A History of Modern Yemen

Abstract

If you have time to read a single book on Yemen's recent past, Paul Dresch's A History of Modern Yemen is the one for you. Dresch, a University Lecturer at Oxford University's Institute of Social and Cultural Anthropology, elucidates the history of Yemen, starting in the 19th Century, with the British and the Ottomans vying for power and influence in this most ancient and original of Arab states, and culminating in Yemen's unification in 1990 and the Yemen-Saudi border settlement of 2000. Within these 285 pages, the author traces over a century and a half of the events and trends, men and movements, that have shaped today's Yemen. To be sure, a thorough familiarity with Yemen's long history - if such knowledge lies within reach - would require a lifetime of reading and study. And Dreschs Modern Yemen does not pretend to cover such a span. What Dresch does cover, nevertheless, he covers well and offers a fascinating account not just for historians and Middle East analysts, but for Yemenophiles such as the present reviewer. The author divides the book into seven chapters, along with two appendices, a glossary of Arabic terms, a chronological outline of Yemeni history since 1831, copious notes and references, and an index. Chapter One, "Turkey, Britain and Imam Yahya: the Years Around 1900", sets the stage not just for the anti-imperialist rebellions which would culminate in the mid-twentieth century, but also for the on-going internal struggles fought along tribal, regional, sectarian, and political lines. To follow the plethora of personalities, tribes, and place names which populate these pages can be a daunting task prepare to jot down notes unless you own a photographic memory! ...