How the Middle East and America Became the Best of Enemies in Words and Pictures

With spring blooming all around us here in the United States, it’s natural that our thoughts go to, well, last spring, specifically the “Arab Spring” that saw the rise of people’s revolutions and the fall of tyrannical governments. Unfortunately, the average American recalls that tumult as an excited blur, mainly because of the general ignorance not only of the history of that region, but also of our country’s significant role in that history. For anyone wanting to sharpen that blur into a clearer view, the graphic novel Best of Enemies: A History of US and Middle East Relations, Part 1: 1783-1953, written by Jean-Pierre Filiu and illustrated by David B., is a good start. Be prepared to discover that the clearer picture isn’t a pretty one for Americans, but one that we need to see to have any hope of ever breaking free of the relentless cycle of history. Please come over to Picture This at Big Think to read more of "How the Middle East and America Became the Best of Enemies in Words and Pictures."

[Image: David B. Back cover of Best of Enemies.]

[Many thanks to Abrams for providing me with the image above and a review copy of Best of Enemies: A History of US and Middle East Relations, Part 1: 1783-1953, written by Jean-Pierre Filiu and illustrated by David B.]