A Sense of Siege: The Geopolitics of Islam and the West

One phrase used in this book to describe the sense of siege from the Muslim view described in the title is 'the trauma of loss', which is a succinct indicator of much of the content. This book exploresthe way in which the Muslim world has declined vis-a-vis the West and how this factor has influenced the Islamist view. That view is as influenced by the fall of great Muslim empires, the degradations of colonialism and the foundation of the state of Israel as it is by contemporary developments. That view, too, sees these events as vitually having happened yesterday. Although written before Al-Qaida became a force in the Islamist movement, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in the geopolitical grievances of that world view. Additionally, it gives valuable context to those grievances articulated in the early pronouncements of Osama bin Laden.