In This Review

Arms for the Arabs: The Soviet Union and War in the Middle East
Arms for the Arabs: The Soviet Union and War in the Middle East
By Jon D. Glassman
Johns Hopkins University Press, 1976, 243 pp.
La Politique Soviétique au Moyen-Orient, 1955-1975
La Politique Soviétique au Moyen-Orient, 1955-1975
By Hélène Carrère d'Encausse
Presses de la Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques, 1975, 327 pp.

Two outstanding books which cover much of the same ground. Glassman casts a wider net for his material, though wisely leaving some critical points open to question, and provides considerable detail on arms supply. Carrère d'Encausse, drawing on her familiarity with both Soviet and Middle East affairs, constructs a convincing narrative of the consistent strategy and zigzag tactics of Soviet policy.

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