Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents: Gideon's band in the Holy Land : we're not in Kansas anymore -- Orientalism, American style : the Middle East in the mind of America -- Opening the door : business, diplomacy, and America's stake in Middle East oil -- The making of a special relationship : America and Israel -- A tale of four doctrines : U.S. national security, the Soviet threat, and the Middle East -- Sympathy for the devil? : America, Nasser, and Arab revolutionary nationalism -- Modernizing the Middle East : from reform to revolution in Iraq, Libya, and Iran -- Kicking the Vietnam syndrome : waging limited war from the Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf -- Opportunities lost and found : the United States and the Arab-Israeli peace process -- Fool's errand or Kodak moment? : America and the Middle East at the dawn of the twenty-first century.