This superb work edited by Hinnebusch and Ehteshami goes country by country through the Mideast to explain the foreign policy dilemmas of each state. This includes historical developments, domestic concerns, and both regional and global power structures. This is essential information for anyone trying to make sense of what is happening the Mideast, or to decide what kind of policies the US should have in the region. The book provides a way to overcome to the general ignorance too many Americans have about the specifics of the region and the unique challenges each individual Mideast state faces. Though written in a manner grounded in academic theory, it is understandable to any intelligent reader. Unlike some multi-author volumes, this has a common organization shared by each chapter (laid out in the introduction). The read is consistent and easy to follow, avoiding the unevenness of some edited volumes.