“Turkey: A Modern History” (2004) by Erik J. Zürcher

Charts the fortunes of the late Ottoman Empire through to the modern republic.  Excellent coverage of such post-1950s developments such as the growth of mass politics, the military coups, the transformation of the Turkish economy, the country’s ambivalent relationship with both the rest of the Middle East and with Europe, the Kurdish question, the nature of “Turkishness”, and the growth of Islam.

“Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World” ( 2005) by Nicholas Ostler

A look at history as seen through the varying fortunes and unique characteristics of the world’s great languages: Akkadian, Aramaic, Phoenician, Sanskrit, Chinese, Hebrew, Greek, Arabic, Latin, English, etc.  A fascinating, engaging read for anyone interested in the interrelation of language, culture and conquest.

“A Terrible Beauty” (2000) by Peter Watson

I read this tome (847 pages) twice, and will probably read it again.  A panoramic view of the people and ideas which shaped 20^th century culture.  Instead of following conventional historical narrative, the book juxtaposes the century’s thought patterns and cultural achievements.

“Spirit of the Rainforest” (2000) by Mark Andrew Ritchie

A disturbing look at the spirit world of the Yanomamo people of the Amazon.  Also a piercing indictment of anthropologists by the objects of their field of study…

“Europe: A History” (1997) by Norman Davies

1365 pages of intelligent, lucid history, taking you from the Ice Age to the Space Age.  The text is interrupted by boxes containing fascinating tidbits of human interest stories.

“Systematic Theology” (2000) by Wayne Grudem

A wonderfully readable, devotional, evangelical work.  Covers both the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith as well as contemporary and controversial issues in a balanced, Scriptural manner.  I used to read it to our kids after supper when they were home from boarding school!

“A Concise History of the Middle East” (2004) by Arthur Goldschmidt

An comprehensive and very readable coverage of the region’s history from the beginning of Islam to the early 21^st century.  The book assumes no prior knowledge of Middle Eastern history.   It covers such subjects as Islamic institutions, Middle Eastern culture, the influence of the West, various attempts at modernization, the Turkish, Iranian, Jewish and Arab struggles for independence, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Gulf Wars, and the reassertion of Islam in the modern era. 

“A Peace To End All Peace” (1989) by David Fromkin

Probably the best introduction to the complex story of the creation of the modern Middle East during and in the wake of World War I.   Thorough, yet reads like a novel.

“The Infidel” (2005) by Pierre Piccard

A historical novel with major missiological implications.  It humanizes sometimes inhumane and seemingly incomprehensible aspects of Middle Eastern culture.  The author evidently has an in-depth grasp of the region’s fragmented social realities.

“Christian Mission to Muslims: The Record” (2000) by Lyle L. Vander Werff

A carefully researched look at Anglican and Reformed Missions to India, the Ottoman Empire and the Arab world from 1800 to 1938.