opaque Iranian system.