Best of Enemies: A History of US and Middle East Relations: 1984-2013
Words by Jean-Pierre Filiu
Art by David B.
Hardback, 96 pp, $24.99
The third volume of Jean-Pierre Filiu and David B.’s history of US and Middle East relations begins with Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait in 1990 and ends with Obama’s decision, in 2013, to put military action against Syria on hold. Spanning the First Gulf War, the rise of al-Qaeda, the military response to the September 11 attacks, and the ongoing conflict in Syria, Best of Enemies: Part Three is propelled by a clash between four US presidents and their Middle Eastern antagonists: Saddam Hussein, Osama bin Laden, and Bashar al-Assad.
Covering thirty years of conflict and diplomacy, Best of Enemies: Part Three is a concise and engaging guide to events that were crucial in shaping our current politics, from the rise of populism and the so-called Islamic State to the global refugee crisis.
Covering thirty years of conflict and diplomacy, Best of Enemies: Part Three is a concise and engaging guide to events that were crucial in shaping our current politics, from the rise of populism and the so-called Islamic State to the global refugee crisis.
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David B.
David B. is the Eisner-nominated author of Epileptic, an autobiographical story widely considered a masterpiece of the graphic novel medium. A founding member of the revolutionary French independent publisher L'Association, he is regarded as a giant among Bandes Dessinées artists. His many prizes include the Prix de Cheverny, the Ignatz Award and the Best Comic Book prize at the Angoulême International Comics Festival. His books include the graphic novels Black Paths and Best of Enemies (with Jean-Pierre Filiu).
Jean-Pierre Filiu
Jean-Pierre Filiu, a historian and an arabist, is professor at Sciences Po, Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA). After an extensive career in the Middle East, first with NGOs, then as a diplomat, he has held visiting professorships both at Columbia (New York) and at Georgetown (Washington). His Apocalypse in Islam (University of California Press, 2011) was awarded the main prize by the French History Convention. His works and articles about contemporary Islam have been published in a dozen languages. His most recent book is Arab Revolution: Ten Lessons from the Democratic Uprising (Hurst, London, and Oxford University Press, New York).
Reviews
“A graphic history I can’t recommend highly enough for its concision and clarity.”
— The Observer