Rethinking the Middle East runs counter to the received wisdom in modern Middle East studies. This discipline has been dominated by what may be termed a culture of victimization; it views the local populations of the Middle East Arabs in particular as the hapless victims of alien encroachment, and blames the region's endemic malaise on Western political and cultural imperialism. The author contends that the influence of the Great Powers has not been the primary force behind the region's political development, nor the main cause of its famous volatility. He argues that the main impetus has been provided by regional factors; and that even at their weakest point in modern history - during the final stages of the Ottoman Empire - the peoples in the Middle East have played an active role in the restructuring of their region. Historical writing and popular beliefs concerning the Arab-Israeli conflict are re-examined in the light of this thesis.

Going by all estimates, this is going to be an Asia-centred century. Indeed, a shift of global power is under way from West to East. The rise of China and India, the recovery and resurgence of Russia on one side, and Japan, on the other, and the nature of the international order are leading to enormous changes. These transformational changes in the military, economic, social and political dynamics of Asia will only accelerate with the passage of time. Historically, changes in the international order and equations of power among nations have been almost inevitably accompanied by conflicts and wars. The challenge ahead, therefore, for the international community in general, and the Asian countries in particular, is to ensure that this is avoided, and competition, which is inevitable, is managed without escalating to the level of armed conflict. This is crucial for most countries, and especially so for India so that its pursuit of comprehensive national development can progress without adverse distractions. In order to work toward such goals, it is necessary to look at security and military-related issues as objectively as possible. It is with this objective in view that the Centre for Air Power Studies has been bringing out the Asian Defence Review. This volume, a resource base for both the professional and the general readers, is the eighth in the series under this title, which aims to fill a critical information and knowledge gap in current strategic literature dealing with military strategy, defence politics and trends in military capabilities that impact countries in Asia. In particular, it covers some of the important issues that affect the Asian countries, including those related to air power, outer space, Pakistan, China, cruise missiles and sea-based deterrence.

Examines the current state of Iran, looking at a wide range of areas including the economy, finance, politics, the media, the position of women and migration. The book discusses the uneasy balance between the theocratic conservatism, modernisation and globalization. Overall, the book suggests that forces for change in Iran are building up.

eBook available with sample pages: 020322101X

The king of Mankon, in the western highlands of Cameroon, is an agricultural engineer by training, a businessman, and a prominent politician on the national stage. He partakes in the "return of the kings" in the forefront of an African public space. This book analyses the principles of the sacred kingship which lie at the core of the king's different roles. While showing that the king's body acts as a container of bodily substances transformed into unifying ancestral life-essence by appropriate means, and bestowed upon its subjects, it develops an innovative approach to bodily and material cultures as an essential component of the technologies of power. In so doing, it departs significantly from previous approaches to sacred kingship.

This is the only scholarly study of Arab historiography. It covers the period from 1820 and is a major contribution both to the study of Arab historiography and to our understanding of modern Arab thought.

The historical interplay of Hinduism as an ancient Indian religion and Christianity as a religion associated (in India, at least) with foreign power and colonialism, continues to animate Hindu-Christian relations today. On the one hand, The Routledge Handbook of Hindu-Christian Relations describes a rich history of amicable, productive, even sometimes syncretic Hindu-Christian encounters. On the other, this handbook equally attends to historical and contemporary moments of tension, conflict, and violence between Hindus and Christians. Comprising thirty-nine chapters by a team of international contributors, this handbook is divided into seven parts: Theoretical and methodological considerations Historical interactions Contemporary exchanges Sites of bodily and material interactions Significant figures Comparative theologies Responses The handbook explores: how the study of Hindu-Christian relations has been and ought to be done, the history of Hindu-Christian relations through key interactions, ethnographic reflections on current dynamics of Hindu-Christian exchange, important key thinkers, and topics in comparative theology, ultimately providing a framework for further debates in the area. The Routledge Handbook of Hindu-Christian Relations is essential reading for students and researchers in Hindu-Christian studies, Hindu traditions, Asian religions, and studies in Christianity. This handbook will also be very useful for those in related fields, such as anthropology, political science, theology, and history.

