May 25, 2016: New Scholarly Books: Teresa Thomas’ American Arabists in the Cold War Middle East

[With the semester done, this week I’ll be getting to work on the final revisions of my forthcoming fourth book. More on that on Friday, but first, I wanted to highlight briefly four new books in American Studies by colleagues and friends. Check ‘em out and share your own book recommendations, please!]

Teresa Fava Thomas is a colleague of mine at Fitchburg State University, where she’s a Professor of History focusing on Italian American histories, immigration and ethnicity, the Vietnam and Cold Wars, and many other topics. But she’s also undergone one of the most impressive mid-career transformations I’ve ever encountered, learning Arabic in order to become an expert on US-Middle East diplomacy and relationships and histories as well. That has resulted in her forthcoming second book, American Arabists in the Cold War Middle East: From Orientalism to Professionalism (2016). Thomas exemplifies scholarly evolution and growth, and her book promises to reflect those qualities and make vital contributions to our 21^st century debates.

Last new book tomorrow,

Ben

PS. Other books (new or not) you’d recommend?