Places, People, and Politics (5th edition) A book by Colbert Held and John Cumming People who are not from the region are often puzzled by the Middle East. To outsiders, and to some locals as well, the perennial problems in Cyprus, Palestine, Israel, Iran or Lebanon, and the current events in places such as Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Libya or Yemen may seem impenetrable. This, along with the strategic, political and cultural importance of the region, is why a new edition of Middle East Patterns is especially welcome. The book, which examines the region’s history, geography, international relations and economics, is co-authored by Colbert Held and John Cummings, Americans who are anything but strangers to the area. Held was employed for 15 years as a United States Foreign Service officer, with assignments in Iran, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia, as well as many temporary missions throughout the region; Cummings, who has taught