Contents:
Background to the region: * Leading authorities on the region analyse topics of regional importance including organized crime, the environment and the politics of energy
Country Surveys: * Individual chapters on each country containing - Articles on physical and social geography; a chronology; invaluable names, addresses, e-mail and internet addresses and further background information on the Constitution, national and local government, diplomatic representation, the judicial system, religion, the press, publishers, broadcasting and communications, finance, trade and industry, tourism, culture, the environment, education and defence
Political Profiles: * The leding figures are highlighted, with details of their lives, achievements and current positions
Regional Organizations * Details of membership, structure and activities of the principal organizations operating in the region
Research Institutes, Periodicals and a Select Bibliography: * Lists those institutes, periodicals and books specializing in regional issues.

This book provides a detailed cross-country study of the automotive industry in South East Asia. Abbott argues that, contrary to prevailing opinion, the diffusion of manufacturing in the Asia-Pacific has been characterized by hierarchical networks of production linked to Japan for technology.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203166779

Presents text, statistics and directory information on the geography, recent history and economy of the Western European countries and territories.
Key features include:
* Contributions from acknowledged experts
* Includes a definitive factual and statistical survey of each country
* Over 700 pages of impartial data.
General Survey
* Introductory essays written by acknowledged experts cover issues or regional importance, such as: The European Union Towards 2004; Europe's Defence Arrangements; The Politics of Immigration and Asylum in Western Europe; European Monetary Union and Western Europe and the Developing World.
Country Surveys
* A separate chapter for every country in the region providing details of geography, recent history and the economy; a demographic and economic survey using the latest available statistics on finance, industry, agriculture, trade, population, education, transport and tourism; a directory of essential names, addresses, contact numbers, e-mail and internet addresses, for key areas such as, the constitution, government and politics, diplomatic representation, the judicial system, religion, the press, publishers, broadcasting and communications, finance, trade and industry, transport and tourism; a select bibliography is also included.

This work argues that due to domestic blockages presented to them in their respective countries, the Amazonian indigenous peoples organized via transnational networks. Through a comparative historical analysis of five Ecuadorian Amazonian indigenous organisations and two transnational Amazonian social movement organisations, the author illustrates the process of transnational collective action and its outcomes.

The emergence of large regions within Russia as centres of gravity for political and international power, and the changing relationship between these emerging regions and the centre are critically important factors currently at work within Russia. This book examines the whole question of Russian regions and regionalism. It considers important themes related to regionalism, including demography, security, military themes and international relations, and looks at a wide range of particular regions as case studies. It discusses the extent to which regions have succeeded in establishing themselves as centres of power, and assesses the degree to which President Putin is succeeding in incorporating regions into a hierarchy of power in which the primacy of the centre is retained.

eBook available with sample pages: 0203221710

This revised and updated thirty-second edition provides a complete survey of the region including:
* Over 1,300 pages of economic and demographic statistics, wide-ranging directory material and authoritative articles
* Contributions from over 50 leading experts on African affairs
* Incisive analysis of the latest available information.
General Survey
* New and revised analytical articles covering the issues affecting the area as a whole including: Reforming Africa: Continuities and Changes; Economic Trends in Africa South of the Sahara; The Privatization of Security in Sub-Saharan Africa and European Colonial Rule in Africa.
Country Surveys
Individual chapters on every country containing:
* Introductory Survey - essays on area and population, agriculture, forestry, livestock, industry, finance, trade, transport, education and the media
* Directory - names, addresses and contact numbers for key areas such as the Constitution, government, legislature, judiciary, political organizations, trade, industry and tourism
* Statistics - covering population, agriculture, forestry, industry, finance, education and the media. Plus a select bibliography.
Regional Information
* Detailed information on the following: regional organizations; major commodities; calendars, time reckoning, and weights and measures; research institutes and a select periodicals bibliography.

