I think I am most interested in World War I, because it seems to be the root of so much of the contemporary situation in the Middle East. Whether it is the Balfour Declaration or the roots of Arab nationalism, it seems like the First World Was was a major catalyst for the process of history in the region. Furthermore, World War I in the Middle East was characterized by romantic heroes, such as T.E. Lawrence “of Arabia” or Winston Churchill who seem to be almost knightly defenders of the West. It is fascinating to study not only their virtues, but also their failures, and how the complicated mix of the two in their personalities contributed to the ongoing situation in the Middle East. We still live in the aftermath of World War I, both in the contemporary West and the contemporary Middle East.
