Bringing the Middle East to a boil
It is often said that the Middle East’s greatest export isn’t oil, it’s instability. For centuries, great powers have been drawn to the region, often filled with ambitions of grandeur and empire, only to grow disillusioned and broken, shattered by what they can not change. And yet, try as it may, the West can’t seem to escape its labyrinth pull.
TL;DR
- The Middle East is known for its instability, which has historically drawn in great powers.
- These powers often pursue ambitions of grandeur but become disillusioned by the region's complexities.
- The modern history of the Middle East is shaped by war, misrule, and retrograde ideologies.
- Simon Sebag Montefiore's book, *The Cauldron: The Making of the Modern Middle East,* is an ambitious and insightful work that captures the region's scope and scale.