Well-researched and comprehensive book about the history of America's involvement in the Middle East. Leebaert's writing style is engaging and accessible, making even complex political concepts easy to understand.

One of the strengths of this book is how it provides context for current events by tracing back decades of American foreign policy decisions. However, at times, I found it to be overly detailed and long-winded, which made it a bit of a slog to get through certain sections. ( )