Key Features:
* Covers the Middle East and North Africa from Algeria to Yemen
* Offers quick access to a wide range of data
* Accurately and impartially records the latest political and economic developments
* Provides comprehensive data on all major organizations in the region.
General Survey
* Introductory essays covering topics relating to the region as a whole including: Arab-Israeli Relations; The Jerusalem Issue; Documents on Palestine; Iraq, Sanctions and the 'War Against Terror'; Natural Gas in the Middle East and Islamic Banking and Finance.
Country Surveys
* Individual chapters on each country containing: articles on geography, recent history and economy; an economic and demographic survey using all the latest available statistics on population, agriculture, industry, finance, trade, transport, tourism, and education; directory sections with names, addresses and contact numbers covering the constitution, government, legislature, judiciary, political organizations, diplomatic representation, religious groups, the media, finance, trade and industry (including petroleum), and tourism.
Regional Information
* Includes all major international organizations active in the region, their aims, activities, publications and principal personnel
* Research Institutes specializing in the region
* Bibliographies of books and periodicals covering the Middle East and North Africa.

China, with the world's largest population, is set to become the second largest market in the world by 2010. The importance of understanding the environment for foreign direct investment (FDI) in China has never been more apparent.
With this as a context, this book examines FDI in China with the emphasis on the 'where to locate' question. Japanese direct investment is used as a case study elucidating the key locational determinants and characteristics thereof. This is the first book focusing on the 'where to locate' question with respect to the China market. All companies with a China strategy and all university business departments will find this book of vital importance.

An unrivalled survey on the countries and territories of this immense region. * Over 900 pages of in-depth analysis, up-to-date statistics and invalauble directory details * Includes contributions from acknowledged authorities who examine topics of regional importance. General Survey * Issues of regional importance are examined by acknowledged authorities of the area, subjects covered include: General Issues in Latin American Economies; Combating Money-Laundering in the Caribbean; Building New Relations in North America; Terrorism and the War Against Drugs and Indigenous People in Latin America in the 21st Century. Country Surveys * Individual chapters on each country containing: articles on geography, recent history and economy; an economic and demographic survey using all the latest available statistics on population, agriculture, industry, finance, trade, transport, tourism, and education; directory sections with names, addresses and contact numbers covering the constitution, government, legislature, judiciary, political organizations, diplomatic representation, religious groups, the media, finance, trade and industry, and tourism * New for this edition: expanded coverage of The Caribbean Islands. Regional Information * Detailed information on the following: regional organizations; major commodities; research institutes; a select periodicals bibliography and a select books bibliography.

A comprehensive survey of all the countries and territories of Central and South-Eastern Europe, presenting the latest economic and political developments.
* Includes expert comment on issues of regional importance, up-to-date statistics, a directory of institutes and companies and political profiles
* Provides an impartial and current perspective on economic and political developments
* Over 750 pages of authoritative analysis, current statistics, directory data and biographical details.
General Survey
* Leading authorities on the area analyse topics of regional interest. Subjects covered include: Central and South-Eastern European Economies; Minorities in Central and South-Eastern Europe; The Baltic Sea Region; The Macedonian Question and The Former Yugoslavia After Milosevic.
Country Surveys
* Detailed individual chapters for each country that include a description of physical and social geography; a chronology; essays on the history and economy; a statistical survey; and a directory of names and addresses and background information covering the constitution, national and local government, political organizations, the judicial system, religion, the press, finance, trade and industry etc.
Political Profiles
* Biographical details on the leading figures in the region.
Regional Information
* Detailed information on the following: regional organizations; research institutes; a select periodicals bibliography and a select books bibliography.

