This volume investigates the defining historical processes and structural developments that have shaped the Middle East and North Africa over the last two centuries. Editors Amal N. Ghazal and Jens Hanssen curate a collection of scholarly contributions that address the analytical gaps in existing regional surveys. By focusing on both dominant powers and historically under-studied nations, the text provides a framework for understanding the interconnected political shifts that have defined the modern era.

Experts recognize this handbook as a significant resource for filling gaps in contemporary regional scholarship. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, making it a primary reference for students and researchers of modern Middle Eastern history.