Focusing on the last half-century, this text illuminates the four phases of external involvement - Ottoman, European, superpower, and American - that have moulded the political evolution of the Middle East. It assesses the past roles of Britain, France and the former Soviet Union, clarifies how power and influence have shifted in the aftermath of the Cold War, and appraises both the recurrent myopia of the US and the country's essential function as a mediator.