A Peace to End All PeaceA Peace to End All Peace
Score Classic
What it's about
During and after the First World War, Britain and France carved up the remains of the Ottoman Empire. David Fromkin tells how a small group of politicians and officials in London, Paris and the field, often with little understanding of the region, drew the borders of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan, made conflicting promises to Arabs and Jews, and set up the Middle East we know today.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and it's still the standard account of how the modern Middle East was made. It explains a century of conflict.
You'll love it if you liked
The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11
From Beirut to Jerusalem
The Guns of AugustGood to know
It's long and detailed, focused on the British decision-makers. It ends in 1922.
By the numbers
- Readers82 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics48 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller6 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
If you like this, read next
Explore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is A Peace to End All Peace worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and it's still the standard account of how the modern Middle East was made. It ranks #719 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 75.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Peace to End All Peace about?
During and after the First World War, Britain and France carved up the remains of the Ottoman Empire. David Fromkin tells how a small group of politicians and officials in London, Paris and the field, often with little understanding of the region, drew the borders of Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan, made conflicting promises to Arabs and Jews, and set up the Middle East we know today.
How long does it take to read A Peace to End All Peace?
About 17 hours (672 pages), or about 5 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Peace to End All Peace?
If you liked it, try The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 by Lawrence Wright, From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas L. Friedman or The Guns of August by Barbara W. Tuchman.