The Middle East as a geopolitical region is generally defined as the countries on the Arabian Peninsula, as well as countries in northern Africa and parts of west Asia. As a center point for the convergence of Africa, Asia, and Europe and the cradle of some of the earliest recorded civilizations, the region has a long history upon which authors of historical fiction might draw. From the first humans to settle in the Middle East, to the origination of the Abrahamic religions, to colonial mandates and modern political, social, and religious divides, the region offers readers a myriad of books and authors to enjoy.
In the list below, you’ll find stories that span from ancient Egypt to the early 2010s. Learn about the impact of the Iranian revolution through the eyes of an arrested man and his family, trace the journey of a twelfth-century mapmaker, and witness the bombing of Jaffa through the eyes of a young man. See the markets and rug weavers of seventeenth-century Persia, get a new perspective on Cleopatra, and trace the history of Israel from World War I to the 1970s through a family saga novel. Whichever book you choose, you’ll enjoy a captivating story and a journey to the past.
English (US)