The Struggle for Peace in the Middle East has been developed for senior secondary students of History and is part of the Nelson Modern History series. Each book in the series is based on the understanding that History is an interpretive study of the past by which students also come to better appreciate the making of the modern world. Developing understandings of the past and present in senior History extends on the skills learnt in earlier years. Students will use historical skills, including research, evaluation, synthesis, analysis and communication. They will rely on their knowledge of the historical concepts such as evidence, continuity and change, cause and effect, significance, empathy, perspectives and contestability, to understand and interpret societies from the past. The activities and tasks have been written to ensure that students develop the skills and attributes required for senior History subjects.

Positioned at the intersections of faiths and continents, of competing global powers and nationalisms, peace in the Middle East has been elusive from the mid-20th century to the present day. Balanced and measured in its assessments, this student book explores the origins of the conflicts in the modern Middle East from the time of the inter-war mandates to the early 21st century. It considers the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Persian Gulf wars, Syria and Lebanon.

Series Editor, Tony Taylor is the past Director of the National Inquiry into the Teaching and Learning of History and the National Centre for History Education. From 2006 to 2010 he was a senior consultant to federal government bodies responsible for the development of Australian Curriculum History, while researching and publishing extensively in various topics in education and History.