Roughly three quarters of the book is given to American relations wiht the Middle East from 1776 to WWII, about 175 years. Post-WWII to the War on Terror is the final quarter, roughly three quarters of a century. As result, tying in where we are now seems rushed, almost glossed over.

However, the author does succeed in documenting his case that from birth of this nation until know the relationship of America to the Middle East has been a contradictory blend of exotic allure and Islamophobic revulsion.

I found it most interesting that even back in the terms of Thomas Jefferson the nation struggled with waging war or seeking peace, claiming acceptance of all beliefs while reviling the Islamic faith. Over that time, it is sad and disappointing that the Western/Xtian and Muslim civiilzations couldn't get past their own prejudices from that day to this: Muslim lens of "Christian dogs" having Satanic motivations and aspects while powerfully placed extreme right factions in America and beyond seeing a Jewish homeland and war with Islam as a necessary and sought precursor to messianic return.

Also, the narrator has an occasional but distracting habit of putting the wrong syllable emphasis into a word.

Oren writes an overview of the involvement of the U.S. and of Americans in the Middle East. I made the distinction because sometimes the involvement is individuals or groups, and other times it's political/governmental. Oren's writing is engaging as he tends to focus on individuals and their stories and thinking. It's narrative and chronological, more than analytical.

You may know many or most of the things in this book, but what makes the book different is his characterization of the viewpoint from which the interactions take place, and thus the title of the book. Many of our earliest interactions with the Middle East came from fantasies about what the ME is, based on literature like the 1001 Nights and such: individuals going off to find and experience those things. Others came from faith communities, wanting to help with poverty, disease, education and also with conversion in mind. Then there were the power interactions, such as the conflict with the Barbary pirates. Throughout, Oren shows that these three viewpoints continue to be motivators and influences on when and why we interact with the ME.

While the book isn't deep, the framework adds a fresh perspective. I found it engaging.

This densely packed tome covers a subject not often dealt with: that of the U.S.'s early relations with the Middle East. These early dealings do much to place our current situation in context. The author ties the entire history of the United States government, churches, and people under the broader themes of power, faith, and fantasy, conspicuously leaving out economics.
The story is, first and foremost, of a tragic series of misunderstandings that lead us to the quagmire we are in today. The United States has had several positive dealings with the Middle East, and our friendships with several countries in the region weren't really terminated until after World War II, when we emerged on the world stage as a superpower. Comically, the United States had a hand in several affairs that have turned on us. We assisted in training and equipping of almost every army in the Middle East. We have in turn supported autocratic, anti-American regimes and undermined progressive, pro-Western ones.
The author poses no solutions for the troubled current state of our relationship, which is just as well. After documenting fifty years of blundering mishaps and misfortunes, any proposals would seem stilted and naive. Instead, he warns us of what we may face in the near future.

This was a very good telling of the attitudes that the United States has had towards the Middle East. It is told on several fronts. My favorite was the political front which gave great detail to the Barbary war and later policies involving the mingling of American missionaries in a pretty hostile environment. The book does go through the Iranian crisis and gives some service to 9-11, but most of the book is grounded in building the reader's background into the complexities of the region and the struggles Americans have had in balancing their economic interests with the idealized virtues of democracy and self-determination.

The author also does well in explaining just how fractorous the state of Israel is in the region, and how our statesmen balance the real diplomacy with the religious minded who view Israel as a means to their own ends in bringing about a second coming.

For me, growing up in the 1980s, reading this book was a great reminder of just how messy the world was in terms of terror, hostages, and planes being blown up by state sponsored criminals. Also, these later sections serve as a harsh reality check against our policy makers at that time. In a nutshell, there seemed to be no policy, just reaction after reaction: in one case the US was sponsoring Iraq in its war against Iran, but made an arms for hostages deal in which the Reagan administration funneled missiles to the Iranians - we were in fact arming the side we were fighting against.

This is a pretty dense book but well worth the time and in many ways has served as my primer for US/Middle East relations and aspirations.