Contents:
1. Introduction 2. European Citizenship 3. The Nation-Sate in Europe 4. Nationalism in Europe 5. Regions in Europe and a 'Europe of the Regions' 6. Migration and Asylum-Seeking in Europe 7. Human Rights - the European Experience 8. 'Europe' and European Identity 9. European Nation-States: integration and institutions 10. The enlargement of the European Union 11. European Nation-States and Globalisation

Contents:
1. Introduction 2. European Citizenship 3. The Nation-Sate in Europe 4. Nationalism in Europe 5. Regions in Europe and a 'Europe of the Regions' 6. Migration and Asylum-Seeking in Europe 7. Human Rights - the European Experience 8. 'Europe' and European Identity 9. European Nation-States: integration and institutions 10. The enlargement of the European Union 11. European Nation-States and Globalisation

Japanese retailing has long been regarded as traditional or even backwards when in reality it has constantly demonstrated its innovation and dynamism. This book highlights these developments by looking at: innovations and underlying driving forces; responses of Japanese retailers to deregulation; increasing competition; changes in consumer behavior; and internationalization during the 1990s. All of these factors are analyzed through a thorough investigation of innovative activity from the 1950s onwards.

In this year of bicentennial celebration, there will no doubt take place several cultural analyses of the American tradition. This is only as it should be, for without an extensive, broad-based inquiry into where we have come from, we shall surely not foresee where we might go. Nonetheless, most cultural analyses of the American context suffer from a common fault - the lack of a different context to use for purposes of comparison. True, American values and ideals were partly inherited from the European tradition. But that tradition is in many ways an inadequate mode of comparison. Without going too far afield, let us note two points: first, European culture was the proud inheritor of the Renaissance tradition, and, going back still further, of classical culture; second, the European countries are compact. Their land masses are such that the notion of "frontier" simply would not have arisen in the same way as it did in America. On the other side of the globe, however, there does exist a country capable of serving as a suitable mirror. We speak, of course, of Russia. That country also came relatively late onto the cultural horizon, and was not privy to the Renaissance tradition. Furthermore, her land mass is such as to be "experi mentally infmite" in character - not unlike the American frontier. It is hoped that much can be leamed about the present cultural context by com paring the two countries in their youthful stages."

The partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947 was a defining moment which has powerfully shaped the destinies of people in the South Asian region. The birth of nation-states of India and Pakistan produced reverberations which were both immediate and long-term. This book focuses on the aftermath of partition and takes stock of its long term consequences. Earlier works on partition have portrayed it as a tragic and unintended consequence of decolonisation, or subordinated it to larger dramas surrounding the advent of independence. This book sees partition in its own terms. It argues that it was not a single event, but a trigger of processes which have left a deep imprint on state and society in the region. Where other books have looked only at the causes of partition, this book broadens the horizon by looking at its effects. It is constructed around two key motifs, the dislocations and disruptions as well as the long-term impact of partition on peoples, places and institutions. This book draws upon new theoretical insights and fresh bodies of data to historically reappraise partition in the light of its long aftermath. It uses a comparative approach by viewing South Asia in its to

This book demonstrates how particular values and 'notions of leadership', which underpinned traditional Malay leadership, have played a crucial role in the political evolution of the modern Malaysian nation. The author discusses the nature of Malay 'notions of leadership', and considers this throughout the Malay world at the local as well as at the national level, and goes on to describe and analyse leadership from pre-independence leadership in the colonial period through the rule of Malaysia's four prime ministers. He draws on anthropology, psychology, and political and economic history to show how Malay leaders have kept within the established track of the Malay value system, responding in particular to the expectation of their people to provide a sense of national identity and unity against the complex background of the Malaysian 'mosaic', while addressing the needs of the wider multi-ethnic community.

The Third Edition of Brill's Encyclopaedia of Islam is an entirely new work, with new articles reflecting the great diversity of current scholarship. It will appear in four substantial segments each year, both online and in print. The new scope includes comprehensive coverage of Islam in the twentieth century and of Muslim minorities all over the world.