America and the Middle East

The challenge given to us here at the Middle East Institute, to prepare for publication in the confines of one issue of THE ANNALS a comprehensive overview of the relations between the United States and the Middle East, was a large one. We have tried to meet it by seeking writers of eminence, objectivity, and sound experience. We have begun with the earliest connections between the United States and the region, including North Africa, and have progressed to the point of radical change, the Second World War. We have next examined the intricate relationships which developed since that war between America and each country or region, as well as the problems which override geographic consideration. The final chapter is less of a summary than my attempt to assess the position of the United States in the area today, a risky and a perishable effort, given the unpredictability and rapidity of change. -- from Preface (page ix).